Latest news with #Erasmus+
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- General
- Irish Independent
Wexford primary school pupils travel to France as efforts continue to protect the environment
The rural school has been recognised for promoting environmental awareness and action. Students took on a number of eco-friendly initiatives over the past school year, including organising beach clean – ups at Ballyhealy Beach and hosting workshops on pollution and coastal erosion, demonstrating a commitment to the local environment. 'We want to make a difference,' said sixth-class student Lily Murphy. 'The beach is a big part of our community, and we're proud to help keep it clean for wildlife and future generations.' And the effort didn't end there. Recently, a group of 22 students and five teachers travelled to France as part of an Erasmus+ programme funded by Leargas. The visit allowed students to share their experiences and exchange ideas with their French peers, who are tackling similar issues. 'This was an incredible opportunity for our students to see that environmental problems are global and that solutions come from teamwork and shared learning,' said Claire Casey, who helped lead the project. In addition to becoming a European Blue School, only the fourth school on the island of Ireland to achieve this prestigious status the school was previously recognised as Wexford's cleanest school by Wexford County Council and has received it's eight Green Flag with marine biodiversity being this year's theme. Principal Micheál Martin said: 'Becoming a Blue School places Kilmore National on the European stage. It's a testament to our students' hard work and their passion for protecting our coasts.' Back at home, the school's Green Schools Committee continues to work with parents, local environmental groups, and Wexford County Council to raise awareness about marine litter and biodiversity.
Fibre2Fashion
5 days ago
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
$2.32-trn EU budget 2028-2034 presented for stronger Europe
The European Commission yesterday presented its proposal for an ambitious and dynamic Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), amounting to almost €2 trillion (~$2.32 trillion), or 1.26 per cent of the European Union's (EU) gross national income on average between 2028 and 2034. This framework will run for seven years, starting in 2028, and equip Europe with a long-term investment budget matching its ambitions to be an independent, prosperous, secure and thriving society and economy over the coming decade. The European Commission has presented its proposal for a Multiannual Financial Framework, amounting to almost $2.32 trillion, or 1.26 per cent of the EU's gross national income on average between 2028 and 2034. This framework will run for seven years, starting in 2028. The Commission proposed a fundamental redesign of the budget, which will be more streamlined, flexible and impactful. The Commission proposed a fundamental redesign of the EU budget, which will be more streamlined, flexible and impactful. It will significantly enhance the EU's capacity to deliver on core policies while addressing new and emerging priorities, an official release said. The budget will continue to support people, business, member states, regions, partners and the EU's collective future, it noted. The Commission has also proposed new own resources and adjustments to existing ones, which will ease pressure on national budgets, generating €58.5 billion per year. Key features of the new MFF include simpler, more streamlined and harmonised EU financial programmes, so that citizens and companies can easily find and access funding opportunities. The MFF will offer a powerful competitiveness boost for Europe to secure supply chains, scale-up innovation and lead the global race for clean and smart technology. Transparency on and screening of the beneficiaries of the EU budget will be reinforced. Information on the recipients of EU funds will be published in a centralised database. Stepping up investment in skills is fundamental to help EU students and workers embrace opportunities. A reinforced Erasmus+ programme will be the backbone of the Union of Skills, which aims at building skills for quality jobs, upskilling and reskilling. Erasmus+ is the EU's programme to support education, training, youth and sport. A new European Competitiveness Fund, worth €409 billion, will invest in strategic technologies to benefit the entire single market. It will focus its support on four areas: clean transition and decarbonisation; digital transition; health, biotech, agriculture and bioeconomy; defence and space. To simplify external action financing, a Global Europe, worth €200 billion for 2028-2034 will maximise impact on the ground and improve visibility of EU external action in partner countries. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
News18
15-07-2025
- Business
- News18
Study Free In 19 European Countries With This Scholarship, Get Rs 1.4 Lakh Monthly Stipend Too
