D. Amavi  Nimesha Silva 2 Year MSc in Marine Environment and Resources, 2019

When I received an Erasmus Mundus scholarship in June 2017 to support my application for a place on the two-year European Marine Environment and Resources (MER) MSc, I knew that my life as a struggling oceanography graduate from a developing country, was about to change once and for all. But, little did I know that the whole European experience I tasted through MER was going to flip my entire life as well, converting me from an inexperienced traditional girl from Sri Lanka to a confident and independent young woman.

My MER journey took me to four of the most highly reputed institutions in Europe - University of Bordeaux in France, University of the Basque Country in Spain, University of Liege in Belgium, University of Southampton in the UK - and exposed me to quite dynamic, energetic and exciting learning and researching environments at each institution.

In addition, a vibrant Europe of colourful cultures, warm people, extravagant festivity, mind blowing attractions, comfortable lifestyles and peaceful modernism molded me into a brand-new personality I cherish even today. But out of all these wonderful gifts MER blessed me with, the most priceless being a part of the big MER family with a whole bunch of kindred souls, from all over the world who I will forever consider as my dearest kin and kith. Thus, the two ‘truly scrumptious’ years I spent studying for the MER MSc will always go down in my memory lane as the most golden chapter in my entire life so far.