VLIR-UOS Globalization & Development Scholarships for Developing Countries

Overview

“How does globalisation emerge at the interface of global and local development processes?”
“What challenges and opportunities does globalisation present?”
“How does globalisation impact on development and poverty alleviation?”

The programme considers how globalisation impacts on (national as well as local) development and poverty alleviation in low and middle-income countries, and how this impact is mediated by development actors (at both government and civil society level). Students are trained to recognise the opportunities presented by globalisation, and to assess and remedy the risks and threats entailed.

The Master’s in Globalisation and Development (GD) approaches the phenomenon of globalisation from an eclectic perspective, considering both the opportunities it creates and threats it poses to development and poverty alleviation in low and middle-income countries, both at the national and the local level.

Most of our students are engaged (or aspire to becoming engaged) in development policy work, professionally and/or as researchers. The objective of the Master’s is to provide them with a solid understanding of the globalisation phenomenon in its multiple dimensions (worldwide markets for goods and services, capital and labour/migration, the planetary challenge of the environment and sustainable development). It also offers them insights and tools to analyse and affect how globalisation impacts on local development and poverty alleviation in low and middle-income countries, taking due account of the complexity of local-global interactions in the multifaceted arenas of globalisation. Successful students shall be able to recognise the opportunities presented by globalisation, and to assess and remedy the risks and threats entailed. Moreover, they shall be able to identify and evaluate policy and programme interventions to exploit opportunities for more effective local and national development in the evolving global context, as well as development interventions aimed at remedying the adverse effects of globalisation on development in general and on the poorer and weaker groups in society in particular, thereby strengthening the agency of the latter.

The Master’s programme focuses on the analysis of the interaction between external and local actors, at the interface of global and local development processes, in order to identify the changing opportunities for and constraints to beneficial institutional change for inclusive, sustainable development and poverty reduction. It conceptualises political and economic development as the outcome of interactions between a conditioning institutional environment and the agency of international, national and local actors. In this context, special attention is paid to the way in which these interactions produce either inequality and poverty or well-being. The programme focuses in part on micro-level institutions and processes, and how these condition the effectiveness, at the local level, of development efforts aimed at exploiting the opportunities raised by globalisation and/or at remedying its adverse effects on the poorer and weaker groups in society. Students are offered a choice of policy domains for a more in-depth treatment of specific policy challenges at the local-global interface (see options below).

The programme is intended for participants with work experience in local, regional and/or national government institutions, at research institutes or universities, or with local NGOs, advocacy or entrepreneurial associations, and in international organisations (e.g. international NGOs, bilateral and multilateral institutions). The candidates should be involved with and have an interest in development or poverty-reduction initiatives, micro or meso-level projects and programmes, and/or macro-level policymaking. Professionally, the candidates should hold (and aspire to) middle or higher management or policy (research) positions entailing at least some experience at the interface between different policy levels (international to local, national to international) or between different arenas (e.g. civil society-government, government-international forums and institutions, INGO-national NGO, etc).

Module I (12 weeks – 18 credits)

Theories of Development: provides an overview of recent evolutions in the literature on the politics and economics of development, and on poverty and inequality.
Research Methods I and II: update of contemporary quantitative and qualitative research methods; possibilities for combining these methods and applying them within ongoing development processes.

Module II: Globalisation and Development (9 weeks – 12 credits)

This module is organised by the Thematic Group ‘The Impact of Globalisation’. Different dimensions of globalisation, such as trade, finance, labour/migration and environment, are covered in a multidisciplinary fashion. Case studies are used to demonstrate how developing countries can obtain significant benefits from globalisation in general, while reducing or remedying its risks and constraints through more effective development policies and programmes. The topic is discussed at all levels of analysis, from the global to the local, and drawing on insights from, among other methods, the “global chain” approach.

Module III: Local Institutions and Poverty Reduction (9 weeks – 12 credits)

This module is organised by the Thematic Group ‘Poverty and Well-being as a Local Institutional Process’. The module analyses how the interactions of actor strategies and institutional structures generate inequality and poverty as well as well-being. It applies this analysis to specific policy domains: value chain development, microfinance, land policies, gender, public services, role of local government, management of natural resources, migration and the impact of trade (the latter topic emphasises measurement and quantitative assessment, while the others involve qualitative and quantitative approaches).

Module IV: Dissertation (15 weeks – 18 credits)

To be developed on the basis of one of the assignments written at the end of either module II or III.

Admission requirements

The following candidates are eligible to apply for the Master’s programmes:
• Applicants from the South must hold a university degree (Bachelor or Master) of at least four years of study in Social Sciences (Economics, Political Science, Sociology, International Relations, or related disciplines). Applicants from the South who hold a Bachelor’s degree of only three years of study must demonstrate very strong and relevant professional experience and/or have successfully completed additional training. Applicants from the North must hold a Master’s degree in Social Sciences Only applicants with excellent academic records will be accepted.
• Our ideal participant has at least two years of professional experience in a sector relevant to the programme. Applicants from the North should have relevant field experience in the South.
• Applicants must be proficient in English. Those who have received a university education in English must provide an official certificate confirming this. Other applicants must submit one of the following test results:
o TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): minimum score of 550 for paper-based test or 79 for Internet-based test. Information about this test is available at www.toefl.org.
o IELTS (International English Language Testing System): minimum score of 6.0. Information about this test is available at www.ielts.org.
o Special facilities are offered for students from other language backgrounds (in particular for French-speaking students). Students with paper-based TOEFL scores between 500 and 550 (or TOEFL Internet-based between 61 and 79) or IELTS scores between 5.0 and 6.0 may also be admitted provided they successfully complete a two-month intensive language course organised by the University of Antwerp before the start of the Master’s programme. For students selected for a VLIR-UOS scholarship, the cost of this language course is borne by the Institute (see below for details).
• Motivation and Matching: see description of student profile per Master and Trajectory.

