Bursary program for Israeli students - Call 2009

Competion for bursary places

Objectives

In 2004, an agreement was signed between Israel and North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) to in­tensify co-operation in the areas of higher education, research and the transfer of technology. One of the components of the agreement involved short-term bursaries for qualified students from Israel wishing to undertake studies and research in North Rhine-Westphalia. During his visit in Israel in June 2008 Minister President Dr. Juergen Ruettgers has extended the duration of the program (originally intended to run from 2004 to 2008) for 5 years – until 2013.

After the Science Center North Rhine-Westphalia has been closed the program is now being promoted by the Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf in 2009.

After the first competitions, we now call for applications for the year 2009. In this period, at least ten scholarships for North Rhine-Westphalia are available to Israeli students in Bachelor and Master programs. The program is designed to enable bursars to get fami­liar with the higher education and research scene in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, thereby establishing new contacts and networks between Israel and NRW. Bursars will be able to carry out research projects (such as measurements, computer mode­ling, archive studies, opinion research studies) at university facilities in North Rhine-West­phalia as part of their Bachelor's or Master's thesis at home. Bursars will be actively involved in the university's research teams, and they will be able to take an active role in project group activities.

Prerequisites for application to the bursary program

• Students (advanced level) in Bachelor or Master degree courses at an Israeli university; PhD-Students are admitted in exceptional cases. 
  
• Fluency in English or German.

Bursary resources 

Bursars will be given access to all central facilities such as libraries, computer centers, online access including e-mail, refectories etc. They will be integrated into local research teams where they are free to actively take part in the project groups' research activities. Bursars will be given the opportunity to get to know North Rhine-Westphalia and its higher education and research scene. Host institutions will be supporting bursars by providing project group tutors as individual counselors.

Host organizations will assist with arrangements and the necessary paperwork. Upon arrival in North Rhine-Westphalia, each bursar will receive an amount of € 1000 for traveling to Germany and back to Israel.

Accommodation will be organized and financed by the host facility. They also arrange a public transport season ticket providing mobility throughout the region. Each bursar will receive an amount of 16,44 € per day to cover living expenses. All funds are direct­ly settled between the host facility and the bursar. Necessary in­surance cover will be provided by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia within the framework of the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Group Insurance Scheme.

Applications

Bursary places, listed in the annex, are provided by research institutes at universities and universities of applied sciences in North Rhine-Westphalia. 

As a student at an Israeli university, you are invited to apply – by 28 February, 2009 – for one or more of these places. You must fit the particulars of the place you seek to apply for, i.e. discipline and degree program (Bachelor or Master), and you have to make sure before applying that your stay in North Rhine-Westphalia in 2009 fits into your Bachelor or Master study program schedule in Israel. Please note that the hosting institutions set individual time periods during which they are able to host bursars.

Your application has to include:

• Application form;
  
• CV and photo;
• Brief summary of your university enrolment, incl. documentary evidence (such as credit points), particular interests, specialization;
• Identification of the bursary place(s) you seek to apply for, including a brief statement of how the place(s) relate to your work (use the application form);
  
• A letter of reference from one of your university lecturers (including contact details and email address of the respective lecturer).
  

Download of application documents

Program text

Application form

List of bursary offers (as from March 3, 2009)

Project promoters and program contacts

Please send your application by 28 February, 2009 – using the form – by Email to

Implementation of the program

Applications received will be reported to the higher education facilities. The respective academic teachers decide on the aptitude of the bursar on the basis of his academic expertise. In consideration of the total amount of bursary places and in consultation with the Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf and the Ministry of Innovation, Science, Research and Technology of the state of NRW the professors then select their bursary students. After the official admission is given the host organizations will contact the respective bursars by 31 March, 2009 to discuss the details of their stay.

From 23 April, 2009, bursars may report for work. The possible duration of the stay will be between six and twelve weeks. Stays have to end at the latest by 31 December, 2009.