Educational Practitioners Tool Fair VII – Poland

Deadline: 10 September, 2012
Open to : Educational Practitioners in European youth field (youth workers, leaders, project managers etc) coming from Youth in Action Programme countries and Neighbouring Partner Countries which you can see HERE.
Venue : Pułtusk Castle, 60 km from the capital of Poland – Warsaw, from 19 to 23 November

Description

The Polish National Agency of the Youth in Action Programme and SALTOs (National Agency) are the organizers of the 7th edition of the Tool Fair which gives you possibility to experience a unique combination of “laboratory” and “market” and to discover tools for learning developed under the Youth in Action programme. The 7th Tool Fair takes place in Poland.
The Tool Fair VII will put a special stress on the education paradigm between formal and non-formal education and also on the future EU programme for young people. Thus, you will have an exceptional possibility to take part in an event combining the atmosphere of a 16th century renaissance castle hosting the Tool Fair VII with the tools that will help shape the EU youth policy of tomorrow.
Aim of the seminar
The Tool Fair VII aims to contribute not only to the learning outcomes of each individual participant but also to the quality of tools and learning processes at European level, complementing the SALTO-YOUTH Toolbox for Training and Youth Work (http://www.salto-youth.net/tools/toolbox) and various publications, in coherence with the European Training Strategy.

Eligibility

Educational practitioners in European youth field: trainers, youth workers and youth leaders, youth project managers, NA representatives, youth policy makers etc active in the youth field in general and more specifically within the Youth in Action Programme. We welcome participants who have created a tool for learning and/or are willing to share and further develop their tools –together with colleagues- during the Tool Fair.
This year we also invite those who realize projects in the frame of the Lifelong Learning Programme using methods of non-formal education. Such a trans-sectoral approach will result in exciting mutual learning effects and will for sure constitute a source of great inspiration for all participants involved.
Eligible Countries 
Programme Countries
27 Member States of the European Union
Participating countries of the EFTA members of the EEA: Iceland, Liechtenstein,Norway and Switzerland
Candidate countries for accession to the European Union: Turkey, Croatia
Neighbouring Partner Countries
South East Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo (under UNSC Resolution 1244/1999).
Eastern Europe and Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russian Federation, Ukraine.
Mediterranean Partner Countries: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestinian Authority of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Syria, Tunisia.

Costs

• Board and lodging will be provided and paid by the organizers.
• Participants coming from Programme Countries: travel costs can be covered by your National Agency according to their own rules (please check before applying).
• Participants coming from MEDA, EECA and SEE countries: travel and visa costs will be covered by the organizers/respective SALTO.
• Any insurance, especially medical, is a private responsibility of each participant.

Application

Please apply online through SALTO website not later than 10 September 2012. Your National Agency/SALTO will make a pre-selection. (Application form). For more detailed information see this document.
If you have any questions which might concern you please ask the contact person: Dominika Jagiełło via e-mail: djagiello@frse.org.pl
or phone: 0048224631431
The official website

AYF’s Internship Programme in Bonn, Germany

Deadline: Interns are accepted throughout the whole year
Open to : graduate and postgraduate students from diverse academic backgrounds who can speak English and German
Remuneration : This internship is not paid; interns might wish to seek sponsorship for their assignments from public/private institutions

Description

The African Youth Foundation (AYF) is a non-profit development organization based in Bonn, Germany. AYF was established in 2000 to aid young African people in the Diaspora and in Africa, as well as Europeans with African descent, to undertake projects which will enable them obtain skills necessary for their future livelihoods.
The AYF provides an internship programme which aims to provide a framework by which graduate and postgraduate students, as well as individuals in their early stage of career, from diverse academic backgrounds may be assigned to AYF to enhance their educational experience through practical work assignments. Interns will have insight in how this organization works through international atmosphere and at the same time provides assistance and training in various professional fields.

