DAAD-OSI Scholarship Program

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Bonn, and the Open Society Institute (OSI) are collaborating on a joint program of grants for graduates from the selected countries in Central Asia and the Former Soviet Union.

1. Aim

The DAAD/OSI Scholarships aim to bolster the capacity of the participating countries to provide quality instruction and research in the social sciences and humanities, and to create a network of scholars from these countries in these fields with colleagues in Germany to enhance the international exchange of ideas and academic best practice.

A variety of academic opportunities are available to scholars in participating countries to pursue advanced degrees and training at top level universities in Germany.  Grantees will be clustered at host institutions to build cohorts of graduates and professors with a common frame of reference, generating international and intra-regional connections into the future.

The grants are awarded jointly by DAAD and OSI for study and living expenses incurred at German Universities. 

The Program is open to scholars from the following countries in 2009-10: Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine .

2. Target Group

The grants are aimed at students with either a Bachelors degree or a Masters degree or who have completed 5 years of a diploma or young faculty members already possessing a PhD (kandidat nauk) and who seek to improve the quality of curriculum teaching at their home institution.

3. Eligible Pathways

Grants are issued for one of the following options:

1. Masters’ level studies (2 years) – more information is available in the Course List.

2. Doctoral studies (3 years) - Ph. D. students will be based at a German university for at least 3 years. Doctoral studies in Germany do not have taught courses as such, but offer close mentoring by an academic supervisor on a selected topic. Extension of the scholarship beyond three years will be contingent upon positive annual reviews and the recommendation of the faculty mentor.

3. Faculty Exchange (2 3 month research visits over 2 years) - faculty members who seek to improve the quality of the curriculum and teaching and to create lasting linkages and networks between their home institution and German professors are invited to apply for the faculty exchange scheme.  Potential applicants are expected to have established contact with a German professor with whom they would like to collaborate during their scholarship at the time of application. 

4. Eligible Courses

Applicants for the Masters pathway can apply for one of the courses in the Course List (available in English and German).

Students interested in the PhD option can apply for studies within the following areas: 

• Political Science
• Sociology
• German Studies
• International Relations
• Law
• Economics
• Public Administration Studies
• Educational Administrative Studies
• Public Health
• Philosophy
• Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies

Under certain circumstances, other courses within the realms of the social sciences and humanities can be considered.  The list represents fields of social sciences and humanities underrepresented in the participating countries and available in either English or German instruction at German universities.

5. Application Requirements

All applicants must apply within one of areas mentioned in point 3 above.

a) Masters Courses (2 Years)

Applicants must have at least a completed Bachelors degree, or be in the 4th or 5th year of study and have completed their final exams before the start of the course.

b) Doctoral Studies (3 Years)

Applicants must have a further university diploma, normally a Masters degree.  In specific cases, applications are permitted after 5 years of undergraduate study when a specialisation has been outlined by the applicant.

In addition, the applicant should already be in the first or second year of teaching.  The theme of the proposed work should be confirmed as academically sound from the home university.  All applicants must provide evidence of contact to a prospective German supervisor.

c) Faculty Exchange (6 months over 2 Years)

Applicants must provide letters of support from professors at German Universities with whom they wish to collaborate during their research visits.

6. Language Competence

A good knowledge of German is mandatory, and will be tested upon application.  Improvement of the applicant’s competence in German is facilitated through a 2 month language course in the home country before the commencement of the scholarship.  If necessary, Masters’ grantees can do a further 2 month language course in Germany before the scholarship is taken up.

Please note that no equivalent language training will be offered in English.

If necessary, German language competence tests (DSH) take place for all Masters and PhD candidates from each country.  Information regarding testing locations is available from local DAAD representatives at DAAD-IC offices.

Applicants wishing to follow a course instructed in English are required to have a very good command of the English language, proven by a TOEFL test.

7. Grantee Selection

Selection Committee

The selection committee comprises 2 German university lecturers, a DAAD and OSI representative as well as 2 local university lecturers, who, if possible, should be former DAAD grantees or fully qualified researchers supported by DAAD.  Decisions surrounding academic capabilities, the study preferences of the applicants/their capacity for feasible doctorial studies will be made by the German university lecturers alone.

Selection Procedure

Written applications will be collected up to the generic deadline of the 31st October each year by the local DAAD-IC office representatives or the German Embassy directly (see the Contact List). German language tests will be administered by the local DAAD-IC office representative, which will take place on one date only (normally in December). In the spring of the following year, selection committees and interviews will commence for all applicants.

Selection Criteria

Selection will be based on academic merit, knowledge of the language required, extracurricular activities, and leadership potential, and will follow a multi-tiered and transparent process. All completed applications will be reviewed and evaluated by selection teams representing the universities, DAAD and OSI. Semi-finalists will be invited for an in-country interview between January and March, an academic examination by the committee for Ph.D. candidates, and to sit a German or English language exam. Final decisions will be made by the selection committee in Bonn. The interview will primarily be carried out in German, but can also be conducted in English. All applicants must be aware that after a 2-4 month language course, an adequate level of German must be demonstrated in order to fulfil all necessary academic requirements.

8. Costs Covered

DAAD/OSI Scholarships are in essence full scholarship awards, which include a monthly stipend sufficient for a singe person, one return trip (PhD scholars get an additional return trip to their home country in the 2nd year of study; Faculty receive one return trip for each visit), pre-sessional language training where necessary, and scholarship enhancement activities, including an Orientation Event, taking place in Bonn in October each year, as well as a Mid Year Conference held at a German University.  Costs or supplements for partners or children are not covered by the Program.

9. Advice and Information

Representatives of the local DAAD-IC offices / German Embassy provide adequate information to potential grantees about the programs offered within this Award, general advice on study in Germany and making contact with German universities.

10. Application Forms

Applicants should apply on the usual DAAD application forms submitting all necessary documents requested on page 5 of the DAAD Application Form (Antrag auf ein Forschungs-/Studienstipendium) (green) or Faculty on the Application Form for Study Visits for Foreign Lecturers/Scientists "Forschungsaufenthalte/Arbeitsaufenthalte ausländischer Hochschullehrer und Wissenschaftler" (blue) along with 2 Reference Forms (Gutachten zu Stipendienanträgen von ausländischen Studierenden,Graduierten, Doktoranden und Promovierten).  All forms are also available for download through the following link www.daad.de/de/form.

11. Application Details

Applicants falling under points 4a or 4b above should provide the following information, as outlined in the DAAD regulations: the green/blue Application Forms, CV, research plan or study motivations, proof of contact to a German University (necessary for 4a only), confirmation of supervision (for 4b only), confirmation of a partner university contact (4c only) timetable (for 4b only), 2 references from professors at the home university, certified copies of A-level, Bachelor, Masters’ or PhD certificates, or if in the 4th year of study, a certified copy of the course certificates gained so far, as well as a DAAD Language certificate.

Copies of the certificates and their translations must be certified.  A medical report need only be submitted after the Award has been granted.

General scholarship information is also available from the following representatives:

DAAD
  
Frau Dr. Jana Merzouk
Kennedyallee 50, D-53175 Bonn
Referat 326
E-Mail: merzouk@daad.de
Tel: +49-228-882-320

Bewerbungsort/Applications to be submitted to:

DAAD-Information Centre Kiev

Dr. Siegbert Klee
pr. Peremohy 37 (KPI), korp. 6
03056 Kiev
Ukraine

Tel: 00380-44-2418716
Fax: 00380-44-2417669
E-Mail: info@daad.org.ua
Internet: www.daad.org.ua

Application deadline: October 31, 2009