News
Workshop on EM and MSCA funding opportunities
A workshop on funding/scholarship opportunities for higher studies and research (EU programmes focused) was held for Masters/Ph.D./Post-doctoral aspirants in Milan on 27 May 2025. EU programmes were disseminated to a wide community of students and researchers in and around Milan.
The workshop, co-organised by EMA and MCAA-India Chapter, was comprised of sessions on Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) funding in the morning and an Erasmus Mundus (EM) session in the afternoon. It was hosted at the Rogers Hall in Politecnico di Milano and attended by around 70 participants from the region.
MSCA funding session
The morning session started with the keynote presentation of Ms. Chiara Bellani, Project Adviser at the European Research Executive Agency, who highlighted various schemes and opportunities provided by the MSCA funding.
This was followed by a presentation by Dr. Sivagurunathan Ulaganathan, from Nord University, a two-time (both Ph.D. and Post-doctoral) MSCA grantee. He delivered the blueprint on how to win the MSCA fellowship and the summary of the MCAA India Chapter activities. His presentation, particularly the part that detailed the MSCA PF proposal drafting, offered key practical guidance.
This was followed by the panel discussion on ‘Path ahead after MSCA funding and its impact’. The panel discussion was enlightening and motivational thanks to the panellists – including Ms. Bellani and Dr. Ulaganathan, as well as Prof. Valentina Goglio, Associate Professor at the Department of Cultures, Politics & Society at the University of Turin, Dr. Nidia Maldonado Carmona, Post-doctoral researcher at the Università degli Studi di Firenze, Dr. Esmeralda Colombo, MSCA PF, RFF-CMCC at the European Institute on Economics and the Environment, and Dr. Luca Stendardo, Post-doctoral researcher at CNR-ICMATE. Several useful topics for the road ahead were discussed, including the opportunities and challenges faced in the aftermath of MSCA funding.
EM funding session
The afternoon session started with a keynote presentation by Prof. Gianluca Valenti, Associate Professor at Politecnico di Milano, who introduced the HySET EM programme.
It was followed by a presentation by Prof. Maria Jose Domingues Vazquez, Professor at the Department of English & German Philology at Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, and Mr. Luke Akinremi, Manager of the EMLex EM programme, who introduced the EMLex EM programme.
Both presentations contained detailed information on various aspects of the Master’s programme, such as the consortium, enrolment and future job prospects. This was followed by a presentation by Ms. Ena Peeva, ISLANDS EM programme scholar, who offered guidance on applying for and securing the EM scholarship. Her presentation, citing two EM programmes, was very informative.
The last presentation of the afternoon session was given by Dr. Charanraj Mohan, MSCA PF, Politenico di Milano & Heritage EM ex-scholar, who gave a glimpse into the Erasmus Mundus Association's activities.
The afternoon session’s panel discussion on ‘Erasmus Mundus- a vibrant & multi-cultural experience’ was informative and interesting thanks to the panellists Prof. Gianluca Valenti, Associate Professor at Politecnico di Milano, Prof. Maria Jose Domingues Vazquez, Professor at the Department of English & German Philology at the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Mr. Luke Akinremi, Manager of the EMLex EM programme, Ms. Ena Peeva, ISLANDS EM programme scholar, Ms. Yaneris Velasquez,MESD EM programme scholar, Ms. Jordan Hammond, Humanitas University MD candidate and Europubealth+ EM ex-scholar, and Dr. Charanraj Mohan, MSCA PF, Politenico di Milano & Heritage EM ex-scholar. Several thought-provoking topics were discussed in detail, including the cultural experience during Erasmus stay, immigration and student VISA renewal delays, job prospects, and validation of degree/diploma certificates.
The workshop drew attention to funding opportunities and explicitly detailed processes necessary to securing funding, including application requirements, proposal document preparation, preparing CVs and attending the interviews. The session dedicated to preparing the proposal for the MSCA postdoctoral fellowship attracted the attention of many attendees who were keen to gather information on different steps involved in securing MSCA funding. Sessions which included information on the ‘HySET’ and ‘EMLex’ EM programmes also gathered attention. The panel discussion sessions were engaging, and the panelists were able to answer many questions raised by attendees on subjects such as career options after Masters/Ph.D./Post-doctoral research, degree/diploma accreditation in home countries, immigration challenges for students and internship opportunities. etc. are raised by attendees to the panellists.
Overall, the workshop was extremely valuable for the participants. Special thanks to the volunteers- Ms. Fayola Fedoria, Mr. Md Muhibur, Ms. Seemal Habib & Virginia Clarence, and the scholars of the EMOTION EM programme, who assisted in all activities during the one-day workshop.
Italy, Milan, 21 July 2025
Dr. Charanraj Mohan (MSCA PF, Politenico di Milano & EMA PR for HERITAGE) - heritage@em-a.eu
Edited by the Erasmus+ Support Service Team