Terms and conditions

Administrative

1. Interns are accepted at all time throughout the year; duration of internships are from three to six months
2. The organization will draft, in consultation with the participant, a task plan including the type of work
3. The AYF does not provide remuneration for internships. Interns might wish to seek sponsorship for their assignments from public or private institutions (e.g. governments, educational institutions, or under a scholarship scheme of their home country or country of residence, thus they can cover travel, accommodation and living expenses.
4. There is no expectancy of employment upon completion of the internship. However, interns can apply for regular positions with the secretariat either during the internship or three months immediately following the expiration date of their internship
5. The intern is required to keep confidential all the information made known during the internship

Language: AYF’s working languages are English and German. Working knowledge in French and Spanish is an asset.
Interpersonal skills : Written and verbal Interpersonal and Communication skills as well as respect for cultural diversity are particularly important values that intern has to posses working in AYF.
Accommodation : As already mentioned the accommodation and the living expenses are responsibility of the intern or their sponsoring institution. For more detailed information about terms and conditions please see this document HERE.

Application

Applications may be forwarded by e-mail or normal mail directly or through sponsoring institution to:
African Youth Foundation
Sebastianstr. 177-179
53115 Bonn
Germany
or per e-mail: intern@ayf.de
Application should include a recent Curriculum Vitae and an explanatory paper indicating the reason for requesting an internship and intended goals to be achieved if selected.
The official website 

The University of Western Australia Scholarships for International Students

Brief description:

Applications are invited from suitably qualified international students for scholarships to undertake the degree of Master by Research or Doctor of Philosophy at The University of Western Australia.

The International Postgraduate Research Scholarships (IPRS) are funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR) and the Scholarships for International Research Fees (SIRF) are funded by The University of Western Australia.

Host Institution:

University of Western Australia

Field(s) of study:

Any Masters or PhD degree by research offered by the University of Western Australia. It is essential that you contact the individual School or Centre in which you are interested in undertaking research. The School must be able to confirm that your proposed research topic is in an area of research strength which is well supported by external research funding. They must also be able to provide appropriate expertise and supervision for your project.

See the list of Faculties, Schools and Centres or see the Graduate Research Coordinators. You must have agreement from a prospective supervisor in the School or Centre in which you intend to enroll at the time you submit your online scholarship application.

Number of Scholarships:

Not specified.

Target group:

The scholarship is intended for international students who would like to pursue a Masters Degree by Research or Doctoral (PhD) Degree at The University of Western Australia.

Scholarship value/inclusions:

Tuition Fee Scholarship, Fortnightly Stipend and Health Insurance worth $27228 per annum is covered by the IPRS Scholarships. A SIRF scholarship covers the cost of international tuition fees, and required health insurance premiums for the awardee only

Eligibility:

IPRS and SIRF Scholarships will only be available to those applicants who:

• Have completed a four year undergraduate degree at first-class honours level or equivalent. An applicant may be disadvantaged if the Scholarships Committee cannot make a comparison with The University of Western Australia’s standards, particularly in relation to the class of Honours achieved, ie first or second class Honours;

• Intend to enroll as a full-time candidate for a Master’s degree by research or a PhD degree;

• Will be commencing their course in the semester following the scholarship round in which they have successfully applied;

• Provide evidence of achieving English language proficiency to the following standards:

•  IELTS SCORE OF 6.5, with speaking and listening no less than 6.0 and with reading and writing no less than 6.5;

•  Paper-based TOEFL score of 580 or above (Computer-based TOEFL test is not acceptable) with a Test of Spoken English score of 45 and a TWE (Test of Written English) of 4.5;

• iBT TOEFL internet-based test score of 95 with 22 for reading and listening, 24 for speaking and 23 for writing;

•  Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English: C grade;

•  Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English: B grade;

•  UWA CELT Bridging Program – ‘B+’ grade or above

All English test results must normally have been obtained within the last two years.

The following applicants will be ineligible for a scholarship under the SIRF scheme:

• International applicants who have already obtained a PhD degree or equivalent.

