The GEM programme has joint application, eligibility, selection and admission criteria for student selection and hence scholarships attribution. These procedures and rules are designed and agreed upon by all members of the consortium.
These regulations and criteria are in line with the “minimum requirements and recommendations for student selection & scholarship management” set by the European Education and Culture Agency (EACEA).
The four-degree awarding partners are jointly, through the Joint Progamme Board (JPB), responsible for selecting the students based on merit and equity issues.
The selection procedure is carried out as follows:
1. The coordinator, ITC, first checks all the applications for completeness, assesses the applications according to their qualifications and eligibility and divides them into programme countries (EU), partner countries (non-EU) and specific regions/countries of the world.
2. In case of doubts about the level of the applicant’s previous university education, his/her degree is checked in the UK NARIC (National Academic Recognition Information Centre) database. In this initial assessment, borderline applications are given the benefit of the doubt. In this way, the applications are divided into four groups:
- a) rejected outright (these generally concern applicants without a proper English language test or whose bachelor’s degree is not up to minimum standards (1st or upper 2nd class);
- b) below average;
- c) average;
- d) above average.
3. After the call for applications is closed, ITC creates an overview of all the complete and eligible applications (groups b-d) and sends this overview to the partners.
4. Every partner reviews the applications and generates, independently, per region, a ranked list based on the following criteria: first degree university; first degree quality (upper second, first class etc.); diploma supplement grades and thesis/project work; (satisfactory), English level; research topics and background. The criteria stated above are considered in a decision matrix where each criterion is judged on a quantitative basis (excellent, good, average, poor, very poor).
5. Potential conflicts of interest (e.g. personal/family ties to the candidate as stated by EU regulations) is flagged.
6. The criteria are weighted and summed, and an overall score per applicant is generated.
7. After the initial assessment, all the applications are re-assessed by all partners in more detail.
8. Before the start of the selection meeting, all partners send their rank order lists to ITC, and the coordinator compiles an overall list.
9. During the selection meeting (through MS Teams or in a face to face setting) the whole list is discussed, and the highest scoring applicants are shortlisted.
The key staff involved in the selection have (password protected) access to all data and documents of applicants during the selection meeting. Applicants flagged as having a potential conflict of interest are considered, and if there is a problem, a different applicant is selected.
After the selection meeting, the coordinator (ITC) communicates the results to the selected applicants, the JPB, and the Executive Agency.
All non‐selected applicants are informed that they are highly qualified and that they are welcome to join the GEM programme with alternative funding.
- When the final selection results are known, the admission procedure can start: The notification message sent by the coordinator to the selected applicant includes a model of the student agreement, a link to the student handbook and a request to accept/reject the Erasmus Mundus scholarship offer.
- When the selected applicant accepts the scholarship offer, he/she needs to send original certified documents to the coordinator (ITC) to become officially accepted by partner universities and/or national structures. This needs to be done in a timely manner.
- Once the students have become admitted candidates, the university partner receiving the first-year students (UT or LU) handles visa, enrolment, study plan etc. for the student.
- The coordinating university (ITC) handles travel, insurance and payments to Erasmus Mundus scholarship holders throughout the whole study period.
Though excellence is the overriding selection consideration, the JPB also considers other factors to ensure a balanced and equitable procedure with equal opportunity. For example, gender ratios are positively respected, as are a mix of cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and backgrounds in a range of thematic discipline areas, thereby encouraging a dynamic and diverse cohort, with expertise and interest across the broad range of GEM themes.
The gender balance in student intake for the previous version of GEM was excellent (45% female, 55% male), while a range of nationalities has contributed to the diversity of the cohort. A continued focus is placed on gender balance.
The selection procedure is considered an example of best practice, as it is objective, fair and transparent.
