Deadline: 24 January 2011
Open to: graduates in economics who hold a research position, from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Montenegro
Scholarships: granted for 4 years
The Open Society Foundations and Staffordshire University Faculty of Business & Law jointly invite applications from university graduates with outstanding academic qualifications for scholarships for the MPhil/PhD in the economics program by distance-learning mode.
This program aims to support the reform of the higher education system in Central and East European countries by providing opportunities for younger university teachers and researchers to gain access to West European higher education and to pursue research in economics at an advanced level, leading to an MPhil or a PhD degree.
The Programme
The program offers the opportunity for beneficiaries to spend a part of each year at Staffordshire University but also requires them to complete most of their research work at their own institution, thus ensuring that they will remain in the region and continue to be active members of their home institutions. The beneficiaries must undertake to remain in the region for at least two years after the completion of their doctoral program.
It requires that successful candidates enroll in the MPhil/PhD program at Staffordshire University. Each year, they will spend 3-4 months at the university and the remaining time at their home institutions.
In the first year of the program, candidates will reside in Stoke-on-Trent for four months, during the first semester, attending a number of taught modules (including research methods in economics) and preparing a proposal for their thesis. In subsequent years, they will return to Stoke for three months each year, to work on the completion of their thesis. These subsequent stays can be scheduled in a way that minimizes conflict with teaching or other duties.
Areas of Study
* Monetary policy and the financial sector
* European economics
* International trade, competitiveness and economic development
* Economic consequences of national and ethnic conflicts
* Economics of small and medium sized firms and SME policy
* Entrepreneurship
Eligibility
# hold a first degree (the equivalent of a BA degree) with good grades in economics or related disciplines;
# hold a teaching or research position, as an assistant, a junior lecturer or researcher, at a higher education or research institution in one of the countries in the scheme;
# be able to demonstrate knowledge of English by passing a TOEFL (ITP) or IELTS test at an appropriate level
# be citizens of, and resident in, one of the following countries/regions at the time of applying for the scholarship: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Montenegro
Application
Applicants must complete the joint Open Society Foundations – Staffordshire University application form and submit it together with a number of additional documents, specified therein. Application forms may be obtained from local Educational Advising Center offices
Contact
Staffordshire University
Jenny Herbert
International Links Administrator
Staffordshire University Faculty of Business & Law
Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent
Staffordshire, ST4 2DF, UK
Tel.: +44-1782-294065
Fax: +44-1782-294340
Email: j.herbert@staffs.ac.uk