Target Candidates

Only persons who are resident AND national of one of the following countries (not necessarily the same country for residence and nationality) are eligible for a VLIR-UOS scholarship. Please note that candidates must reside in one of these countries at the moment of application.

Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Asia: Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Laos, Nepal, Palestinian Territories, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam
Latin America: Bolivia, Brasil, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay

Eligibility Criteria

You can apply for a scholarship if you meet the following requisites:

You are a resident AND national of one of the countries on the country list (not necessarily the same country for residence and nationality). Please note that candidates must reside in one of these countries at the moment of application.
You are not older than 40 years* if you apply for a scholarship to follow a master programme. Or you are not older than 45 years* if you apply for a scholarship to follow a training programme. (* on 1 January 2012)
You have the required English proficiency. You need a proof of at least 1 year of comprehensive English-based instruction at a university or recognized equivalent. If not, a TOEFL test is required with a minimum total score of 550 on the paper based test (PBT), or 79 on an internet based test (IBT); or an IELTS test with a minimum overall band score of 6,5; or a proof of another test of similar level as TOEFLE or IELTS.
Professional experience and employment perspectives are not required for a master programme, but they can be a competitive advantage for selection, depending on the programme. Present employment or reintegration perspectives are required for a training programme. The candidate must be currently employed or have a written (future) employer’s guarantee of (re)integration in an employment where the acquired knowledge and skills will be immediately applicable.
Earlier applications and scholarships: You do not apply for more than one VLIR-UOS scholarship a year. You have never received a master scholarship funded by the Belgian government before. You are only admissible for a training programme scholarship if you have not received a VLIR-UOS scholarship for a training programme before.
When you are an applicant from a university engaged in a VLIR-IUC partnership, it is required that the Flemish or local IUC coordinator declares that you are not linked to an IUC funded department. If you are linked to such a department, you do not qualify for a scholarship from the scholarship programme from VLIR-UOS but can apply for funding from the IUC budget in case you would be academically admitted.

For selection we take into account the following criteria:

Motivation: It is essential that the candidate’s motivation demonstrates the possibility of transferring knowledge or creating extension activities, and having a specific developmental dimension.
Professional experience, preferably in a research institution, a higher education institution, the government sector (national/regional/local), the sector of social economy, or an NGO. Preferably expertise in development relevant matters.
Present employment/reintegration perspectives, preferably in a research institution, a higher education institution, the government sector (national/regional/local), the sector of social economy, or an NGO. Preferably with the possibility to generate an impact through the transfer of knowledge, extension activities or otherwise. Not in the commercial profit sector. Previous scholarships: Prioririty will be given to the application of a candidate for a master programme who did not already has been granted a previous master scholarship. For a candidate for a training programme, the selection committee assesses the opportunity of a VLIR-UOS scholarship award, taking into consideration the candidates’ previous study and scholarship curriculum.
Gender: In case of two equally qualified candidates of different sexes, preference will be given to the female candidate. The selection commission will aim at a parity or relative balance between the number of men and the number of women awarded a VLIR-UOS scholarship.
Regional balance: The selection commission will try to ensure that 50% of a programme’s scholarships are granted to candidates from Sub-Saharan Africa.
Social background: In case of two equally qualified candidates, preference will be given to candidates from a disadvantaged area within their country or an ethnic or social minority group, especially when these candidates can provide proof of leadership potential.

Scholarship Value:

The scholarships cover all related expenses.

- Allowance 800€/month
- Family supplement 62€/month
- Accomodation premium 200€/month
- 1 return ticket, economy class

How to apply

You can apply for a scholarship by following the procedure below:

1. Go to the information page of the training or master programme of your interest.
2. Look for the inscription link on the programme website and apply via the application form of the Flemish host university or university college.
3. Receive a return e-mail from the Flemish host university or university college.
4. Send a printout of your application file along with all required documents (diploma transcripts, motivation, etc…) to the International Office of the host university or university college (not to VLIR-UOS!). You will find the information on the website of the programme.

Then you have correctly applied and can your application be considered. Scholarship application deadlines are:

Master programme: 1 February 2012

Period: September 2011 - September 2012
Language: English
Number of VLIR-UOS Scholarships: 10

Contact:
Mrs G. Annaert
Institute of Development Policy and Management (IOB)
University of Antwerp
T +32 (0)3 265 57 70
F +32 (0)3 265 57 71
dev@ua.ac.be
http://www.ua.ac.be/iob/education
http://www.scholarships.vliruos.be/

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