1.826 is the number of students from many non-EU countries that next September will come to the universities of the EU countries to attend a graduate or postgraduate course under the Erasmus Mundus project. Created in 2004, this program has already enabled 2325 students from about one hundred nations and 323 different universities to attend excellent courses. The EU Commission, which has a positive opinion of the results that have been achieved so far, has now adopted a proposal "to start the new generation of the Erasmus Mundus program for the period 2009-13", to pursue the objective "to promote European advanced education as the world’s centre of excellence". Within the next five years, "just over 950 million euros will be allocated to the universities of Europe and the third countries along with common programs or cooperation partnerships, and to give scholarships to the students of Europe and the third countries so that they can make a world-class educational experience". So far this initiative "has proven to work explains the commissioner for education, Ján Figel’ -, as it has promoted the establishment of high-level postgraduate courses in Europe and brought to the European universities excellent students" from other countries. (continued)
