FAQs

FAQs

1. What is the Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme?Please refer to http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/intra-africa_en

1. What is ESIMSAD? ESIMSAD is an abbreviation for Electrochemical Science and Innovative Materials for Sustainable Africa Development organized by the five HEIs in Africa and one EU Technical partner. ESIMSAD is the Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme project funded by the European Union in collaboration with Africa Union.
2. Who are the partners involved in ABEM?
   1. Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia)
   2. The Witwatersrand University (South Africa)
   3. University of Nigeria (Nigeria)
   4. Cairo University (Egypt)
   5. Addis Ababa Science and Technology University (Ethiopia)
   6. University College of Cork (Ireland)
3.  What are the target groups?
4. Target Group 1 refers to students registered at or staff employed by one of the ESIMSAD partners. i.e. Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia), Cairo University (Egypt), The Witwatersrand University (South Africa), University of Nigeria (Nigeria), Addis Ababa Science and Technology University(Ethiopia).
   1. Target Group 2 refers to students registered in or having obtained a degree from a higher education institution not included in the partnership but established in an eligible country (see below).
      

      Africa Region	Countries
      Eastern	Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania
      Southern	Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe
      Western	Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Cape Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea- Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo
      Central	Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Congo (DRC), Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and São Tomé and Principe
      Northern	Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco

       

5. What should I consider when deciding on my host institutions?
   1.  Carefully consider the identified programmes and areas of excellence in each partner institution.
   2. Ensure that you have the necessary academic background for the programmes of interest before you apply
   3. Be aware of the real cost of living at each partner institution, considering the monthly subsistence allowance of the scholarship.
   4. Consider your ability to adapt to the different realities and the climate at the location of the host institution.
6. What does the scholarship cover?

   • The ESIMSAD individual scholarships cover one roundtrip flight ticket, visa costs, participation costs, comprehensive insurance coverage (health, accident and travel) and a monthly subsistence allowance from which scholarship recipients are to cover accommodation expenses. The monthly subsistence allowance is calculated per mobility option (and can be viewed under ‘Scholarship Information and guidelines’

7. Which master and doctoral programs are available in ESIMSAD scholarship and from which University?

   1. Addis Ababa University

      1. MSc in Materials Science
      2. PhD in Inorganic Chemistry

   2. Witwatersrand University

      1. MSc in Materials Electrochemistry & Energy Technologies
      2. PhD in Materials Electrochemistry & Energy Technologies

   3. University of Nigeria

      1.  MSc in Solar Energy Physics/Materials Science
      2. PhD in Materials Science/Solar Eernergy Physics

   4. Cairo University

      1. PhD in Physical Chemistry

   5. Addis Ababa Science and Technology University

      1. PhD in Physical Chemistry
8. Which are the priority fields:
   • Materials Science, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Computational Materials Science, Electrochemistry, Materials Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering
9. What is an individual mobility flow?

   • A mobility flow is the mobility of an individual (student or staff member) to undertake periods of study/research/teaching/training at an African partner HEI in a country different from the country of residence and of nationality.

10. How Many types of mobility are eligible?
    1. There are 3 types of mobility:
       • Master,
       • Doctorate,
       • Staff (administrative and academic).
11. What is a target group and how many target groups exist?
    1. A target group is a group of students/academic staff having the same characteristics regarding the institution of origin.There are 2 target groups:Target Group 1:
       • students registered/admitted in or having obtained a degree from one of the HEIs that is a partner (lead applicant or co-applicant) of the project;
       • staff working for one of the HEIs that is a partner (lead applicant or co-applicant) of the project.

       The mobility flow in the case of Target Group 1 is inside the partnership – from one partner HEI towards a partner HEI in a different country.

       Mobility is only possible to a HEI in a different country from the one of the home HEI, the residence and country of origin/nationality.

        

       Target Group 2 :

       Students registered/admitted in or having obtained a degree (or equivalent) from a HEI not included in the partnership as a partner (lead applicant or co-applicant) but established in an African country.

