Student Ambassadors' Network to bolster India-Europe ties: EU Ambassador to India

The European Union has unveiled the EU-India Student Ambassadors' Network, an initiative designed to connect 40 student representatives from 20 universities across India. The programme seeks to promote awareness regarding academic and research prospects in Europe while encouraging youth participation in the burgeoning EU-India partnership.

Speaking with ANI at the pre-departure event for the Indian Students' Cohort who will be joining the EU Erasmus Programme, Delphin said on Monday that the ambassadors will be tasked with raising awareness about Europe in India.

He recognised the Erasmus students as the appropriate choice to be the agents for propagating the relations between Europe and India.

"We need ambassadors of the EU-India agenda, and I think no one else than the Erasmus students would be better placed to be this agent of positive change, drawing bridges between our two geographies. We will need this type of talent and profiles more that can be nurturing to the business, trade, economy, cultural and all sorts of relations that will exist between Europe and India, which are bound to grow. We are also announcing the launch of the Ambassadors Network. We have selected 20 higher education institutes in India, and in each of them, we are trying to identify what we call EU ambassadors in India because we believe very much in the importance of raising awareness and creating a better understanding of Europe, and to also highlight all that connects Europe and India," he said.

Meanwhile, according to the Delegation of the European Union to India, this initiative creates a peer-led community aligned with the EU-India Strategic Agenda's focus on knowledge-sharing, youth, and innovation. By supporting these young leaders, the project aims to ensure that academic and cultural connections between the two regions continue to flourish through a consistent exchange of ideas.

Alongside the network's launch, the EU has awarded 75 Indian students the prestigious two-year Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's Degree (EMJMD) scholarships for the 2026-2028 cycle. This achievement reinforces India's status as the top recipient of these scholarships since 2004, positioning the nation among the top three globally for the current intake.

With approximately 100,000 Indian students already enrolled in higher education across the continent, Europe remains a primary destination for those seeking world-class research and academic training.

The Erasmus+ programme, established in 1987 as the European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students, serves as the EU's flagship initiative for academic exchange.

To mark the occasion, the EU Delegation in New Delhi hosted a pre-departure ceremony attended by scholars, alumni, education stakeholders, and representatives from EU Member States.

The cohort is set to study at universities across 15 European countries, including France, Germany, Belgium, and Italy, focusing on interdisciplinary master's programmes in fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, renewable energy, and pharmaceutical sciences. (ANI)