The Art Academy of Latvia (AAL), in collaboration with esteemed partners, announces a groundbreaking initiative poised to reshape the landscape of higher education in service design. Through the "Joint Master's Degree Programme in Service Design Strategies and Innovations" (SDSI), the consortium aims to equip the next generation of leaders with the tools to navigate complex challenges within our evolving world.

In a pivotal milestone reached in September 2022, AAL, on behalf of the SDSI consortium, signed a grant agreement with the European Education and Culture Executive Agency for Project No. 101082388, cementing the path forward for SDSI. Commencing with the academic year 2023/2024, SDSI has officially gained recognition as an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's programme.

In a rapidly transforming Europe, where socio-economic paradigms are undergoing profound shifts, SDSI emerges as a beacon of change. This innovative joint-degree programme brings together the Art Academy of Latvia as the coordinator partner, the University of Lapland and the Estonian Academy of Arts as full partners, and the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga as an esteemed associate academic partner.

The programme imparts a holistic education to create versatile service innovators capable of driving transformation across public and private entities through strategic design, management, and creative leadership. SDSI's interdisciplinary curriculum fosters cross-specialization in design, business, technology, and social sciences, facilitating the emergence of graduates poised to facilitate change and contribute to socially responsible global service organizations.

Running from October 1, 2022, to November 30, 2028, the project No. 101082388 envisages four student intakes, commencing with the 2023/2024 academic year. Each intake will admit around 30 international students, with a minimum of 121 students experiencing the programme's enriching journey. Notably, the project allocates scholarships of 1400 EUR per month for the Erasmus Mundus, NDICI (Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument), or IPA (Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance) recipients among the top 81 students.

SDSI promises an immersive international experience, with students embarking on at least two study periods of 30 ECTS in countries distinct from their residence - Latvia, Finland, and Estonia. The project boasts a grant amount of 4,899,600.00 EUR, of which 2,721,600.00 EUR are dedicated to student scholarships, exemplifying the consortium's commitment to fostering academic excellence. To augment the academic experience, the SDSI consortium proudly welcomes two associate partners - the Kuldīga District Municipality and the NGO “Kuldīga Artists’ Residence'' - who will enrich students' learning journey with invaluable extra-curricular and cultural experiences during their Latvian study tenure.

The European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), in the context of managing the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters, collects and processes the personal data of some of the candidates. In particular, certain data of the scholarship holders and non-scholarship holders is shared with the Agency and treated according to this privacy statement.

Student's Benefits

Each year, the top 20 students will receive the prestigious Erasmus Mundus scholarship, providing them with a monthly stipend of 1400 EUR throughout the entirety of their SDSI study programme. It is important to highlight that the allocation of these scholarships is contingent upon student geography.

Under the Grant agreement with the European Education and Culture Executive Agency for Project No. 101082388, spanning the project's 2022-2028 timeline, the SDSI programme is authorized to grant scholarships as follows: 60 scholarships for students hailing from Erasmus+ Programme Countries, 3 scholarships for students originating from Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) region countries, and 18 scholarships for students from countries falling under the Neighbourhood, Development, and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) region.

Per the guidelines set forth by the Erasmus+ Programme Guide, this scholarship serves as a financial support mechanism, addressing students' travel, visa, installation, and subsistence expenses. Moreover, all-encompassing health insurance coverage will be extended to all students, regardless of scholarship status.

Important: candidates who have already benefited from an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master (EMJM) scholarship are not eligible to apply for an additional scholarship.

Regrettably, as stipulated by the Grant agreement with the European Education and Culture Executive Agency for Project No. 101082388, the SDSI programme lacks dedicated funding for students with special needs. Nonetheless, the SDSI university partners remain steadfast in their commitment to offer comprehensive assistance to individuals requiring additional support, to the best of their capabilities.