VLIR-UOS is now accepting applications for Scholarships for Masters Degrees and Training Programmes in Flanders, Belgium 2018. VLIR-UOS is the secretariat of Flemish universities for development cooperation, with funding by Belgian Development Cooperation.

Education and research are top priorities for Flanders. The Flemish universities and university colleges rank among the best in Europe. VLIR-UOS supports partnerships between universities and university colleges in Flanders (Belgium) and the South looking for innovative responses to global and local challenges

VLIR-UOS awards scholarships to applicants from 31 eligible countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America to attend one of the selected trainings or Master programmes taught in English at a Belgian Flemish university or university college covering all related expenses.

Scholarship

VLIR-UOS only provides full scholarships for the total duration of the training or Master programme. It is not possible to apply for a partial scholarship.

For a training programme

• Allowance: € 33/day
• One-time payments
• Accommodation, insurance, international travel and tuition fee

For a Master programme

• Allowance: € 890/month
• Accommodation allowance: € 390/month
• Family allowance
• One-time payments
• Insurance, international travel and tuition fee

Eligibility

•  Country: A candidate should be a national and resident of one of the following 31 countries (not necessarily the same country) at the time of application:
  • Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Cameroon, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Niger
  • Asia: Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia, Palestinian Territories, Vietnam
  • Latin America: Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Nicaragua, Peru
• Age: The maximum age for a Master programme candidate is 35 years for an initial masters and 40 years for an advanced masters. The maximum age for a training candidate is 45 years. The candidate cannot succeed this age on January 1 of the intake year.Please note that from 2018 onwards, age is no longer an eligibility criterion for ITP scholarship candidates. Depending on the objectives of the programme, the required knowledge of the candidates and the planned follow-up trajectories after completion of the programme, the course organizers can decide to install a selection criterion related to the age of the candidates.
• Professional background and experience: VLIR-UOS gives priority to candidates who are employed in academic institutions, research institutes, governments, social economy or NGO’s, or aim a career in one of these sectors. However, also candidates employed in the profit sector or newly graduated candidates without any work experience (for Master programmes) can be eligible for the scholarship.The training candidate should have relevant professional experience and a support letter confirming (re)integration in a professional context where the acquired knowledge and skills will be immediately applicable.
•  Fungibility with other VLIR-UOS funding: A scholarship is not compatible with financial support within a VLIR-UOS funded IUC- or TEAM-project. Candidates working in a university where such projects are being organized, should submit a declaration of the project leader stating that the department where the candidate is employed is not involved in the project.
• Former VLIR-UOS scholarship applications and previously awarded scholarships: A candidate can only submit one VLIR-UOS scholarship application per year, irrespectively of the scholarship type. As a consequence, a candidate can only be selected for one VLIR-UOS scholarship per year.The Master programme candidate has never received a scholarship from the Belgian government to attend a master programme or equivalent or was never enrolled in a Flemish higher education institution to attend a master programme or equivalent before January 1 of the intake year.

Eligible Programmes

Only the following English taught courses at Belgian Flemish universities or university colleges are eligible for scholarships:

Master programmes (Academic year 2018-2019)

One-year programmes

• Master of Human Settlements
• Master of Development Evaluation and Management
• Master of Governance and Development
• Master of Globalization and Development
• Master of Cultural Anthropology and Development Studies

Two-year programmes

• Master of Science in Food Technology
• Master of Aquaculture (IMAQUA)
• Master of Epidemiology
• Master of Agro-and Environmental Nematology
• Master of Rural Development
• Master of Statistics
• Master of Water Resources Engineering
• Master of Sustainable Territorial Development
• Master of Transportation Sciences and Road Safety in Low & Middle Income Countries
• Master of Science in Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management (Oceans and Lakes)

Training programmes organised in 2018 (14-90 days)

• Audio-visual Learning Materials – Management, Production and Activities (AVLM)
• Sustainable Development and Human Rights Law (SUSTLAW)
• International Module for Spatial Development Planning
• Evidence-based decision making in food safety
• Modern breeding techniques of maize
• I-EBQ (International training on Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Qualitative research methods)

Selection Criteria

Candidates who meet all the eligibility criteria and are ranked highest on the basis of the selection criteria, will be proposed by the university to VLIR-UOS as a candidate for the scholarship.

The following criteria will be taken into account for the selection of candidates for a scholarship:

• Motivation: It is essential that the motivation and the career goals of the candidate focus on development relevant goals which are dealt within the master programme.
• Professional experience: Preference will be given to candidates who can demonstrate a higher possibility of implementing and/or transferring the newly gained knowledge upon return to the home country.
• Gender: The selection committee will aim at a relative balance between the number of male and female candidates awarded a VLIR-UOS scholarship.
• Regional balance: The selection committee will aim at a diversification of candidates from different countries and continents.
• Social background: In case of two equally qualified candidates, preference will be given to candidates who can demonstrate that they belong to a disadvantaged group or area within their country or an ethnic or social minority group.
• Previously awarded scholarships: Preference will be given to candidates who have never received a scholarship to study in a developed country (bachelor or master).

Application

Candidates can apply directly to the Flemish universities that offer the programs, requesting scholarship support.

• To apply for a scholarship, you first need to apply for the training or Master programme. To apply for a training or Master programme, visit the website of the training or Master programme of your interest. Follow the guidelines for application for the programme as mentioned on its website.
• In the programme application, you can mention whether you wish to apply for a scholarship. In case you do, the programme coordinator forwards your application to VLIR-UOS.
• Applications submitted by the candidates to VLIR-UOS directly will not be considered!

The admission deadlines vary with each program, with many having a deadline of 01 February 2018 for non-EU applicants.

Deadline: February 1, 2018

For more information, visit VLIR-UOS Scholarships.