Riga Graduate School of Law – Schsolarships for the Public International Law and Human Rigths Programme 2012/2013

Deadline: 1 April 2012
Open to: Students that hold an undergraduate degree in law or comparable degree from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and South Eastern Europe and Central Eurasia regions
Scholarship: 15 full Scholarships and 5 tuition fee Scholarships

Description

The Riga Graduate School of Law announces the following scholarships for an LL.M degree in Public International Law and Human Rights funded by the Open Society Foundation (OSF):

• 15 full Scholarships (covering tuition fee for the academic year 2012/2013 + 6667 USD towards living and accommodation expenses)
• 5 tuition fee Scholarships (covering tuition fee for the academic year 2012/2013)

Eligible students currently are invited to apply for the Riga Graduate School of Law (RGSL) Public International Law and Human Rights Programme. The programme provides expertise in Public International Law and Human Rights and also offers courses in European Law. The programme is competitive and very prestigious. The Programme is based at the RGSL located in Riga, Latvia. It is available to individuals with bachelor’s or master’s degree in law or related fields (or will be awarded a degree prior to admission to the programme), obtained in at least four years long studies, if basic knowledge in law and corresponding work experience is acquired; second level professional higher education, professional bachelor’s or master’s degree in law or other related fields, if basic knowledge in law and corresponding work experience is acquired. The 2012/2013 Programme starts on 4 September 2012.
The purpose of these scholarships is to support students who have demonstrated academic excellence in law or a comparable field of study and have a demonstrated commitment to work in the field of public law, human rights, or public service.
Public International Law and Human Rights Programme description

Scholarship

Scholarships are available to students from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and South Eastern Europe and Central Eurasia regions (see eligible countries below). Each scholarship recipient will receive an amount covering tuition and fees for the LL.M study programme. An additional scholarship is allocated for travel, accommodation and incidental education expenses. Students granted a scholarship must write their master’s thesis in the field of public international law or human rights. Priority will be given to students who commit to work in any of the following areas upon completion of the programme:  human rights, public law and public service.  Furthermore, RGSL seeks to recruit students who have worked within an organization with which OSF has a relationship already, or students who are willing to work with such an organization upon completion of the programme. In the application, students are required to provide specific detail on their expectations work in a related field upon completion of the programme.

Eligibility

Applicants must:

1. Satisfy standard RGSL entry requirements (with respect to educational background and English proficiency);
2. Have experience in the fields of public international law or human rights for a minimum of one year;
3. Indicate in the application: current place of employment and specify in detail the applicant’s plan to return to work in the field of public service after completing the LL.M programme.
4. Eligible countries:
   • Russia;
   • Belarus;
   • Ukraine;
   • all countries listed in region of South Eastern Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro and Serbia;
   • all countries listed in  region of Central Eurasia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan.

Application

Applicants for scholarship must fill out a current OSFSCHOLARSHIP ONLINE APPLICATION FORM.
The following documents should be attached to the application form:

• A legalized copy of the diploma/degree and diploma/degree transcript with an English translation.
• Official results of English competency exams: TOEFL, Institutional TOEFL or IELTS not older than 3 years. The required minimum result is 525 points for TOEFL (for a computer test – 196; Internet based test – 69-70) and 5.5 for IELTS.
• A passport copy.
• 2 (two) recommendation letters from a professional or academic contact describing the applicant’s academic record, achievements and activities (research, community service, and programme development) in Public International Law, Human Rights or related discipline;
• A letter of motivation from the applicant that describes the insights he or she gained from achievements and activities (research, community service, and programme development) in Public International Law or Human Rights. The limit is two pages with 1.5 spacing (Times New Roman).

If the diploma or degree is obtained outside Latvia, academic recognition has to be made by the Latvian Academic Information Centre (AIC). The application is registered after review from AIC is requested and received by the RGSL. The final decision regarding the qualification for admission is taken by RGSL.
An application is considered completed only when the RGSL has received all required documents.
The Admissions Committee reserves the right to invite applicants for personal interviews.
You can obtain additional information about the RGSL, application procedure, studies curriculum and practical issues from Anda Lesina, the Head of Study Department.
Telephone: +371 6703 206, +371 6703 230.
The Official Website