Euroculture secures new Erasmus Mundus funding!
New funding
The Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM) Euroculture has secured a new EMJM grant, bringing six years of EU co-funding and scholarships for future students. Over the coming years, students will continue to study in several European countries and beyond, complete a 25-ECTS academic or professional placement, and graduate with a degree awarded jointly by the partner universities of the consortium.
The funding news completes a hat trick for Euroculture in 2026. The programme's joint degree has also been reaccredited under the European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes, and Euroculture is part of a selected European Commission-funded project exploring the development of joint European degrees.
For nearly thirty years, Euroculture has shown what a genuinely interdisciplinary, jointly delivered European Studies programme can look like. Euroculture takes both Europe's internal diversity and its place in the world seriously. Democratic institutions across Europe and beyond are under real strain, from disinformation to eroding public trust to the rise of illiberal politics. Euroculture was built on the conviction that resilience starts with citizens who can think critically about power, identity and belonging. This funding is a strong vote of confidence in that approach. It allows our consortium to keep preparing graduates who can strengthen democratic life in the societies and institutions they go on to serve, through a programme that combines academic excellence with mobility, placement experience and a truly European outlook. We look forward to building on this foundation with our partners across the consortium over the next six years.
Margriet van der Waal, Chair of the Euroculture Consortium
What it means for students
The grant provides Erasmus Mundus scholarships for 50 students across four cohorts, starting with those who begin the programme in September 2027. A professional or academic placement is a core part of the degree, and alumni work in EU institutions, embassies, ministries, regional governments, NGOs or continue with further academic studies in the form of a Phd. Many have taken part in the EU Blue Book traineeship programme. One alumnus/alumna puts it this way: "[Euroculture] was a good platform to start my career. Especially thanks to the internship in the 3rd semester."
1. New Erasmus Mundus funding
Competition for the latest EMJM call was strong. Of 199 applications submitted, 165 met the quality threshold, and only 37 received funding, fewer than one in five. The grant, worth just over €3 million, covers a substantial part of the consortium's operating costs and the scholarships for four incoming cohorts.
2. Joint degree reaccredited
In January 2026, Euroculture successfully completed the reaccreditation of its joint degree under the NVAO's European Approach for Quality Assurance of Joint Programmes. The decision followed a site visit at the coordinating institution, the University of Groningen, in December 2025. The accreditation covers the next six years and confirms that Euroculture meets the European standards for joint programmes, including the award of the joint degree, quality assurance and programme governance.
3. Contributing to European joint degrees
Euroculture is one of ten established joint master's programmes selected for JEDLAmP (Joint European Degree Label Launching and Amplification Project). The European Commission-funded project was submitted by Ghent University on behalf of the Enlight university alliance. Euroculture and its partners will examine how the programme aligns with the criteria being developed for the Joint European Degree Label, an initiative meant to support recognition of jointly delivered programmes that meet common European standards across borders.
4. An expanding international network
In the past academic year, the University of Hyderabad joined Euroculture as its newest Academic Associate Partner. It joins Queen's University (Canada), the University of Osaka (Japan) and UNAM (Mexico), extending the programme's network beyond Europe.
About Euroculture
The Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Euroculture: European Politics, Culture and Society in a Global Context is a two-year, 120-ECTS programme in European studies. It is delivered jointly by seven European universities: the University of Groningen (coordinator), Georg-August University of Göttingen, Jagiellonian University Kraków, Palacký University Olomouc, the University of Strasbourg, the University of Udine and Uppsala University, together with its Academic Associate Partners. Established in 1999, Euroculture takes an interdisciplinary approach to Europe's political, cultural and societal developments in their global context. More than 1,700 students from over 70 countries have graduated since its launch. The programme received the Dutch Keuzegids "Top Master" label in 2023 and 2024.
Media contact:
Jelmer Herms, Euroculture Consortium Secretariat (euroculture@rug.nl), or Margriet van der Waal (m.c.van.der.waal@rug.nl), Chair, Euroculture Consortium.
