Brussels, 21/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - There will now be more students from the southern Mediterranean countries who will benefit from the new EU programme for education, training and youth, said European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth Androulla Vassiliou on 20 June. She was speaking at the university summit. The student exchanges will be made through a new programme which is due to be launched in January 2014, and which will involve over 200 universities from North Africa, the Middle East and the EU. It will be based on the experience of the Tempus and Erasmus Mundus programmes. Since 2007, over €140 million has been allocated to these projects involving universities from the southern rim of the Mediterranean. The projects focus on developing new study programmes, retraining teachers, new teaching methods and investment in equipment. €150 million has been allocated in the form of grants to over 4,500 students from this region in order to help them do part of their studies in the EU. More than 750 members of university staff have been able to take advantage of exchanges organised with European universities. (FB/transl.fl)