Studying with Excellence in a European Network

A strong sign of solidarity: Ten female Ukrainian students and six instructors from the V. N. Karazin National University of Kharkiv will participate in the EMIMEP Summer School at Friedrich Schiller University Jena from August 26th to the 28th. The Summer School is organized by the Abbe School of Photonics. The International Office of the University of Jena is covering the travel expenses for the Ukrainian guests and thus enables the Ukrainian delegation to attend the Summer School.

The Symbolic Kickoff for Jena's Participation in the Program

"The Summer School is, on one hand, the effective kickoff for this Erasmus program here in Jena, and on the other hand, an opportunity to present Thuringia and Jena as excellent hosts to all our guests, some of whom have traveled long distances," says Dr. Christian Helgert, the Managing Director of the Abbe School of Photonics. The name EMIMEP stands for "European Master for Industry in Microwave Electronics and Photonics." It is an international master's program under the umbrella of the European Union's Erasmus Mundus program. The target group is international master's students from engineering and related fields.

Participating in the program, which will enter its second round in 2025, are the University of Limoges (France), the University of the Basque Country in Leioa-Bilbao (Spain), the University of Brescia (Italy), and the Friedrich Schiller University Jena. The Abbe School of Photonics at the University of Jena is responsible for instruction in the photonics portions of the program. Additionally, there are associated partners from industry and other international universities, including the University in Kharkiv.

Defense of Master's Theses in the Lecture Hall at Max-Wien-Platz

All international students of the EMIMEP program come together in Jena during the EMIMEP Summer School. Those who have completed their two-year studies and successfully defended their master's thesis in Jena will receive their diploma on Wednesday in the large physics lecture hall at Max-Wien-Platz. The Summer School program also includes scientific lectures, practical workshops, and a visit to the Zeiss factory.

"The two-year master's degree program for international students begins in Limoges, France, and continues with a period in Brescia, Italy," says Christian Helgert. In the second year of the program, students can choose their specialization location from Limoges, Brescia, Leioa-Bilbao, and Jena. Each year, about five selected students are trained in Jena. Approximately 200 students apply for this master's program each year, and 15 to 20 are selected for an EU Erasmus scholarship. As with the other international master's programs in the Faculty of Physics and Astronomy in Jena, applications for the EMIMEP program come literally from all over the world.

Attracting Specialists for European Companies

Program participants receive a full, two-year scholarship based on their previous academic achievements that enables them to study in Europe. The program explicitly aims to give young people with excellent academic potential the opportunity to earn a master's degree from the EU partner universities and thereby to produce and retain more outstandingly qualified specialists for European companies.