www.study-in-europe.org

Quality DiversityOpportunity

Study in Europe | 1

Contents

Come and study in Europe! Page 2

Your choice for quality Page 4

Your choice for diversity Page 5

Your choice for opportunity Page 5

Testimonials Page 6

The Study in Europe website Page 12

Come and studyin Europe

Europe offers you more than four

thousand higher education institutions,

from top-level research establishments

to small, teaching-focused colleges.

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The continent of Europe itself is no less

diverse, extending from the Arctic Circle

to the coast of Africa, with tiny principalities

sitting side-by-side with many of the

world’s leading economies.

`“ Europe - your choice for quality’’Europe has a world-wide reputation as a centre of excellence in learning. Year after year, European universities rank prominently among the top 100 in the world. And only Europe can provide state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge research opportunities together with the chance to walk in the footsteps of so many of the world’s most infl uential thinkers.

Europe is developing a scheme of quality assurance. A comprehensive quality control process is planned for 2010, by when Europe will be emblematic of a guarantee of quality in higher education. And these high academic standards are achieved without breaking the bank. Tuition fees and daily costs are reasonable, the education sector being a top priority for Europe’s competitiveness.

Europe boasts many centuries of academic excellence. This rich heritage is based around many landmarks in human knowledge, and today’s European higher education institutions benefit from this lasting legacy.

„

Europe – your choice for diversity„

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`“ Europe - your choice for diversity’’

`“ Europe - your choice for opportunity’’

Immerse yourself in a continent with a wealth of traditions and a history as rich and varied as its many peoples and landscapes. At the same time, Europe is a hotbed of research and innovation, home to fi rst-class resources and top scientists working in fi elds ranging from medicine to space travel, from nanotechnology to polar research, and from ICT to nuclear fusion.

Europe is a destination that welcomes diversity of opinion and gives you the freedom to create, to experiment and to innovate. In your spare time you can take the chance to visit our great cities, bathe on our beautiful beaches, ski in the Alps or join in the fi esta.

You’ll enjoy a unique cultural experience in a dynamic, multinational environment. Besides earning a world-class qualifi cation, you’ll have the chance to learn new languages and intercultural skills that are of great value to future employers and an essential advantage in an ever-changing world. A European higher education will increase your mobility - across Europe and the rest of the world.

Europe is modern, open, sophisticated and fun. Enjoy the freedom and the excitement that Europe has to offer.

“ Europe - our choice’’More than one million students from around the world study in Europe each year. Here are a few of their stories.

“I studied at the Central European University in Budapest (Hungary), the University of the Aegean in Mitilini (Greece), and the University of Manchester (UK). The course I attended was out standing. It was structured in a way that suits people with or without an environmental background, from the fundamentals to advanced level science. The fi eld trips were extremely helpful in shaping a solid understanding of the relevant environmental problems and an integrated approach to resolving them. With the

“I chose to study in Europe because, as well as good universities and research centres, it has a big cultural diversity. This makes it an interesting place to live. For me, the main difference is that in Europe during my studies I had the chance to do high tech research, something that is sometimes difficult in my country. And since my programme was a collaboration between three universities, it was possible for me to take advantage of the benefi ts and experience of those three universities. Such a programme is diffi cult to fi nd outside Europe.

I like the European way of living. First of all, because of its diversity. It is only necessary to travel a few kilometres to fi nd a new culture, language or traditions. On the other hand, I think that the European life-style is a very ecological one. It tries to respect nature and to protect the environment. Even in the major cities it is possible to fi nd big green areas and beautiful landscapes. I realised that there are different ways of thinking and living in the world, and my stay in Europe showed me that in spite of the differences it is possible for all to live in

Chunyu, Chinese

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course offering three distinguished European masters’ degrees, I had obtained an offer to work for a leading company in the fi eld of greenhouse gas emissions trading some half a year before I graduated. In my country, there are much fewer interactions between the students and the professors. I think that is the biggest difference in Europe.

During my studies in Europe I stayed in the university accommodation hall with a large number of nationalities and we had a very good time, even if sometimes we had issues with each other because of our different ways of thinking and communicating. It did take time before we could separate the individuals from the cultural backgrounds each of us brought with them, but in the end it was such a unique experience to study and live within an international community!

This process has brought me the very valuable skills to be able to work in a multinational company.”

harmony and learn from each other. These are for me very valuable soft skills that can only be developed in European countries.

The professors were always willing to help the students, not only from the academic point of view. They also tried to aid us in such aspects as accommodation and adapting ourselves to the country. The first country where I lived was Germany. At the beginning, the language was a little bit difficult, but when I had problems I could often use English. Nevertheless, after the first year I was able to communicate in German. During my stay in Portugal, I learned Portuguese. Since Spanish (my mother language) and Portuguese are similar, it was not very diffi cult to learn. The most complicated language to learn was Danish. But during my stay in Denmark I managed to learn the basics for everyday life.”

Ricardo, Mexican

“I was attracted to Europe for many reasons - the quality of the education, the feasible mobility that exists in Europe and the access to excellent research facilities. I also came for a more personal reason: my mother is originally from Sweden and I enjoyed travelling as a child to Göteborg and the West Coast of Sweden to spend summers with my extended family.

I really liked the quality of education and the level of interaction. I found that students were expected to study more independently, but then when they came to class it was more productive. I really liked the subject I was studying - environmental science, policy and management. Visiting professors were always happy to meet students after classes at a pub or restaurant and get to know us as individuals, as well as students. That made a huge difference for me.

“I decided to come to Europe to study modern French philosophy. When I arrived, I found that the relationship with the professors is different from Russia. The attitude here is more democratic then in my home country.

The courses are of a very high quality, there is more freedom to choose the direction you want your studies to take, and the areas of research are more developed. Of course, we don’t make as much use of technology in the humanities as they do in the sciences, but I did fi nd that the libraries were of a very high standard.

My period of study in Europe definitely lived up to my expectations and my experience has given me a broader outlook on educational issues which will be

Jenni, American

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useful in my future professional life. It was a multicultural and multilingual experience which I will recommend to my friends.

My favourite memory of my fi rst day is meeting a Russian guy in his early fi fties on the bus right behind Luxembourg Airport. So the fi rst person I came into contact with in Europe spoke my native language!”

Evgeny, Russian

As an American student I wanted to be challenged both by my professors and courses, but also by my peers and the surrounding environment. I wanted to feel my education in all aspects of what I was living, doing and experiencing. Coming to Europe provided an environment which stimulated both inspiration, intrigue, and fun. Furthermore, the subject I wanted to study cannot be viewed from one perspective. Environmental problems are inherently global challenges, and Europe is tackling innovative and co-operative solutions on a global level, to try and mitigate current levels of environmental degradation.

What have I learned? It’s diffi cult to say in a few words or to even say in words! I learned to be both objective and critical, to be open-minded and yet challenge ideals I do not agree with. I have learned to see beauty in the little things and to appreciate the collective systems that exist - either in functioning urban areas, or the classic nuances of old towns painted in history.

For my professional life, I think my studies in Europe have brought me integrity in topics of conversation, has granted me insight to a variety of ways to work in a team, to perceive a different objective and to take what I have seen and apply it or adapt it, albeit in a slightly different manner, to a different framework or context.”

Tsigereda, Ethiopian

“I came to study in Europe because I felt that Europe provides a better environment for students to develop a good academic and life experience. Europe can offer more opportunities to scholars coming from a developing country such as Ethiopia.

I am studying digital library learning. It is an interesting and newly emerging fi eld and I think I am lucky to be able to enjoy it. One thing I do fi nd really amazing is the collaboration between the students and the professors. The emphasis is more about creating a favourable environment for the student to develop his or her knowledge. Most of the teachers have an open relationship with students even beyond the normal class and offi ce meetings for academic discussions. The professors and teachers have several years of practical ex perience, which improves the quality of the course. As I anticipated before coming here, all the courses have a good range of technological support. Learning tools like video

“Europe for me is a symbol of culture and interaction. Studying here has been a constant process of learning, not only academically, but culturally. This is probably one of the richest environments one can choose to live in and it has contributed immensely to my development both as a professional in the area of Literature and as a dynamic and fl exible person. Also, the degree of mobility available in Europe makes it easier to obtain books in their original language and to visit the countries where those books were written. Being in Europe helps me feel what those philosophers and writers felt, and that facilitates the business of learning.

I enjoyed the courses very much, but I had to get used to the fact that in comparison to my home country, there are fewer classes and more study on one’s own. The teaching staff was mostly close to the students, even though there is always some academic distance between students and professors. But they were always very helpful and interested in my experience as a student from a developing country studying in Europe.

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conferencing are used in interesting ways, with link-ups to lectures from famous authors and experts in our fi eld who we might not be able to hear in person. There are many differences from study in my home country. But the main things that I would point to are the differences in curricula and the availability of learning tools. As a general rule, fi elds of study related to technology are not so fully supported in my country. By being exposed to the challenge of a really practical course, one is able to maintain the motivation and level of interest to work on it more. I have found it very encouraging to make discoveries through practical work.

My stay in Europe has shown me that there are more opportunities than I thought for scholars who work hard and pay attention to their career. I used to believe that I shouldn’t be distracted by things outside my fi eld of study, but I found that was wrong and now I understand the value of having expertise in more than one subject. I have also learned what a pleasure it is to discover new cultures and different ways of living. Back home, although we had a lot of places worth visiting, I noticed that I personally was not very enthusiastic about going to see them. Now I am more inspired to travel and visit new places that I have never been to. It has increased my curiosity and broadened my thoughts on how amazingly diverse our world is and how it is worth making plans to travel and see as much of it as possible.”

Izabela, Brazilian

I fi nd that life in Europe has a different rhythm in comparison to my own country. People are more concerned with nature, for instance, and need to worry less about basic needs. In England,I loved the natural resources that were so close to the city of Sheffield: I liked their organisation, the transportation system, the libraries and the museums; and the wonderful English tea too! But I learnt to appreciate Brazilian sunshine much more!

Europe has provided me not only with academic knowledge, but more importantly with priceless personal experiences which made me stronger, more tolerant, and much more fl exible than I was before. I defi nitely recommend studying in Europe to my friends!”

www.study-in-europe.org

· Why study in Europe?

· Courses and Programmes

· European Higher Education

· Application Guide · Testimonials

· Events · Living in Europe

· Scholarships

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Visit Europe online

The Study in Europe website at www.study-in-europe.org

provides up-to-date information on more than thirty

European countries, their universities and what it takes

to live and study in them. Information is available in

Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese, Russian

and Spanish.

Use Study in Europe to fi nd the university that suits

you best. A well-informed decision will make your

time abroad even more valuable.

www.study-in-europe.org

Europe is a fascinating destination,

but which country should you go to?

Which university should you choose?

What do you need before you leave?

What will happen when you arrive?