Grand Valley alumnus one of two Americans to be named Erasmus Mundus scholar

Grand Valley alumnus Kris Cortez, ‘11, ‘13, has been accepted as an Erasmus Mundus Scholar in the Transcultural European Outdoor Studies program from the University of Marburg, Germany, and the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences in Oslo, Norway.

The study program will begin at the University of Cumbria in Ambleside, UK, in September, and will continue at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences and the University of Marburg through August 2015.

Cortez will receive full funding for his studies, including tuition, fees, travel, insurance, and living expenses. He was one of only two Americans to receive the prestigious award. 

The aim of the program is to provide a well-rounded education in three central traditions of the philosophy behind teaching about the outdoors from Norway, Germany, and the UK. The program is also intended to allow students to learn about cultural transitions between the three national concepts.

The European Union’s Erasmus Mundus scholarship is a merit scholarship designed to attract the best students to Europe to study in master’s and doctoral programs and enhance quality in higher education through scholarships and academic cooperation between Europe and the rest of the world.

Applicants are accepted based upon grades, course prerequisites, language proficiency, and professor recommendations. No more than two scholarships are given per nationality. 

For more information about the Erasmus Mundus Scholarship and other competitive awards, please contact Amanda Cuevas, director of the Frederik Meijer Office of Fellowships at [email protected] or [email protected].