Fourteen Ugandans get EU scholarships
Jul 01, 2008
OFFERING scholarships to Ugandan professionals for further studies abroad is not intended to promote brain-drain, Ambassador Vincent De Visscher, the European Union head of delegation, has said.
By Arthur Baguma
OFFERING scholarships to Ugandan professionals for further studies abroad is not intended to promote brain-drain, Ambassador Vincent De Visscher, the European Union head of delegation, has said.
De Vischer was introducing the winners of the Erasmus Mundus scholarship (2008/2009) at the delegation head office last week.
The scholarships are meant to improve skills, knowledge and cooperation through improvement of higher education. Africa has lost a third of its skilled professionals in recent decades and it costs the continent $4b a year to replace them with expatriates from the West, says a report by Pollution Research Group at Natal University in South Africa. Since 1990, at least 20,000 people have migrated each year from Africa to the West.
“This programme is not intended to create brain-drain from Uganda to Europe. We hope that the beneficiaries will come back to develop their country,†De Visscher said.
Twelve of the beneficiaries will each receive sh53.8m about (21,000 Euros) per academic year for a masters degree. Two scholars, Everd Bikaitwoha, a lecturer at Uganda Martyrs University Nkozi and Philip Nyeko from Makerere Universit,y will each get sh33.3m for three month teaching and research assignments.
De Visscher said the scholarships, named after reknowned humanist Erasmus Mundus, are supposed to foster development and cooperation between Europe and Africa, through higher education.
Interested candidates apply directly to the selected Erasmus Mundus Masters Consortium offering a particular course.
Applicants must have obtained a first degree awarded by a higher education institution.
OFFERING scholarships to Ugandan professionals for further studies abroad is not intended to promote brain-drain, Ambassador Vincent De Visscher, the European Union head of delegation, has said.
De Vischer was introducing the winners of the Erasmus Mundus scholarship (2008/2009) at the delegation head office last week.
The scholarships are meant to improve skills, knowledge and cooperation through improvement of higher education. Africa has lost a third of its skilled professionals in recent decades and it costs the continent $4b a year to replace them with expatriates from the West, says a report by Pollution Research Group at Natal University in South Africa. Since 1990, at least 20,000 people have migrated each year from Africa to the West.
“This programme is not intended to create brain-drain from Uganda to Europe. We hope that the beneficiaries will come back to develop their country,†De Visscher said.
Twelve of the beneficiaries will each receive sh53.8m about (21,000 Euros) per academic year for a masters degree. Two scholars, Everd Bikaitwoha, a lecturer at Uganda Martyrs University Nkozi and Philip Nyeko from Makerere Universit,y will each get sh33.3m for three month teaching and research assignments.
De Visscher said the scholarships, named after reknowned humanist Erasmus Mundus, are supposed to foster development and cooperation between Europe and Africa, through higher education.
Interested candidates apply directly to the selected Erasmus Mundus Masters Consortium offering a particular course.
Applicants must have obtained a first degree awarded by a higher education institution.