• International applicants who have already obtained a Master’s degree by research and are applying to undertake another Master’s degree by research.

•  International applicants are not eligible for an IPRS awards if they have already commenced the degree for which they are seeking an award, unless they can establish that they were unable to apply for an award in the previous calendar year. Students who have already enrolled are eligible for the SIRF awards.

• International applicants who have not provided evidence of their English language proficiency meeting or exceeding the standards listed above and in the application form.

• Australian and New Zealand citizens or permanent residents.

Important Note: There is no age restriction.

Application instructions:

When you apply for an IPRS, you are automatically considered for the award of a SIRF scholarship. You do not apply for a Masters by Research or Phd study place or candidature separately as this is included in your scholarship application.   If you applied for, or did so previously, a full-fee place to the UWA International Centre, you must advise the Graduate Research and Scholarships Office.

All applicants need to apply through the online iATHENA scholarship system. If you require instructions or help regarding the online application process, please refer to the iAthena Online Application Guide. You will find a link to the online application form in this Guide. There are no scholarship application fees.

The  deadline of applications is 31 August 2012. It is important to visit the official website (link found below) for detailed information on how to apply for this scholarship.

Website:

Official Scholarship Website:  http://www.scholarships.uwa.edu.au/future-students/postgrad/international

Source link: http://www.scholars4dev.com/1285/scholarships-for-internationa-research-at-the-university-of-western-australia/#ixzz21fEbXMPl

European Youth Media Days Conference 2012, Belgium

Deadline: 1st of August, 2012
Open to:  young journalists aged 18 to 30 who are citizens or legal residents of an EU country only
Venue: 16-18 October,2012, Brussels. Belgium

Description

How to survive the crisis as an entrepreneur journalist? How to address the social effects of crisis? How to explain European policies in times of austerity? What is the impact of crisis on youth?
If these are topics that interest you then we invite you to apply to become one of the 100 young journalists, aged between 18 and 30, reporting from inside the European Parliament in Brussels between 16-18 October, 2012.
The 2012 edition of European Youth Media Days organized by the European Parliament in collaboration with the European Youth Press will focus on the economic crisis that is currently threatening Europe. The European Youth Media Days is the biggest event in Europe dedicated to young journalists.
Participants will experience three days of media workshops, political discussions, hands-on media production and invaluable insights into the European Parliament and European media. They will interact with high-level European politicians, professional journalists and experts and engage in intercultural exchange through practical media production.

Eligibility

The call is open to young journalists aged 18 to 30 who are citizens or legal residents of an EU country only. The event will be held in English, so a working level of the language is required to make the best out of your participation.
Over the course of the three-day workshop, each young journalist will work with his/her peers to produce a report on the topic of the seminar through their medium of choice – video, photo, radio, print or multimedia. The event is open to young journalists who are citizens and legal residents of the EU member states only. Young journalists from any other countries can participate at their own costs and need to contact the organizers prior to the 1st of August.

Venue

The event will take place in Brussels, Belgium and it will be held 16-18 October, 2012.  Participants’ travel costs (specific conditions apply, more information will be given after you have been selected) will be reimbursed by the European Parliament 4 to 6 weeks after the event, upon submission of all necessary documents (that will be sent by the European Parliament prior to the event). The European Parliament will also pay a 360 Euros lump sum to working journalists (who need to provide a copy of a valid press card or a letter from their editor stating that they work as a journalist) and 180 Euros lump sum to journalism students or interns (who need to provide a letter from their university or from the organisation they are interning at) to cover accommodation, meals and local transport. The lump sums will be paid at the same time with the travel reimbursement, 4-6 weeks after the event. Attention: for participants living in Brussels no lump sum or travel cost will be paid.
The young journalists chosen to participate will have to arrange their own accommodation and travel and to provide the necessary documents to the European Parliament for reimbursement. EYP will charge a participation fee of 50 Euros for journalism students and interns and 100 Euros for working journalists prior to the event.

