Erasmus Mundus is an exchange and scholarship programme run by the European Commission. Under the programme, students from across the world are offered the opportunity to study in a masters degree in the European Union member states. The programme is also open to university teachers for short-term teaching assignments in Europe.

Erasmus Mundus masters courses are provided by cross-border university consortia in a wide range of academic disciplines, and last between one to two years. Students are required to study in at least two different European countries.

In a welcome meeting in the city for the 42 successful Bangladeshi graduates, Francoise Collet, Chargé d'Affaires a i of the European Commission Delegation to Bangladesh, said the number of Bangladeshi Erasmus Mundus beneficiaries has increased year by year since the programme was launched in 2004.

She said their selection confirmed both the programme's attractiveness to Bangladesh graduates and their ability to compete with graduates from other countries for a limited number of Erasmus Mundus scholarships.

"Erasmus Mundus aims at providing the most talented students from across the world with a high-quality masters education in Europe, preparing them for a professional career in their field of choice. We also hope that the programme will reinforce academic and friendship links between Europe and Bangladesh," Collet added.