Training courses in EU affairs continue to increase in number and there are now a plethora of them on the higher education market. So, how can one find out about them?

In its first issue on this subject, Europoliticsdecided to base itself on one reference point, the Jean Monnet Programme (see separate article). Listed are the Jean Monnet centres of excellence in the European Union (see separate article) and we also introduce the five key establishments financed by the programme (College of Europe, European University Institute, European Institute of Public Administration, Academy of European Law and International Centre for European Training - see separate article).

DATABASES

However, it is worth pointing out that people looking for EU affairs courses can also consult databases. Some are listed on the European Commission’s ‘Study in Europe’ portal ⁽¹⁾ and list various courses run by higher education establishments in Europe.

The European platform for higher education, the private company Studyportals, which was set up in 2007, is a good example ⁽²⁾.

“Students wanted to look for and compare master’s programmes. They wanted to know what the options were, often beyond [national] borders. Thus, for example, they wanted to study EU affairs, they wanted to see what they could do in the Netherlands but also see what they could do in Copenhagen, London, Stockholm or Brussels. And, on the other hand, we had noticed that attracting international students was the ambition for various universities but they did not have the means to promote their different master’s programmes. That is why we set up masterportals.eu,” points out Edwin Van Rest, the director of Studyportals.

Today, this platform lists 15,753 master’s programmes, of which 350 to 400 are devoted to EU studies.

In addition, the company has gradually diversified its services by creating databases that list degrees ( bachelorsportal.eu), PhDs ( PhDportal.eu) and study grants ( sholarshipportal.eu) and short courses ( shortcoursesportal.eu).

The GES database is also very relevant in that it gives a snapshot of degree, master’s and, to a lesser extent, PhD programmes taught in English. This is the essential international language for those embarking on European careers ⁽³⁾. It is worth noting, that, as distinct from Studyportals, this database only lists courses run by higher education establishments located in the 27 member states of the European Union and not throughout Europe.

⁽¹⁾ ec.europa.eu/education/study-in-europe
⁽²⁾ www.studyportals.eu/home
⁽³⁾ www.study-info.eu