one million Erasmus students
As Chairman of the UK Socrates Erasmus Trust, Professor C Duncan Rice, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen, will this evening (Thursday, 14 November) Chair a special event in London that celebrates the fact that the Erasmus scheme will this year help its one millionth European student to benefit from studying abroad.
The UK Socrates-Erasmus Council is offering a UK Erasmus Student Prize and will be presenting this prestigious award at the competition final being held this evening. Professor Rice will Chair the panel of judges at this evening’s competition being held in London, which will be hosted by Margaret Hodge, MBE, MP, the Minister of State for Lifelong Learning and Higher Education, and will begin at 6.00pm.
Principal Rice is delighted to be attending the event and to be involved in the judging panel. Speaking to the invited guests and finalists, Principal Rice, said: “This is a wonderful occasion for all the finalists who have done extremely well to reach this stage, and I hope tonight will further enhance your Socrates Erasmus experience.
“But this evening is also a very important occasion for the UK Socrates Erasmus programme, because it is a celebration of the fact that in the course of this coming year the programme in Europe will have enabled its one millionth student to study for a period in another country since the programme began in 1987.”
UK students who were Erasmus students in the academic year 2001-02 have been invited to take part and compete for the prize, which is designed to test, in two stages, students’ skills in oral and written communications. Entrants were required to write an essay of no more than 1,500 words, on their Erasmus experience. The 10 finalists who have been selected have been asked to make a five-minute presentation to an invited audience and panel of judges.
The judges will be allowed to ask each student one question. The role of the judges is to select from the finalists the first, second and third in merit, each of whom will receive a prize in the form of a personal cheque: 1st - £1,000, 2nd - £500, 3rd - £250. All of the others will each receive a certificate.
Principal Rice added: “We are especially honoured to be joined this evening by the Minister for Lifelong Learning and Higher Education, Margaret Hodge MBE, MP. The Council is very grateful that the Minister is here to personally underline her support for the programme. We are delighted to be working with Government to enable even more students to benefit from study abroad.”