Mr. Mustafizur Rahman, a BSC-6th Semester student from the Department of Chemistry at the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) has been selected for the esteemed Erasmus Mundus Scholarship for MSC on Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion (MESC) in the European Union. This scholarship covers universities in Poland, France, Spain, Slovenia, and the USA.Only 36 students globally have been chosen for this program, marking the first time a student from North-East India has been selected for Erasmus Mundus MESC.

An email from Prof Alejandro A. Franco, i-MESC EMJM Coordinator, France states that after the evaluation of Mustafizur’s application, they have ranked him on the main list of their selected students and he is “eligible for an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Scholarship to pursue his studies within i-MESC, starting September 2024”. This EMJM scholarship from the European Commission includes 24 monthly allowances of 1,400 Euros (an overall amount of 33,600 Euros) to cover his travel, visa, installation, and subsistence costs along with a full registration fee waiver.

Expressing his feelings on this outstanding achievement, Mustafizur Rahman said, “I would like to express my gratitude to the European Commission for the prestigious scholarship. Thanks to my supervisor Dr.Sarifuddin Gazi, a highly qualified esteemed professor and Head of the Dept. of Chemistry, USTM for continuously mentoring and guiding me during the whole B.Sc. course”. He further stated, “The Department of Chemistry has given me immense exposure in academic and research activities and paid continuous attention at every step during the application. I am very excited to represent India in the i-MESC program, and aspiring to excel as a material chemist”.

In this context, Dr Golam Mohiuddin. Assistant Professor, Dept of Chemistry at USTM said, “We are very excited. Finally, collective effort has brought the success at international level.This Erasmus Mundus Scholarship for MSC (Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion-MESC) from the European Union is highly competitive”. He said that top institutes like IIT, IISER students are generally selected. “The Dept of Chemistry of USTM steps in the international arena of education and research through the success of our students. Hope, in the future, we will produce more such students who will bring fame not only to the department and the University but also to the country. We wish every success for him,” he added.