Eligible applicants (Incoming scheme):
Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine
Applicants from these countries can apply for up to 4 semesters (MA level) or 2 semester (PhD/postdoc) at higher-education institutions in V4 countries.
Eligible applicants (Outgoing/Intra-V4 schemes):
Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia
Applicants from V4 countries can apply for 1 or 2 semesters at higher-education institutions in V4 countries (Intra-Visegrad scheme), and in Western Balkan and Eastern Partnership countries (Outgoing scheme).
Key details:
- min. study period is 1 semester, max. 2 semesters, or 4 semesters—only within Incoming MA-level scholarships
- having concluded at least 4 university semesters when applying, 6 semesters (equivalent of BA degree program) when starting the scholarship
- spending the entire scholarship period at the host institution
- program not suitable for joint programs (double- or multiple-degree)
Support:
- €2,300/semester for the scholar + €1,500/semester for the host
- possibility to apply for a separate travel grant, if residing further than 1,500 km from the host
1. Eligibility
1.1 Previous studies
Applicants must have either completed a Bachelor’s program or—in specific cases (if the study program is not divided into distinct Bachelor’s and Master’s study programs)—completed at least 3 years (6 semesters) of higher-education before starting the scholarship.
1.2 Eligible countries
The applicant’s home and host university must be different, i.e., the previous level of university studies (any obtained academic diploma before starting the scholarship) must be completed in a country other than where the applicant applies for studies.
Applicant’s citizenship: | Eligible host country/territory: |
Albania (AL) | CZ|HU|PL|SK |
Armenia (AM) | CZ|HU|PL|SK |
Azerbaijan (AZ) | CZ|HU|PL|SK |
Belarus (BY) | CZ|HU|PL|SK |
Bosnia & Herzegovina (BA) | CZ|HU|PL|SK |
Czech Republic (CZ) | AL|AM|AZ|BY|BA|GE|HU|XK*|MK|MD|ME|PL|RS|SK|UA |
Georgia (GE) | CZ|HU|PL|SK |
Hungary (HU) | AL|AM|AZ|BY|BA|CZ|GE|XK*|MK|MD|ME|PL|RS|SK|UA |
Kosovo* (XK) | CZ|HU|PL|SK |
Macedonia (MK) | CZ|HU|PL|SK |
Moldova (MD) | CZ|HU|PL|SK |
Montenegro (ME) | CZ|HU|PL|SK |
Poland (PL) | AL|AM|AZ|BY|BA|CZ|GE|HU|XK*|MK|MD|ME|RS|SK|UA |
Serbia (RS) | CZ|HU|PL|SK |
Slovakia (SK) | AL|AM|AZ|BY|BA|CZ|GE|HU|XK*|MK|MD|ME|PL|RS|UA |
Russia (RU) | CZ|HU|PL|SK |
Ukraine (UA) | CZ|HU|PL|SK |
2. Rules/Sample of the application form
Applicants are strongly recommend to read the program’s rules [see documents] and review the sample application form to see the specific information required for applying.
3. Finding host university/organization
Please note that it can take relatively long to find a suitable host university. Applicants are therefore requested to start the search long before the deadline. Any accredited higher-education institution in the destination countries can host Visegrad scholars; see the following links to lists of higher-education institutions per country:
- Higher Education in Albania
- Higher Education in Armenia
- Higher Education in Azerbaijan
- Higher Education in Belarus: state-owned institutions, privately-own institutions
- Higher Education in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Wikipedia)
- Higher Education in the Czech Republic
- Higher Education in Georgia (Wikipedia)
- Higher Education in Hungary
- Higher Education in Kosovo (Wikipedia)
- Higher Education in Macedonia (Wikipedia)
- Higher Education in Moldova
- Higher Education in Montenegro: Mediterranean University, University of Montenegro
- Higher Education in Poland
- Higher Education in Serbia
- Higher Education in Slovakia
- Higher Education in Ukraine (Wikipedia)
Note: The links serve merely as a reference list.
4. Required documents
All compulsory annexes must be prepared in English delivered to the Fund along with the application form; uncertified copies of the original documents (faxed or scanned documents, e-mails, printouts) or documents sent separately cannot be accepted.
Failure to submit the required documents by the deadline will result in excluding the application from the selection procedure.
Please make sure you have prepared ahead the following annexes to the application form (they need to be delivered to the Fund with the signed printout of the submitted application form):
- Certified translation of a diploma (Master’s or the highest obtained)
In the event the applicant has not finished his/her Master’s studies, he/she shall submit a certificate stating current year of study at present university and the expected date of obtaining his/her next academic diploma, issued by the present university. Please note: Notarized copies of official translations of a diploma (issued by sworn translators) or simple copies of the official English version of the diploma issued by the university will be accepted. If applying for the Master’s (MA) Scholarship, an up-to-date transcript of academic records covering the entire university studies is also required.
