International educational programme - Coimbra Group Hospitality Scheme

What is the Hospitality Scheme?

Universities of the Coimbra Group of Universities offer grants for short-term visits to scholars from Western Balkans and Ukraine.

Aim

The main aims of the scheme are to enable scholars to undertake research at the host institution in the field in which they specialize in their home university, and to help them establish academic and research links.

Eligibility

The scheme is directed towards young academics, under the age of 35. Applicants should be current or recent staff members of a university or a higher education institution that is equivalent and should reside in the region. Moreover, they should be of postdoctoral status or equivalent, although some institutions may offer opportunities to doctoral students as well. Candidates not currently working in a university should continue to be involved in academic activities after their stay abroad; they are also expected to return to university employment in the future.

Applicants must have sufficient skill in a relevant European Union language, in order to be able to benefit from their stay.

Terms of the award

As a rule, the duration of the stay is limited to one month. In some cases however, universities may offer longer visits. Visiting scholars will normally be provided with a working place and they will have access to internet facilities. They will also be given access to other university facilities necessary for their work, if available at the host institution.

Participating universities will offer accommodation and meals (or an adequate stipend to cover these expenses), and in some cases also some pocket money or funding for day-to-day expenses. The precise terms of the award will vary from university to university. For further details, please take a look at the website of the Coimbra Group. Visiting scholars, or their institutions, will generally be expected to cover the travelling expenses, although in exceptional cases some extra funding may be granted through the Hospitality Scheme.

Application Procedure and Selection

Application forms can be downloaded here.

Candidates should mention on the application form the name of the university or universities by which they wish to be considered. As a rule, it will not be possible to visit more than one Coimbra Group University under this scheme.

The completed application form should be returned directly to the Coimbra Group Office (119 de Stassartstraat, 1050 Brussels). It is essential that two letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with the applicant's work are added to the file. The letters of recommendation should be confidential (not seen by the candidate) and attached to the application in sealed envelopes. The applicant must make sure that his referees are aware of this requirement. The closing date for sending in applications will be 1 March of each year.

A preliminary selection of the applicants will be made by the Coimbra Group Hospitality Scheme Committee in each host university, in order to eliminate those candidates who do not meet the eligibility criteria. The final selection will be made by the relevant faculty or department of the host institution involved. Candidates who are not accepted by one of the universities of their choice, may be considered by other universities, provided their proposed research project and linguistic competence meet the requirements.

Participating Universities

More information is available on the Coimbra Group website.

Scholarships offered by K.U.Leuven

  • Places available: three places for academic teachers;
  • Duration of the visit : two months;
  • Faculties/departments involved : in principle, any subject area can be chosen;
  • Available facilities: assistance in finding accommodation, office space (shared with others), computer and library access;
  • Amount of the scholarship : K.U.Leuven will provide € 1,600 per month to cover all the expenses related to accommodation, food, and so on;
  • Travelling expenses : K.U.Leuven is unable to cover any travelling expenses;
  • Insurance : K.U.Leuven provides a third-party liability insurance and a medical insurance.