Application

Please apply by uploading a CV, a motivation letter and minimum 2 media clips (of any type). Media clips that are not in English should have an English abstract.
For more information and applications, please visit applications.youthpress.org.
Application deadline is 1st of August 2012.
The Official Website

IPPC Scholarship program for developing countries, Switzerland

Deadline: 30 September, 2012
Open to : International students from developing countries pursuing PhD studies within the fields of Socio-economic modeling related to climate change, Underlying science of climate change or Climate change and water.
Scholarship : A scholarship award will be for a maximum amount of USD 20,000 per year.

Description

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) offers scholarship for PhD students from developing countries in the fields of Socio-economic modeling related to climate change, Underlying science of climate change or Climate change and water, Switzerland 2012. The study subjects of the program are Socio-economic modeling related to climate change, Underlying science of climate change or Climate change and water. The aim of the IPCC Scholarship Programme is to build capacity in the understanding and management of climate change in developing countries through providing opportunities for young scientists from developing countries to undertake studies that would not be possible without the intervention of the Fund.

Eligibility

The Call for Applications is open to candidates fulfilling the following requirements:

1. Post-Graduate students at PhD level, accepted at a recognized educational institution to start studies in 2013, or currently enrolled on continuing PhD courses
2. Applicants must be younger than 30 years of age at the time of application
3. Applicants must be nationals of developing countries.

Please note that priority will be given to students from Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Only candidates pursuing PhD studies within the fields of study listed above are eligible to apply.

Scholarship

A Scholarship award will be accorded for a period of one year, renewable once. The award, and its possible renewal, is subject to satisfactory progress during the period of study. Term reports, signed by the research supervisor, will be expected to be submitted to the IPCC Scholarship Programme by the students. All students will be required to submit a final report.
Awards will be made for the academic year starting in the last trimester of 2013. Students should commence their studies as soon as possible thereafter. A detailed estimate budget should be submitted on the application form. A scholarship award will be for a maximum amount of USD 20,000 per year.

Application

Applicants will need to download and complete the application form. Afterwards, they need to register and to upload their completed application and requested supporting documents: CV (optional), full research proposal/progress report on current PhD studies (if available) and letter of admission at a university. The upload can be made via this link.
To obtain more information, please email or call:
Amy SMITH
Programme Coordinator
Tel.: +41(22) 730 8208
IPCC-SP@wmo.int
The official website

More universities sign on to free online course initiative

A slew of new online course offerings from some of America’s most prestigious universities could change the higher education landscape. Elite institutions like Harvard and Stanford have rolled out multimillion-dollar initiatives that allow anyone in the world to access their courses, free of charge.

At Stanford, two computer science professors have created an online learning platform called Coursera, which offers courses from top universities in the US and Canada. Launched in April, the classes are available for free to anyone in the world with internet access.

In a similar fashion, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has teamed up with Harvard to launch edX, a US$60 million online education hub that will include video lessons, online laboratories and opportunities for immediate feedback from professors.

The initiative, which will launch in the autumn, aims to build a global community of learners and provide high quality education to everyone.

“edX gives Harvard and MIT an unprecedented opportunity to dramatically extend our collective reach by conducting groundbreaking research into effective education and by extending online access to quality higher education,” said Harvard President Drew Faust in a statement.

Both initiatives represent a significant shift away from the traditional classroom learning model and a new embracing of online education.

In the past, online learning was met with scepticism thanks to the proliferation of low quality online offerings. Slowly, however, prestigious universities like Stanford cottoned on to the benefits of online learning and started offering high quality content that followed the same rigorous standards as their classroom courses.

This has led to a shift in how online education is perceived, said Daphne Koller, co-founder of Coursera.

“Now when you talk to an institution of higher education, even the best ones aren’t asking themselves whether they should engage [in online education], but rather how they should do it and how quickly they can get into it,” Koller told University World News.

This week, 12 universities signed agreements with Coursera, bringing the total to 16 participating institutions, including Duke University, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Toronto in Canada.

The platform currently offers 45 courses online, with 680,000 students enrolled from more than 190 countries. More than 30,000 students sign up per week.

Koller said that having high quality online content does not threaten traditional classroom learning but it can teach it something.

“I think there is a tremendous value of people coming together in a single place, the serendipity of interaction, the ability to brainstorm; there is huge value in that.” Koller added that it’s also a transition point away from childhood into adult life.

What does need to change in the traditional classroom, she said, is the form of instruction, and it needs to reflect the use of technology. This means, for example, doing away with the traditional lecture format entirely, which favours a generally one-sided approach.

Technology, with its more interactive process, gives students the chance to learn at their own pace, pausing a lecture or seminar and taking notes. In a traditional setting, sometimes the professor might be speaking too fast and a student misses something.

Despite technology’s obvious perks, brick-and-mortar institutions are likely here to stay, said MIT President Susan Hockfield.

“The campus environment offers opportunities and experiences that cannot be replicated online,” said Hockfield in a statement. “edX is designed to improve, not replace, the campus experience.”

Unlike students attending universities, online users of either platform are not guaranteed a certificate upon completion of a course. Students learning via edX will receive certification if they are able to demonstrate mastery of the course material. At Coursera, certificates are handed out at the discretion of the university offering the course.

So, is higher education ready for this kind of technological change, and what will it mean for its future?

“Technology has revolutionised most markets, and now it’s about to enact a similar revolution [in education],” Daphne Koller said. “It will likely change the face of how we see education today.

Article from: http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php?story=20120719082235228

International DIDR conference, University of Oxford

Deadline: 31 October 2012
Open to: all intersted worldwide
Venue: 22-23 March, University of Oxford
Fee:  £75-150, Limited number of concessions and fee waivers are available for participants from non-governmental organisations and/or eligible countries

Description

International Conference on Development-Induced Displacement and Resettlement: Bridging Research and Practice, Filling the Knowledge Gaps aims to revive the discussions on DIDR and to facilitate critical engagement with the current impasse. It will facilitate cross-communication between different stakeholders, disciplines and perspectives; and will seek to bridge research and practice with a view to fill the knowledge gaps and move the DIDR studies forward.

The conference invites papers that will contribute to reviving the discussions on development-induced displacement and resettlement. In view of the conference theme, “bridging research and practice, filling the knowledge gaps”, papers facilitating cross-communications between different stakeholders, disciplines and perspectives are very much welcome. As a forum for critical reflections on the current practice and policies, the conference encourages presenters to engage in discussions on the least studied aspects and unanswered questions of DIDR. How much is enough to compensate an oustee for example, or what is a successful resettlement? How do we define the affected populations in the urban? How can we “re”settle mobile populations that are not settled in the first place? Should the affected people have the right to veto the projects?

Eligibility

All interested who will submit a paper which will  fall unto one or more of the following categories:

- Conceptual and ethical discussions

- Policy and practice

- Diverse emphases

- Different contexts

Conference fee

Online conference registration will open in November 2012. The registration fees are as below:

Regular registration fee:  £150
Student/concession registration fee: £75
Optional dinner on the 22^nd March 2013: £25

Limited number of concessions and fee waivers are available for participants from non-governmental organisations and/or eligible countries(All countries other than Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States.). Students are also eligible to apply for fee waivers. Fee waiver receivers will be required to pay a registration fee of £25.  In order to apply, please send a brief e-mail stating your interest in the conference to info@didrconference.org. Deadline for fee waiver and concession applications is 31^st October 2012.

Application

You can download the abstract submission form here. When the web page opens, click on the “file” tab on the left corner and choose the “download” option. If you encounter any problems with downloading, please inform us at info@didrconference.org.

The Official Website