Open Society Institute, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Chevening and Staffordshire University Scholarship Scheme
Deadline: 25/01/2010
Open to: Residents of BiH, Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo
Fund: Travel, maintenance and thesis grant
Aims:
The Open Society Foundation, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Staffordshire University Business School jointly invite applications from university graduates with outstanding academic qualifications for ten scholarships on the MSc in Economics for Business Analysis programme at Staffordshire University. The aim of this joint scholarship scheme is to assist ‘capacity building’ in the region by speeding up the training of professional economists needed in the process of transition to a democratic market economy. The scheme will enable young university graduates to pursue postgraduate studies in economics in the United Kingdom with a view to returning to and working in the region after completing the programme.
Operation of the Scheme:
In the academic year 2010-2011 the scheme will be offered to candidates from Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Republic of Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Montenegro. There are ten scholarships available in this round. The scheme consists of two parts: an intensive MSc Preliminary Course (mid-July 2010 to mid-September 2010) followed by the main Masters programme (mid-September 2010 to August 2011). The Preliminary course consists of four intensive modules: macroeconomics, microeconomics, statistics and English for Academic Purposes to ensure that all candidates have the necessary experience and knowledge of the subject. The second part, the main MSc course, consists of two semesters of coursework with four modules in each semester and a dissertation written under the supervision of a member of staff. The beneficiaries must undertake to return to the region for at least two years after the completion of their study programme.
Duration of Scholarships:
Scholarships are granted for a period of up to 13 months, subject to the satisfactory progress of candidates.
Financial Details:
The OSF and the FCO will cover the cost of travel between the home countries of the candidates and Stoke-on-Trent (including the cost of obtaining a UK visa) and provide them with a maintenance grant (£767 per month in 2009-2010), an arrival allowance of £550 and a thesis allowance of £301 during their stay in the United Kingdom. The OSF, FCO and Staffordshire University will jointly cover the tuition fee, the maintenance grant and the allowances. Staffordshire University will cover the cost of the intensive MSc Preliminary Course.
Eligibility:
Applicants must:
• be nationals of and normally resident in one of the following countries: Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Republic of Kosovo, the Republic of Macedonia or the Republic of Montenegro during the academic year in which they apply for the award. Applicants who are temporarily out of the country for a total period of less than 3 consecutive months may be treated as being resident;
• have obtained a first degree (the equivalent of a BA degree) with good grades in economics or related disciplines by the end of April 2010;
• display intellectual ability and leadership potential;
• be able to demonstrate their knowledge of English by passing a TOEFL (ITP) or IELTS test at an appropriate level by the time interviews are held for these scholarships, or by other means (such as having completed an academic programme in English at another institution, or having obtained a satisfactory mark in one of the above-mentioned tests at a date no earlier than January 2009);
• not have already received or be currently receiving financial benefit from a previous HMG fully funded scholarship;
• return to their home countries at the end of their scholarship period to continue their studies/work there.
Preference will be given to applicants who:
• Are likely to make a significant contribution to the economic development of their country;
• Have not previously studied outside their home country.
Employees, employee’s relatives (or former employees who have left employment less than two years before the publication of these Notes for Guidance) of the FCO (including FCO Posts), the British Council, the Educational Advising Centers or local OSI representations in the region, or the participating Universities will not be eligible to apply for these awards.
Application Procedure:
Applicants must complete the joint OSF-FCO-Staffordshire University application form and submit it together with a number of additional documents, to one of the addresses specified therein. Application forms may be obtained from: the local Soros Foundation office/Educational Advising Center in Podgorica, Prishtina, Sarajevo and Skopje or from: Mrs Jenny Herbert, International Links Administrator, Staffordshire University Business School, Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST4 2DF, U.K. (email: j.herbert@staffs.ac.uk). The electronic version of this document is available on the MSc programme website at the address given above.
Application documents may be either typed or hand-written in dark ink. Copies (not the originals) of university diplomas and transcripts (list of subjects studied and the marks or grades obtained) must be enclosed with the application. The English translation of documents is not necessary at this stage. If candidates are accepted, they will subsequently be required to present the original documents with official translations for verification when they first arrive at Staffordshire University. Application forms and all supporting documents must be delivered to the local Soros Foundation/Educational Advising Center office or the University, in person or sent by post or fax to arrive by Monday, 25 January 2010. Applicants are required to submit three copies of the application package: one original and two photocopies of the entire application package. Applicants are requested not to use any staples on their applications and documents.
Selection Procedure:
All applications will be sent to Staffordshire University Business School directly or through the local Soros Foundation/ Educational Advising Center offices. They will be considered by a selection committee who will prepare a short list of applicants. Short-listed candidates will be notified by the second week of March 2010 and invited to take an English language test. The language tests will be conducted in the second half of March 2010 at the local Soros Foundation/Educational Advising Center offices. Candidates who pass the English language test will be invited for interviews which will be arranged in late April/early May 2010.
The final decision as to which applicants will be offered scholarships will be made after the completion of all interviews. It is expected that applicants will be informed of the final decision by the end of May 2010. Successful applicants are expected to arrive in Stoke on Trent by mid-July 2010.
Further Information about Staffordshire University:
Further information on Staffordshire University and the Business School may be obtained HERE
Candidates may also contact Mrs Jenny Herbert, by telephone, fax or e-mail if they have any further queries about the operation of the scheme.
Direct line: 0044-1782-294065 Fax: 0044-1782-294340 E-mail: j.herbert@staffs.ac.uk
Please note that the OSF, FCO and Staffordshire University do not accept any responsibility for applications which may be lost in the post. The selection committee will consider only those applications which it has received. Decisions of the selection committee are final.
