Program Overview

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Introduction to the Erasmus Mundus Fusion Doctoral College

The Erasmus Mundus Fusion doctoral college is a prestigious program that was established after a successful proposal submission in 2012. This program is a consortium of 7 universities and 2 research institutes as full partners, along with 20 European associated partners and 14 non-European partners.

Consortium Members

The 7 universities that make up the consortium are:

• Ghent University, Belgium (coordinator)
• Université de Lorraine, France
• Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
• Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, Spain
• Universität Stuttgart, Germany
• Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy
• Instituto Superior Técnico, Portugal

The 2 research institutes are:

• Institut de Recherche sur la Fusion par confinement magnétique, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France
• Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Garching und Greifswald, Germany

Program Management

The management of the program is provided by a steering committee, which is advised by a scientific board and a strategic advisory board. A logistic structure has been set up to gather European-wide interesting thesis proposals, which must be submitted in cooperation with at least two universities. These universities will grant a double-degree, with co-tutelle being an essential requirement of the Erasmus Mundus funding.

Thesis Topics and Evaluation

Thesis topics, in addition to involving one or more research institutions, are evaluated by a high-level scientific board. Based on this evaluation, a number of thesis proposals is selected and made available on a dedicated website for 3 months. Students can apply for up to 3 thesis topics. The students are then evaluated, and the top students are granted a fellowship.

Fellowship Funding

The number of Ph.D. fellowships funded by Erasmus Mundus from 2012 to 2016 was 9, 9, 6, 5, and 5, respectively, with each fellowship being funded for 3 years. The selection of students for these fellowships carries some restrictions, such as not more than 2 students having the same nationality, or some fellowships being earmarked for students from outside or inside Europe, or from specific countries.

Additional Funding Opportunities

Selected students can also be funded through other channels than Erasmus Mundus. Some partners are eager to provide fellowships to selected students, which may or may not carry restrictions. The total number of students selected and starting with a fellowship each year from 2012 to 2016 has been 13, 10, 9, 10, and 7, respectively.

Courses

The program includes various courses, such as:

• AC1 - Advanced Course on Plasma Physics (5 ECTS)
• AC2 - Advanced Course on Plasma Control & CODAC (5 ECTS)
• AC3 - Advanced Course on Engineering and Technology (5 ECTS)
• AC4 - Advanced Course on Fusion Plasma Diagnostics (5 ECTS)
• Generic skills

Program Structure

The program is structured to provide students with a comprehensive education in fusion science and technology, with a focus on research and innovation. The program includes a combination of coursework, research, and mobility opportunities, with the goal of producing highly qualified researchers and professionals in the field of fusion science and technology.