- Original acceptance letter from the host university/institution
If the applicant is applying for courses that require admission tests or a personal interview (results of which will be known only after the deadline), the applicant submits a proof of his/her application for the studies or a preliminary acceptance letter. The actual acceptance letter shall be submitted before the signing of the contract with the Fund, by the end of July of the respective year at the latest. The letter of acceptance cannot be older than 3 months when submitting the application and needs to include the following:- name of the applicant
- working title of the project/study program
- language of instruction/communication
- type of study/research (full-time)
- planned dates of the project/study
- signature and a stamp of the statutory representative (or of the statutory representative of the international studies department of the host institution)
- Original working plan of the study/research period
If the applicant applied for courses that require admission tests or a personal interview (results of which will be known only after the deadline), the applicant submits a draft of the working plan. In such case, the working plan accepted by the host university/institute shall be submitted before the signing of the contract with the Fund, by the end of July of the respective year at the latest. If the applicant is applying for the Master’s scholarship (MA), he/she shall submit a list of courses that he/she plans to attend and state the length of these courses and their credit value.Note: The working plan should be a properly written program—a detailed study program referring to at least one professor responsible for the study program. Applicants for a Post-Master’s scholarship shall submit a summary of the proposed research.
The working plan must be accepted by the host university/institution and cannot be older than 3 months when submitting the application. Please note that you need to submit both the letter of acceptance and the working plan approved by the host institution before the deadline. When evaluating the application, the selection committee considers the working plan but also the fact whether the host university can accept the applicant (and under what conditions).
The only exception regarding the working plan is given to those who apply for courses/studies where they have to pass a personal interview or admission tests before they are accepted. In that case, they, too, have to submit at least a draft of the working plan (to be later approved by the host institution).
- Recommendation letter (only for Post-Master’s level)
If applying for a Post-Master’s scholarship (PhD), a letter of recommendation from one’s home/present university/institution is required which indicates that the respective supervisor at the home/present institution agrees with the proposed stay abroad. This document is to be uploaded with the acceptance letter.
5. On-line application form
Applying for the Visegrad Scholarship Program is possible only through the on-line application system. The system opens approximately 2 months prior to the deadline, usually at the beginning of December. Once you register on-line, you are kindly asked to remember the ID (the application number) since it will be used in all future communication with you, and a password which will enable you to access your application form in the future.
Note: Make sure you fill out all the required fields and upload all requested documents (for example, bank details are not required when submitting and can be edited later). The recommended file format of the uploaded documents is PDF (if a document has more than a single page please convert it into a multi-page PDF file). Also, JPG or GIF can be accepted.
6. Travel grant
Applicants whose university or employer (i.e., at the time of applying) is further than 1,500 km from the selected host university/institute (at the time of applying) are eligible for a lump-sum travel grant. Travel grants are allocated on a competitive basis and cannot be guaranteed to any applicant. Applying for travel grants is part of the on-line application form (see paragraph 10 for more information).
7. Content and objective of the study/research
If applying for a Master’s scholarship, the content and objective of the study should consist of the applicant’s personalized study summary. Please do not copy-paste information from the host university’s website or other PR materials.
8. Submitting the application
Submit your application on-line. Then print your application form directly from the on-line system (using the ‘Print’ button), sign it and send it to us together with the compulsory annexes (please note that we require original documents; copies cannot be accepted) by the deadline. The application can be either delivered personally to the fund by the deadline date or sent by post and postmarked with the deadline date as the latest possible. (No document postmarked after January 31 can be accepted.)
Note: Please be informed that hard-copy versions of the application form printed out prior to their submission in the system are invalid.
Signed hard-copy versions of the application form along with all relevant annexes can be either brought personally to the fund by 16:30 CET on the deadline date or sent by post if postmarked with the deadline date as the latest.
Deadline for electronic submission of scholarship applications is 11:59:59 (noon) CET on January 31.
9. Announcing the results of the selection process—Travel documents
If you are listed among the approved scholars, please check the validity of your passport and make sure it is valid until the end of the scholarship period. In the event that the validity of your travel document expires before/during the scholarship period, please apply for a new passport and inform us of this fact. You will be requested to provide us with the new details (passport number, (new) spelling of your name, etc.) before the contract and the confirmation of the fund’s support is issued and sent to you.
10. Receiving the scholarship
If selected, each scholar receives his/her scholarship funding at the beginning of each five-month period upon a written confirmation from the host university/institution—see Article 4 of the Contract (available inDocuments).
Information for the recipients of the travel grant: The travel grant is paid at the beginning of the scholarship period together with the first installment of the scholarship.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
http://visegradfund.org/scholarships/visegrad-scholarship-program-eap/