CEU (where MESPOM students spend their first year) is, by nature, an international university with the absolute majority of students being non-native to Hungary. The welfare of international students is therefore at the centre of all CEU’s student services which are co-ordinated through the Student Life Office to:

• organize student arrival and leaving procedures and assist with visa arrangements;
• administer student registration for the purpose of residence in Hungary;
• provide support with housing arrangements and maintain an apartment database;
• coordinate residential arrangements in the CEU Residence and Conference Center;
• oversee student enrollment in the CEU Health Insurance Plan and other medical insurance arrangements;
• organize university-wide student social, cultural and out-of-class activities;
• provide day-to-day assistance to students on an as-needed basis

In addition, CEU has the Students Advising Center and the Student Counselling service.

All CEU services operate in English and have Hungarian and other European and third-country language capacities.

CEU Student Handbook provides detailed information on CEU students’ services.

CEU has a policy and means to help its students to master English, Hungarian and other European languages. Numerous cultural events at CEU expose students to both Hungarian and Central European cultural traditions throughout the year.

Social experience in multicultural, multinational environment has been the best aspect of study at CEU. MESPOM contributes to this experience by ensuring that the international student body is well integrated and has a positive group dynamic. This is achieved, inter alia, by starting MESPOM with an induction week in a national park on Lake Balaton. This week also provides an excellent introduction to Hungarian culture.

At the University of Manchester, non-EU and non-UK EU are supported by the International Office of the University and the students’ International Society. The UoM’s Study Abroad Unit (SAU) serves all exchange and visiting students. The SAU offers a single point of contact to deal with all aspects of study, both before and after arrival including academic advising, transcripts and housing for most students. It also links students to other departments, welfare and counselling services. In addition, the UoM has an International Student Welfare Officer and a full counselling service.

Every department has an academic member of staff who acts as the Erasmus coordinator or Visiting students’ officer to advise on academic matters. All new international students are automatically free members of the International Society which has an active programme of social events and trips around Manchester, the UK and the rest of Europe. The UoM has extensive student accommodation facilities and a Students Accommodation Office helping international and home students to identify housing options.

At LU, the International Office has the overall responsibility for co-ordinating the ongoing internationalization processes. The International Desk, part of the International Office, handles the reception, and social integration of approximately 1,600 international students per year. The International desk also includes LUFF - Lund University's Foreign Friends - which is a friendly support service for visiting staff and their families, and for international graduate students. Besides the support given by the International Office, the IIIEE has a staff person in charge of the welfare of IIIEE’s Masters students including:

• Organizing student arrival such as support with visa application, medical insurance, accommodation (see below) and arrival information about Lund;

• Organizing the introduction course, including practical Swedish phrases and orientation about the Swedish society, cross-cultural learning seminars and exercises, computer skills and excursions;

• Administer student registration/credits on the university central credit system (LADOK);

• Organizing social, cultural and out-of-class activities, such as excursions, sauna evenings and sport activities;

• Providing day-to-day assistance to students on an as-needed basis.

All international students at LU are offered housing through the International Housing Office . Natural interaction with Swedish students gives the foreign students knowledge about Swedish society.

IIIEE arranges several excursions, such as visits to the countryside and to visits to local traditional industries. Weekly sport activities with staff and alumni in the area also helps the students integrate. Contact with former students (alumni) is offered through the alumni network which may be contacted prior to arrival in Lund.

The University of the Aegean’s Environmental Department is located on the island of Lesvos which has a well-developed infrastructure for receiving international visitors. The UoA rents hotels from September to June, where rooms will be reserved for Erasmus Mundus students. The welfare of international students of the UoA is provided by an Erasmus office. Special Greek language courses for foreign students have been set up. Each MESPOM student at the UoA will have access to the UoA restaurant and receive a public transport discount card. UoA has extensive experience in international cooperation (through e.g. Fulbright Institute, TMR/EU) and visiting scholars are usually integrated into the research activities of the Department and deliver lectures to audiences of all levels. Research and teaching facilities are provided by UoA and accommodation is secured in Mytilini.