How an Indian Physicist Secured a Fully Funded Erasmus Mundus Scholarship for Large Scale Accelerators and Lasers (LASCALA) Across Paris-Saclay, Lund, and Szeged

Hi, I am Yash Joshi. I am pursuing a master's in physics, namely, Large Scale Accelerators and Lasers (LASCALA), under the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship program. It is a fully funded 2-year program to be done in 3 different countries. My first semester was at Paris-Saclay, Paris, France, and I just got done with my second semester at Lund University, Lund, Sweden. Now I am looking forward to my third semester at the University of Szeged.

Educational Background

In high school, I was sure about physics; one of the reasons being I really love the subject, and the major reason being it is the one thing that I am good at (I think), or at least I try putting in efforts to get better at it every day. I did my B.Sc. (Hons) in Physics from Hansraj College, Delhi University. Although nearly half of my bachelor's was online, I tried to make the most of it by looking for internships, projects, and trying to work with professors and scientists. My bachelor's dissertation on the simulation of ionization chambers using Geant4 really helped with academic writing, discipline, and it taught me that I love studying physics textbooks, haha. Then my one-year-long internship at Inter University Accelerator Center, where I worked on the Delhi Penning Trap, made me more confident and deepened my interests, especially in atomic physics.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship?

I never really planned on going abroad for my master’s, as I knew that it required tons of documents and a lot of money. Then one day, I stumbled across LASCALA, which really aligned with my interests, and I got really excited about it. It actually was a lot of documents and a lot of metro rides to get my LORs, CV, and marksheets. I got everything in order and just filled out the application and hoped for the best. Then one day, I got an email saying I got in!

What I think really matters is the zeal and passion you have for the subject or field that you are planning to apply to. In my case, having projects, relevant papers, and lab work made my application stand out.

Could You Briefly Discuss the Erasmus Mundus Program You Pursued and the Specific Field of Study It Focused On?

LASCALA, as the name suggests, is a specialized physics master’s program that focuses on the application of lasers and accelerators. I am in the Laser mobility, which simply means that I am working more with lasers, atomic physics, light-matter interaction, advanced optics, and similar subjects. Being a very practical and application-based course, it requires one to spend more time understanding theoretical concepts.

How Did the Cost of Living Vary Across the Countries You Studied In? Which Country Was the Most Affordable or Expensive, and How Did You Manage Financially?

As of now, I have been in Paris and Lund; the cost of living was almost very similar, sometimes Lund being a little more expensive. The scholarship not only covers the tuition, but it pays a monthly stipend and traveling expenses, which in my case were more than enough to have a comfortable living, and have a few beers once in a while.

Did You Face Any Language Barriers, and if So, How Did You Overcome Them? Did the Language of Instruction Change from One Country to Another?

As for the language, if you are coming to Paris, I would highly suggest you learn some French. I did enroll in an A1-A2 level course before going, and of course, Duolingo, but still, it was a little difficult conversing with people. On the contrary, if you’re coming to Lund, everyone speaks better English than me, so it is very pleasant here. My entire course, being international, is in English.

Would You Recommend the Erasmus Mundus Program to Others? What Advice Would You Give to Someone Considering This Scholarship?v

I would highly recommend the Erasmus Mundus Program, and I believe the most important thing is to be intrigued and highly interested in the subject. And if you don’t get it, it’s not the end of the world!