Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme. Workshop 2 Promotion and Selection EACEA A.3. Elena PALAVROVA

Transcription

1 Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme Workshop 2 Promotion and Selection Elena PALAVROVA EACEA A Projects' Kick-Off Meeting Brussels, 5-6 February 2018 Image :: Shutterstock.com DEVCO European Commission 1

2 Promotion activities Selection results 2

3 PROMOTION 3

4 Promotion The partnership must: Develop a clear promotion and visibility strategy for the partnership including, in particular, a dedicated partnership website referring explicitly to the "Intra- Africa academic mobility scheme" and providing all necessary information about the partnership from the academic, financial and administrative points of view. This must include a solid promotion strategy reaching as many potential applicants as possible in the eligible countries. 4

5 Promotion Promotion and visibility strategy Management Targets Key actors Key messages Benchmarking Promotion tools Visibility Timing 5

6 Promotion Staff Budget Organisation Management 6

7 Promotion Targets Restrictions on Target Groups, type of mobility, nationalities, etc. Number of scholarship holders Quality of applicants Geographical scope Total Per cohort Selection criteria Admission criteria HEI Countries 7

8 Promotion Key actors HEIs networks International offices Students and alumni association Faculties HEIs Public authorities 8

9 Promotion To students To employers To media Key messages To university networks To public institutions 9

10 Promotion Key messages to students 10

11 94% of the students have not applied for scholarship before 11

12 What convinced you to apply? Prospective of contributing to development of home country 31% Possibility to enhance candidate' profile and future professional career after the mobility 20%idate Field of study not available at home country 17% Availability of subject of study 14% Possibility to live and study in a foreign country 10% Academic reputation of host university 8% 12

13 Promotion Main students' concerns Advantages 13

14 Promotion Key messages to students Simple and clear - target groups - selection criteria and process - application process - academic offer - encouraging the participation of disadvantage groups Contact person for questions and assistance 14

15 Promotion Key messages to students examples: The Intra-Africa mobility is funded by the EU. The Intra-Africa scholarship covers travel, insurance, subsistence allowance, participation costs. It contributes to research costs. Guidance and support is provided to all scholarship holders before, during and after the mobility. The mobility allows students to experience different research, teaching and learning methods, as well as to meet different cultures and languages. The studies during the mobility will be recognised. 15

16 Promotion Timing Academic calendars Throughout the project Calls for applications Selection cohorts 16

17 Promotion Visibility 17

18 Promotion Visibility Beneficiaries space 18

19 Promotion Tools for promotion Academics Social networks Info days Alumni Fairs Web site 20

20 How did you get to know about the programme? From the home university 49% From a friend/student/professor/colleague 26% From Internet 13% Via the official Programme webpage 6% Other 6% 21

21 Promotion Use of social media 22

22 Promotion Project website Check-list for project websites 23

23 Promotion Websites check by EACEA main findings: Lack of information on the programme Wrong definitions of target groups Unclear or/and missing information on the academic offer Settling-in allowance not mentioned Lack of information on the institutional services offered to incoming students 28

24 Promotion Project website CASE STUDY 29

25 Project website case study Group 1 AFRICOM Group 2 CAPITUM Group 3 MOUNAF Group 4 ARISE II 30

26 Promotion Benchmarking indicators Number of articles/media presentations Number of website hits Number of applicants Number of visitors to open days Number of selected grantees Ratio - applicants to selected students 31

27 SELECTION PROCESS 32

28 Selection Put in place a mechanism for the selection of students and staff that guarantees the transparency of the selection process and an equitable treatment of the individual applications. Partnerships are expected to set up procedures and criteria for the selection of students and staff to take part in the individual mobility activities. These selection criteria should take into account the admission criteria as defined by each host university. Moreover, selection of individuals for mobility must follow the eligibility criteria as indicated in Section of this Call. The scholarship application procedure and deadline should be designed in such a way to provide the candidates with all the necessary information well in advance and with enough time to prepare and submit their application. A minimum duration of 45 days (following the launch of the call for scholarship applications) has to be granted to students/staff to submit their applications. 33

29 Selection Cross-cutting issues including equal opportunities and the participation of disadvantaged groups must be tackled. In order to ensure gender balance, the partnerships are expected to put in place initiatives and measures while promoting the scholarship opportunities and selecting the candidates. This strategy should encourage and facilitate the participation of female candidates. Moreover, participation of disadvantaged groups (students with disabilities, socio-economically disadvantaged students) and the participation of students and staff from fragile and conflict-affected states and regions within a country should be also addressed. This should be explicitly laid out in both the advertising of the scholarships and selection criteria. In cases of equal merit, the partnership is encouraged to select the more socio-economically disadvantaged candidate. 34

30 Selection process Joint and transparent procedure and criteria Joint Transparent 36

31 Selection process Best case scenario The reality Transparent selection Number of applicants equal to number of awarded scholarships Joint selection Lack of joint selection decision at partnership level 37

32 Selection process appeal procedure Call for scholarship applications eligibility and selection criteria Call for scholarship applications description of the academic offer Open min. 45 days Online/paper application form application deadline and timetable for selection clear guidelines for application 38

33 Selection process Best case scenario The reality All or most of the applications are completed Many applications fail to be finalised by the deadline Main reason: Application conditions not well understood/explained 39

34 Selection process Group exercise Scholarship holders selection process: Steps? Actors involved? 40

35 Selection process Eligibility check Evaluation of eligible candidates Selection of scholarship holders Notification of results Appeal procedure 41

36 Selection process Who? For TG1 by the sending HEI For TG2 by the coordinator Eligibility criteria Proof of nationality is provided Fulfillment of the TG requirements The correct application form is used and completed All required documents are provided The application deadline is respected Eligibility check 42

37 Selection process Who? Hosting partner institutions Selection criteria Academic performance (transcript results) Personal motivation Relevance and quality of study/research plan Language skills Evaluation of eligible candidates 43

38 Selection process Best case scenario Selection criteria include admission criteria and admission process is integrated into selection The reality Admission is a separated process which is often not well communicated to applicants 44

39 Selection process Who? Selection Committee/Board Selection of scholarship holders Considering: cross-cutting issues (gender balance, socio-economically disadvantaged applicants, disabled candidates, etc.) mandatory mobility distribution range by the call balance between sending/hosting partners max. 20% per nationality 45

40 Selection process Final decision on ranking lists Selection of scholarship holders Scores awarded Proposal of ranking lists (main, reserve, non-selected) per mobility type/host/tg 46

41 Selection process Best case scenario Implemented mobility >= planned mobility The reality Implemented mobility fewer than planned Mobility per nationality is max.20% of the total mobility Implemented mobility only in thematic fields defined by the call 20% recommendation not respected Cases of mobility academic programs not belonging to mandatory thematic fields 47

42 Selection process Best case scenario Mobility distribution range per type of mobility is respected Duration of mobility respecting the call guidelines per type Balanced distribution per home/host The reality Deviations from the mobility distribution range Cases of mobility durations beyond the maximum allowed Despite quota system, distribution is not balanced 48

43 Selection process Best case scenario Gender balance The reality Prevail of male grantees (at PhD level mostly) Cross-cutting issues are tackled Partnerships fail to give this issue the desired attention 49

44 Selection process Letters to all applicants: Acceptance letters Notification of results Rejection letters Letters to candidates in reserve list 50

45 Selection process Acceptance Letter Information on host university and course/research Start date and duration of the mobility Scholarship amount (incl. settling-in allowance) Information on admission Logistics and institutional services Contact persons (home and host)

46 Selection process Appeal procedure Appeal procedure - clearly announced: in rejection letters on the partnership web-site Appeal committee 52

47 Selection process Declaration on Minimum requirements for the selection procedures (Annex IX of the Grant Agreement) 53

48 Selection process Challenges and good practices 54