OSI/Staffordshire University Scholarships (MPhil/PhD in Economics) Distance Learning Mode

The Open Society Foundation and Staffordshire University Faculty of Business & Law jointly invite applications from university graduates with outstanding academic qualifications for scholarships for the MPhil/PhD in the economics program by Distance Learning mode. This scheme aims to support the reform of the higher education system in Central and East European countries by providing opportunities for younger university teachers and researchers to gain access to West European higher education and to pursue research in economics at an advanced level, leading to an MPhil or a PhD degree.

The program offers the opportunity for beneficiaries to spend a part of each year at Staffordshire University but also requires them to complete most of their research work at their own institution, thus ensuring that they will remain in the region and continue to be active members of their home institutions. The beneficiaries must undertake to remain in the region for at least two years after the completion of their doctoral program.

The scheme requires that successful candidates enroll in the MPhil/PhD program at Staffordshire University. Each year, they will spend 3–4 months at the university and the remaining time at their home institutions.

In the first year of the program, candidates will reside in Stoke-on-Trent for four months, during the first semester, attending a number of taught modules (including research methods in economics) and preparing a proposal for their thesis. In subsequent years, they will return to Stoke for three months each year, to work on the completion of their thesis. These subsequent stays can be scheduled in a way that minimizes conflict with teaching or other duties.

All candidates will be assigned a thesis supervisor at Staffordshire University who will remain in regular contact with them (by post, fax, email, and the Internet) when they return to their home institution, and who will require them to submit their work at regular intervals. The supervisor will also visit the candidate once a year at their home institution. Candidates are expected to allocate a portion of their time (on average 15–20 hours per week) to working on their research while away from the university. The home institution may be required to confirm, in writing, that the candidate will be allowed sufficient time and given other support to work on her/his thesis.

In the academic year 2009-2010, the scheme will be offered to candidates from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, the Province of Kosovo (which is at present under United Nations administration), the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Montenegro. There are five scholarships available in this round.

Local Advisor

Candidates are also required to have a Local Advisor in their home country with proven expertise in their chosen area of research. Normally, the Local Advisor will hold a doctorate in economics or have demonstrated research ability via the publication of papers in refereed academic journals. She/he may hold a position in a university, research institution, government ministry, or a similar organization. She/he must agree to be the Local Advisor of the candidate by signing the relevant section of the application form.

The Local Advisor must be acceptable to Staffordshire University and will be asked to provide a CV, along with any supporting documentation that may be deemed necessary. The role of the Local Advisor is to:

encourage the scholar in her/his work;
provide the scholar with advice on the subject of her/his research;
help the scholar with local sources of information relevant to her/his research;
comment on the written work of the scholar.

The Local Advisor should be informed that she/he would undertake this role on a voluntary basis.

Deadline

January 23, 2009

MPhil and PhD

Normally, candidates initially enroll in the MPhil program. Subject to satisfactory progress, they will be able to transfer to the PhD program, probably in the second year of their study. Candidates who already have a master's degree (including a research methods course) may be able to enroll directly on the PhD program.

Duration of Scholarships

Scholarships are granted for a period of up to four years, subject to satisfactory progress of the candidates and their continued association with a university or research institution in the region.

Eligibility

Applicants should:

be citizens of, and resident in, one of the selected countries in the scheme at the time of applying for the scholarship;
hold a first degree (the equivalent of a BA degree) with good grades in economics or related disciplines;
hold a teaching or research position, as an assistant, a junior lecturer or researcher, at a higher education or research institution in one of the countries in the scheme;
be able to demonstrate knowledge of English by passing a TOEFL (ITP) or IELTS test at an appropriate level by the time interviews are held for these scholarships, or by other means (such as having completed an academic program in English at another institution, or having obtained a satisfactory mark in one of the above-mentioned tests at a date no earlier than January 2008).

Areas of Study and Selection Criteria

Candidates may apply to undertake research in any area of theoretical or applied economics. Candidates will be selected on the basis of:

their potential to complete a PhD in economics successfully; and
the availability of relevant supervision and advice in their chosen areas of research both at Staffordshire University and their home institution.

Areas of study that Staffordshire University is particularly well equipped to supervise include the following:

Corporate governance and enterprise performance
Foreign direct investment and its impacts
Monetary policy and the financial sector
International and European economics
International trade, competitiveness and economic development
Economic consequences of national and ethnic conflicts
Economics of small and medium sized firms and SME policy
Entrepreneurship
Economics of purchasing and supply chain.