Last Updated: Scholarships to study in Europe: India is among the partner countries, making its students eligible to apply for undergraduate exchanges, full-time pg degrees, internships. Scholarships to study in Europe: For Indian students dreaming of an international education without the financial burden, the European Union has rolled out a golden opportunity. Through the Erasmus+ Scholarship programme, students can now study in 19 European countries, including academic powerhouses like Germany, France, Italy, and the Netherlands, entirely tuition-free. In some cases, they may even receive a monthly stipend of up to €1,400 (approximately Rs 1.4 lakh), along with additional grants for visa, travel, accommodation, and insurance. This initiative is part of the European Union's flagship educational exchange program, aimed at offering global exposure, academic excellence, and intercultural learning to students worldwide. India is among the partner countries, making its students eligible to apply for undergraduate exchanges, full-time post-graduate degrees, and even international internships under Erasmus+. What Does Erasmus+ Cover? No tuition fees at participating European universities Exemption from registration, lab, and library charges The programme covers studies in countries including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland, among others. Who Can Apply? To be eligible for the Erasmus+ Scholarship: How To Apply The process begins by contacting the Erasmus+ Coordinator at your home university. Applications are typically submitted online, and candidates are selected based on academic merit, language skills, and performance in interviews. Most Erasmus+ program applications open between October and February every year, though deadlines may differ based on the specific university and course. view comments Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Irish Examiner
15-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Why medical research needs to be more inclusive — and what we're doing about it
The covid-19 pandemic changed many aspects of our lives. One of the most notable shifts in healthcare has been a much greater awareness of how health outcomes differ across different communities — and how our medical research has not always kept up. Take, for example, the pulse oximeter — a device usually clipped to a finger and used to monitor oxygen levels in patients. As low oxygen levels were key concern for those with severe covid, pulse oximeters were used a lot. They were also found to be significantly less accurate for people with darker skin, often overestimating oxygen levels and potentially delaying urgent treatment. The pulse oximeter is a poster child for the dangerous consequences of not including a diverse range of people in health research. Not only do individuals receive poorer care, but care is also unequal, and trust in the healthcare systems erodes. This is part of a wider issue. For decades, randomised trials — the gold standard for testing new treatments — have disproportionately involved white, male, and relatively healthy participants. That's despite the fact many health conditions affect other groups in more severe or complex ways. Groups that are frequently left out include women, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+ individuals, older adults, pregnant or lactating females and people with disabilities. The pulse oximeter is a poster child for the dangerous consequences of not including a diverse range of people in health research. These are called under-served groups — populations under-represented in research despite often carrying a higher burden of disease. Women, for example, have been under-represented in many trials for decades, resulting in women having more side-effects because of biological differences between how male and female bodies absorb some medicines. Take heart disease as an example. Women are just as likely to have a heart attack as men, but women are more likely to die from one. Women are also more likely to suffer from autoimmune diseases, but research often fails to examine womne separately, excludes them or doesn't include them in sufficient numbers to say anything meaningful about potential differences. Research conducted with and on both sexes can help reduce these disparities. This is the motivation behind SENSITISE, a new EU-funded project in UCC, with partner institutes the University of Aberdeen, UK, Masaryk University, Czech Republic and ECRIN (European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network) France. SENSITISE — short for inclusive clinical trials: training and education to increase the involvement of under-served groups — is about creating real, practical change in how we educate the next generation of trialists. Supported by the EU Erasmus+ programme until 2026, SENSITISE includes a 12-week, open-access curriculum available online, a manual for teachers, in-person workshops for those working in clinical trials, and translations into multiple languages to ensure broad accessibility. Our audience includes not just students and researchers, but also public and patient contributors, because inclusion starts with listening to the people affected. Our goal is simple but urgent: to make inclusive health research the norm, not the exception. This political backdrop makes the work of SENSITISE even more urgent. While parts of the world move backwards on inclusion, we are pushing forward — developing tools to help the next generation of researchers build better, fairer trials from the ground up. In the United States, a dramatic shift in policy is under way. President Donald Trump recently issued executive orders banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the federal government, including in healthcare and medical research. Frances Shiely: If trials are designed only for the majority, then under-served communities will continue to receive second-rate care, or no care at all. The orders eliminate DEI officers, revoke protections for LGBTQ+ individuals, and direct federal agencies to redefine gender strictly in biological terms — an approach that risks excluding entire communities from equitable access to healthcare and research participation. The withdrawal of women's reproductive rights and subsequently, women's rights, along with banning the word ''women'' from all governmental health websites is unimaginable to us here in Europe. Even before the Trump administration came to power in January 2025, the United States had work to do to improve women's health. In 2022, maternal mortality, deaths due to complications from pregnancy or childbirth, was 22.3/100,000 live births, more than double and sometimes triple the rate for most high-income countries (Ireland is 8.3/100,000; UK is 13.6/100,000; Australia and Germany, 3.5/100,000; Netherlands 2.8/100,000). But this hides the health inequities. For black women in the US, the maternal mortality in 2022 was 49.5/100,000 compared to 19.0/100,000 for white women. According to figures from the World Health Organization, maternal mortality for black women living in the US is higher than overall mortality in many countries, including Argentina, Egypt and Mongolia. This is not only a US issue: maternal mortality for black women in the UK is 35.1/100,000. There is work to do in Europe too. However, the policies of the Trump administration will widen these gaps, not narrow them. The impact of this disruption of science and the subsequent health outcomes will be profound and would have seemed almost unimaginable only a few months ago. Left unchallenged, the threat of these policies spreading increases. If trials do not include the people who have most to gain from improved treatment, inequity in health outcomes becomes a persistent feature of the healthcare system. This is bad science, and bad for society. Inclusive research isn't just about who gets invited to participate — it's about who benefits from science. If trials are designed only for the majority, then under-served communities will continue to receive second-rate care, or no care at all. The result? Worse outcomes; widening inequality; a healthcare system that serves some, but not all. We are at a crossroads. One path leads to a narrower, exclusionary science that leaves people behind. The other leads to research that reflects the real world and delivers better outcomes for all. At UCC, we're proud to be leading the way through SENSITISE, equipping the next generation to build trials that are inclusive, ethical and effective. Because inclusive research doesn't just change science, it changes lives. Frances Shiely is professor of clinical trials, HRB Clinical Research Facility and School of Public Health, at University College Cork Read More Have we learned any lessons after Grace?
Days of Palestine
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Days of Palestine
EU Outlines 10 Options for Political Action Against Israel over Violation of Human Rights
DayofPal– The European Union is considering a range of political actions against Israel following findings suggesting potential breaches of human rights obligations under the EU-Israel Association Agreement. Prepared by the EU's diplomatic service and presented to member states on Thursday, an internal EU document outlines ten possible measures in response to Israel's conduct during its military operations in Gaza. These include both sweeping steps, such as the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which governs trade and political relations, and more targeted actions like halting joint technical projects. This move follows a report issued last month that raised concerns about Israel's compliance with international human rights standards. It comes amid growing frustration among EU capitals over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and what they see as Israel's inadequate facilitation of aid into the enclave. While the document does not call for immediate action, it reflects an increasing appetite within the bloc to express dissatisfaction with the policies of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government. However, any significant measures would require consensus or a qualified majority among the EU's 27 member states, a threshold that diplomats say may be difficult to reach given divisions over how to respond to Israel's actions. The options, to be discussed by EU foreign ministers at a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, range from symbolic to substantial. Among the more consequential proposals is a partial or full suspension of the Association Agreement, potentially affecting preferential trade treatment or political engagement. The EU could also suspend Israel's participation in major academic and cultural initiatives such as Erasmus+ and the Horizon Europe research program. Additionally, the paper outlines steps that could be taken independently of the agreement, including the imposition of sanctions on specific Israeli officials implicated in human rights violations, or an embargo on arms that could be used in Gaza. Further proposed actions include suspending visa-free travel for Israeli citizens and restricting imports from Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. While a full EU-wide ban would require bloc-level approval, the document notes that individual member states could act unilaterally on such measures. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Thursday that Israel had agreed to some improvements on humanitarian access, including increasing the flow of aid trucks and opening new crossings into Gaza. Nevertheless, the EU's latest assessment signals a readiness to escalate political pressure if conditions on the ground do not improve. While broad support within the EU for the most punitive actions appears unlikely, the detailed options paper underscores growing tensions between Brussels and Israel, and a desire among some member states to move beyond rhetoric toward more concrete consequences. Shortlink for this post:
