Philosophy:
SANORD is committed to re-directing member fees to member institutions through the BOC scholarship programme that encourages capacitation and development through student mobility and research collaboration. The BOC Scholarship programme aims to provide such scholarships to students from a SANORD member institution in the Southern African region to spend 3-5 months at a SANORD Nordic member institution for time to work on their research and dissertation. The primary focus will be mobility for academic and research collaboration with our Nordic partners based on scholarly merit.
Purpose:
The BOC Scholarship makes provision for PARTIAL scholarship funding of R84 000 per applicant. Qualifying Master’s students who are registered at a SANORD member institution of higher education in the Southern African region are eligible to apply. Qualifying Master’s students will be required to spend 3 to 5 months at a SANORD Nordic member institution of their choice. Successful candidates will be required to engage in activities that will support the completion of the Master’s degree. Preference will be given to those projects aligned to the 2022 SANORD Strategy. (see attached in application form) The scholarship funds will be disbursed during the 2019 academic year.
SELECTION CRITERIA:
Applicants should:
1. Be enrolled for a Masters’ degree at a SANORD member Southern African institution.
2. Provide a detailed study plan (what academic activities does the student aim to undertake at the host institution? e.g. which courses, what kind of research, is the research aligned to the host institution’s areas of scholarship? Is it aligned to SANORD’s 2022 Strategic Goals).
3. A motivation for why you wish to pursue this collaborative international study opportunity, and how it will benefit your development and contribute to Southern Africa’s knowledge production.
4. Provide an accredited transcript of records for both the Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree.
5. Provide a written Letter of Acceptance from the HOST institution.
6. Provide evidence (Letter of support) from the HOME supervisor and the relevant Dean of the faculty that supports your stay at the host institution.
7. Sign a binding contract with the SANORD Central Office (SCO) in line with the objectives of the programme.
8. Submit a report within 1 month on return from the home institution to share experiences gained.
9. Present your work and experience at a seminar hosted by the SANORD Central Office
10. Utilise the required knowledge to contribute towards Southern Africa’s development.
11. Be committed to return to the home institution to graduate.
Applicants should do the following:
1. Consult the SANORD Contact Person at your institutional office for all the relevant information you will need for your application. The Contact person will either be at your international office or at Executive level and will assist you with selecting a preferred institution. It is recommended that you choose an institution that has an active Student Exchange agreement/Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with your home institution to negotiate the possible waive of tuition fees. The contact person of your institution is responsible to circulate the Call.
2. Your home supervisor must engage with the host supervisor to establish if they are willing to host you for the duration of your stay. If the host agrees, a written Letter of Invitation/Acceptance should be obtained from the host supervisor as documented proof.
3. Both institutions must support your application. A Letter of Support from your home institution, signed by your supervisor and Head of Department (HOD) must be submitted with your application.
4. The funds will be paid over to your home university’s departmental account. The departmental supervisor will be responsible for fund disbursement and to assist with all travel arrangements.
5. You will be responsible to communicate your travel plans to the SANORD Central Office to ensure that the funds are transferred timeously for your travel.
PLEASE NOTE: All international payments are done through the South African Reserve Bank and can take up to 2 months.
Partial Funding:
Students must provide a budget for the costs that will be incurred to the value of R84 000.
• A total amount of R 84 000 could cover the following costs:
o A return, economy class airline ticket.
o A living allowance
o Insurance for the period
o Tuition fees (if fees are not subsidized by the host institution)
DATES:
• Due date for applications -14 September 2018.
• Announcement date - 15 October 2018.
CHECKLIST:
1. Complete application form with all required fields.
2. Letter of Approval from your home institution either Supervisor or HOD.
3. Letter of Invitation from host supervisor.
4. A detailed study plan
5. A detailed motivation and statement of scholarly benefit.
6. An accredited transcript of records
7. A valid passport that will not expire within six months and with sufficient pages.