Application Procedure

Applicants must complete the joint OSF-Staffordshire University application form and submit it together with a number of additional documents, specified therein. Application forms may be obtained from local Soros foundation/Educational Advising Center offices in Podgorica, Prishtina, Sarajevo, Skopje, Tirana, or Zagreb, or from Mrs. Jenny Herbert, International Links Administrator at Staffordshire University (all contact information listed below).

Application forms may also be found on the Staffordshire University Business School website at www.staffs.ac.uk/faculties/business/.

The application documents may be either typed or hand-written in dark ink. Copies (not originals) of university diplomas and transcripts (list of subjects studied and their marks or grades) must be enclosed with the application. English translation of documents is not necessary at this stage. If candidates are accepted, they will subsequently be required to present the original documents with official translations for verification when they first arrive at Staffordshire University.

Application forms and all supporting documents must be delivered to the local Soros Foundation/Educational Advising Center office or the University, in person or sent by post or fax to arrive by Friday, January 23, 2009 at the latest.

Selection Procedure

All applications will be sent to Staffordshire University Faculty of Business & Law by the local Soros foundation/ Educational Advising Center offices. They will be considered by a selection committee who will prepare a short list of applicants. Short-listed candidates will be notified by the second week of March 2009 and invited to take an English language test. The language tests will be conducted in the second half of March 2009 at the local Soros foundation/Educational Advising Center offices. Candidates who pass the English language test will be invited for interviews which will be arranged in late April/early May 2009.

The final decision as to which applicants will be offered scholarships will be made after the completion of all interviews. It is expected that applicants will be informed of the final decision by the end of May 2009. The academic year starts in September but successful applicants may be required to attend some courses in August 2009.

Staffordshire University

Further information on Staffordshire University and the Business School may be obtained by visiting the university's website at www.staffs.ac.uk/ and the Business School's homepage at www.staffs.ac.uk/schools/business/.

Candidates may also contact Jenny Herbert by telephone, fax or email if they have any further queries (see contact information below).

Please note that OSF and Staffordshire University do not accept any responsibility for applications which may be lost in the post. The selection committee will consider only those applications it has received. Decisions of the selection committee are final.

Contact Information

Staffordshire University
Jenny Herbert
International Links Administrator
Staffordshire University Faculty of Business & Law
Leek Road, Stoke-on-Trent
Staffordshire, ST4 2DF, UK
Tel.: +44-1782-294065
Fax: +44-1782-294340
Email: j.herbert@staffs.ac.uk

Soros Foundation/Educational Advising Center Offices

Albania:
Open Society Foundation for Albania/ Fondacioni Soros
Rr. Pjetër Bogdani, nr. 23/1
Tel: +355-4-235856, 248-213
Fax: +355-4-235-855
Contact Person: Brunilda Bakshevani
E-mail: ibakshevani@osfa.soros.al

Bosnia-Herzegovina:
SRCe - Student Resource Center,
Univerzitetski kampus,
Zmaja od Bosne BB,
71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Tel: (387 33) 206 048
Fax: (387 33) 212 032
Contact person: Muhamed Serdarevic
E-mail: muhamed@soros.org.ba

Croatia:
Institut za razvoj obrazovanja /
Institute for the Development of Education
Preradovićeva 33, HR - 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Tel: +385 1 4555 151 / +385 1 4817 195
Fax: +385 1 4555 150
Contact person: Thomas Farnell
E-mail: tfarnell@iro.hr

Kosovo:
Anton Çetta 3, Fahu Postal 357
Prishtinè 10000, Kosovè
Tel. (381 38) 248 887
Fax: (381 38) 248 886
Contact person: Argjiro Shaqiri
E-mail: argjiro@kas-ks.org

Macedonia:
American Educational Center
Library "Brakja Miladinovci"
Partizanski odredi 22,
Skopje 1000
Tel: 02 3112 464
Fax: 02 3224 981
Contact person: Bojana Nizamovska
E-mail: bomzich@gmail.com

Montenegro:
Pedagogical Center of Montenegro
Bulevar Svetog Petra Cetinjskog 25/V
Podgorica 81 000, Montenegro, Serbia-Montenegro
Tel: (381 81) 248 668
Fax: (381 81) 248 667
Contact person: Danilo Lekovic
E-mail: dane_lekovic@yahoo.com