       Staff mobility is not eligible under Target Group 2. The mobility flow is from outside the partnership towards a partner HEI.

       All students and staff members to be targeted during project implementation should be nationals of a member state of the African Union and resident in Africa.

12. Where should the mobility take place?

    • Mobility must take place only in Africa, at one of the universities involved in the partnership as a lead applicant or a partner. Mobility must take place in a country different than the one of nationality and residence of the scholarship holder. Mobility must be physical, virtual mobility is not allowed.

      The EU technical partner cannot send neither host mobility flows. The associated partners can receive students for placements periods only (e.g. internships, research activities). If a HEI participates in the partnership as an associate partner, its students can participate in mobility as Target Group 2. Staff mobility is only possible between the partner HEIs.

      The mobility activity, i.e. study or research for students and teaching or training for staff members, should be detailed in a learning/research agreement (students) or work plan (staff members).

13. What are the requirements for a placement/training period?

    • Student mobility may include a placement period of maximum three (3) months in the same country of the host partner and preferably in an associated partner, provided that it is preceded by minimum one academic term abroad at a partner HEI in Africa. The placement should be recognised as an integral part of the student’s programme upon agreement by all partners concerned and a close monitoring of the students should be ensured.

14. Can European nationals participate in mobility?

    • No. Only students/staff members who are a national of and resident in Africa can participate in mobility.

15. Can a previous Intra-ACP or Intra-Africa scholarship holder be considered for a scholarship under this scheme?
    • No, students who have received a scholarship under the Intra-ACP Academic Mobility Scheme or under the Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme are not eligible to receive another Intra-Africa scholarship.
16. How long does a mobility flow last?

    • The duration of the mobility depends on the type of mobility. Students can enroll for credit-seeking mobility (leading to the academic recognition by the home university of the study period spent abroad) or for degree-seeking mobility for the whole duration of an academic program (leading to the award of a degree by the host university after the successful completion of the course).

17. Is there any limitation of the individual mobility flow per country?
    • No, but it is encouraged to ensure that no more than 20% of the total number of mobility flows funded by the project are from the same African country.

18. What kind of academic recognition is expected at the end of a student mobility flow?
    • By signing the Mandates (Annex 5a and 5b of the application form) and the Memorandum of Understanding (after the start of the project), the partners commit to recognize the study periods spent abroad by the scholarship holders during the mobility.Credit transfer and accumulation may be facilitated by the use of certain key documents, such as the Learning Agreement and Transcript of Records as well as the Diploma Supplement. Examples of these documents are available on the intra-Africa webpage.Before starting individual mobility, a learning/research agreement has to be signed between the student, the home, and the host institution. Any changes during the mobility must be agreed upon by all the parties.If the mobility period is covering only part of a curriculum, the student must be provided by his/her host institution with a transcript of records specifying the marks obtained for each of the courses attended. This transcript shall be used by the home institution for recognising the study period abroad as part of the general curriculum required for obtaining the final degree. In addition, a Diploma Supplement could be issued at the end of his/her studies identifying the courses followed and the marks obtained during the student’s study period abroad. In order to facilitate this process, the study programme, in which students will be exchanged for credit-seeking mobility, should be comparable and complementary between the host and sending institutions.For individual mobility flows covering the totality of the curriculum required for obtaining a degree will be issued by the host institution. In addition, a Diploma Supplement could be issued at the end of his/her studies identifying the courses followed and the marks obtained during the student’s study period abroad
19. How can individual candidates interested in a scholarship application?
    • Under the Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme, scholarships for students and staff are only awarded by the selected Intra-Africa partnerships/projects for study, research, teaching activities.

      Students, researchers, and staff interested in a scholarship should address their application directly to one of the selected partnerships. The list of the selected partnerships, together with the websites and contact details, are available on the web-page of the Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme under the following link.

      Information concerning the number of scholarships offered, the relevant academic programmes, the duration of the mobility, as well as all selection criteria and application and selection procedures can be found on the website of each selected partnership.