16. 6. 2025
The two 4EU+ joint degree programmes MERGED and M3EP have attracted an impressive number of applications – far exceeding the programme coordinators’ expectations.
MERGED (master’s in global environment and development) and M3EP (master’s in European environmental economics and policy) are two young and popular Erasmus Mundus master’s degree programmes, each offering 40 student places per year.
In early autumn, MERGED will welcome its third intake, while M3EP is preparing to welcome students for the very first time.
Both degree programmes have received a remarkable number of applications. MERGED has received 814 eligible applications, 1,155 in total, from citizens in 93 different countries . Over a third of the applicants are from South Asian countries, with another third mainly representing Europe and the Americas.
For its first-ever intake, M3EP has received 472 eligible applications. The top ten number of applicants come from a mix of European, American and Asian countries, collectively accounting for nearly half of all the applications.
“The huge number of applications to our two joint degree programmes under the 4EU+ Alliance reflects young people’s willingness to engage with positive change and to push the green agenda forward. It takes huge efforts from the involved universities to develop and establish such programmes, and we are very proud to see our work rewarded with such global interest,” says Carsten Smith-Hall, Head of Studies at MERGED, University of Copenhagen.
MERGED and M3EP focus on the green transition, sustainable development and environmental economics which will prepare graduates to work with the green transition at different levels and across the private and public sector. Both programmes are developed and run by the partnering universities and offer students to study at two 4EU+ member universities – the first year at the University of Copenhagen and the second year at another 4EU+ university depending on their chosen track in line with the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters guidelines. They earn a degree from each of the two universities they attend.
“4EU+ is very pleased at how far our Alliance has come and what we have achieved in fostering collaboration across the member universities. MERGED and M3EP are tangible results of these efforts. I’m confident that the programmes’ focus on sustainability and the green transition will continue to attract many talented students in the future and that the Alliance will educate innovative graduates who will tackle many of the burning issues within climate change and the green transformation,” says General Secretary of the 4EU+ Alliance Elena del Giorgio.
M3EP is a collaboration between five 4EU+ member universities:
University of Copenhagen
Heidelberg University
University of Milan
Charles University
University of Warsaw
MERGED is a collaboration between three alliance memebrs: