Partnership signed between UIL and Erasmus Mundus Programme European Masters in Lifelong Learning: Policy and Management, Bilbao 21–23 November 2012

The Erasmus Mundus Masters Programmes have been established by the European Commission as an equivalent to the American Fulbright Programme, with a focus on programmes of excellence, designed to attract talented students in a number of subject areas. The Erasmus Mundus Programme European Masters in Lifelong Learning: Policy and Management (MALLL), was established in 2006. It is based at the Department of Education, Arhus University, Denmark, which is partnered by the Institute of Education, University of London, and Deusto University, Bilbao. In 2011 Melbourne University, Australia, joined as a non-EU partner. The programme also offers scholarships to researchers in lifelong learning worldwide to visit the partner universities up to three months. MALLL is the only Erasmus Mundus Programme in the field of lifelong learning. So far some 120 students from more than 50 different countries have graduated from the programme.

At the annual seminar held in November 2012, an agreement formalising the partnership with UIL as associate partner was signed. This agreement involves a two-week scholarship: one week for a scholar from UIL to stay at a partner university, and one week for a scholar from the partner-universities to stay at UIL. Two academics from the partner universities will offer to be peer reviewers for IRE. Furthermore researchers from the Consortium can offer to be presenters at UIL’s seminars and conferences, thus widening UIL’s network. In the coming years the Consortium will open up further by also involving a university from Latin America, and one from Asia.