KU Leuven Global Minds Doctoral Scholarships Program 2018, Belgium

GLOBAL MINDS DOCTORAL SCHOLARSHIPS PROGRAM

As one of its contributions to development cooperation, every academic year KU Leuven selects exceptional students from developing countries as scholarship candidates to obtain their PhD from the largest university of Belgium. The Global Minds programme is managed by IRO, the University's Interfaculty Council for Development Cooperation.

The aim is to give students the opportunity to conduct PhD research in a ‘sandwich’ system, which means that 50% of the research takes place at KU Leuven and 50% at the home institution of the scholar, supported by a local co-promotor. The PhD-degree is awarded by KU Leuven.

The scholarships are offered to excellent proposals that deal with a development-relevant research topic, preferably linked to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Having obtained their doctoral degree from KU Leuven, the PhD-holders are expected to utilise their expertise at the university in their home country.

KU Leuven is situated at about twenty kilometers from Brussels, the capital of both Belgium and Europe. It is the oldest university of the Low Countries. As such, it has a long-standing tradition of hospitality towards students and scholars from abroad. Currently, almost 7,000 international students (about 15% of the total number of students at KU Leuven) have found their home away from home in Leuven.

GENERAL ELIGIBILITY CONDITIONS

1. The applicant must be a citizen of one of the countries indicated in the VLIR-UOS scholarship country list.
2. The applicant may not possess a citizenship from an EU country. The applicant may not possess a long-term EU residence permit.   
3. The candidate's latest master’s degree must have been awarded no more than ten years prior to October 1st, 2018 (including the ongoing calendar year).
4. The candidate must hold an academic qualification at least equivalent to a high distinction. Degrees obtained with a final score equivalent to second class second/lower division will not be taken into consideration.
5. The research project must have excellent academic quality, with a special focus on the development relevance of the proposal.
6. The research project must have a clear time frame in which it is indicated how the research periods at KU Leuven and at the home institution alternate (one has to alternate a maximum of 12 months at the home institution with a maximum of 12 months at KU Leuven). 
7. The candidate must be formally affiliated to a university in the home country as an employee. In case the candidate has no such affiliation yet, he/she is eligible to apply to this scholarship programme but will only be granted the scholarship once such an affiliation is obtained.
8. The applicant’s home university must demonstrate sufficient support for the doctoral project, guaranteeing that the candidate can dedicate himself/herself sufficiently to conducting doctoral research during the periods spent at that home institution. Candidates who are not yet affiliated to a university in their home country do not yet have to demonstrate the support of the home university. However, the Scholarship will only be granted once the candidate is formally affiliated to a university in the home country and when, consequently, that university can demonstrate sufficient support.
9. Candidates who are already enrolled as PhD-students at KU Leuven and who are financed by KU Leuven are not eligible for this programme. However, they might be eligible for the IRO PhD Scholarships. 
10. Candidates who have been employed before in an EEA-country other than Belgium, are not eligible for this scholarship. They may be eligible for the IRO PhD Scholarships though.
11. The candidate must demonstrate a development-oriented motivation.
12. The candidate must be supported by a KU Leuven promoter.
13. The candidate must be supported by a local co-promoter at the candidate's home university.
14. The candidate must be supported by excellent recommendations from relevant referees.
15.  The candidate must follow the application procedure  and complete his/her file before January 31, 2018. Please make sure to fill in the application form with the following instructions:
    • First name and last name EXACTLY as written on the passport.
    • Type of programme: Doctoral Programme (diploma contract) or Predoctoral programme. Select the doctoral or predoctoral programme in your field of study.
    • Academic year:  you must select 2018-2019.
    • Is this application also intended as a scholarship application? Yes.
    • Name of the scholarship agency: Global Minds Doctoral Scholarship
16. The candidate has read and agreed to the Regulations, obligations and conditions for terminating the GM PhD scholarship
17. Please do not submit your application unless it fulfills the conditions enlisted above. Incomplete or late applications will not be taken into consideration without exception. 

For more information click "LINK TO ORIGINAL" below.

This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:

https://www.kuleuven.be/energie/english/international/development-cooperation/funding-possibilities/globalminds/phdcalls/index