SAIA Programmes
Academic Mobility
The establishment of SAIA in 1990 is directly related to this programme, it is financed by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of SR on the basis of contract signed with SAIA. Since 1990, more than 10 250 scholarship applicants for study abroad have been recommended and nominated in selection rounds. In 2000 – 2011, 1,152 international scholarship recipients have been admitted for study in Slovakia based on inter-governmental bilateral agreements.
Action Austria - Slovakia, Co-operation in Science and Education
The programme was launched in 1992 and its fourth programming period runs since 2008. Its purpose is to promote and further develop cooperation between university and scientific institutions in Slovakia and Austria through grant support to joint projects and individual scholarships. The programme is funded by annual contributions from Slovakia and Austria. SAIA has been contracted by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of SR to serve as the programme office; the managing body of the programme is the joint Slovak-Austrian Managing Gremium of 10 members. Since the beginning of the 4th programming period about 30 projects, 231 individual scholarships of Slovak and 21 scholarships of Austrian applicants have been supported.
CEEPUS
The Programme started in 1994 with focus primarily on multilateral cooperation of HEIs and on ECTS. Currently CEEPUS III that came into force in 2011, promotes mobility of students, PhD students and university teachers by supporting cooperating networks and individual mobility, with priority given to networks developing joint study programmes and linking education and research. 15 countries participate in the Programme: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, and University of Pristina in Kosovo. In Slovakia the Programme is funded by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of SR; SAIA has been contracted by the Ministry to serve as the National Office. Since 2005 (CEEPUS II & beginning of CEEPUS III) more than 3,100 participants went to study or give lectures at the universities outside Slovakia and about 2,000 international scholarship recipients studied or lectured in Slovakia.
National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic
The Programme financed by the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic supports mobility of Slovak and international students, PhD students, university teachers and researchers. It was created by the decision of the Slovak Government as part of the Action Plan of SR for implementing the Lisbon Strategy. In April 2006, public procurement process resulted in a contract between the Ministry of Education and SAIA, n. o. to implement the Programme in the period 2006 – 2010. In 2009 the Slovak Government approved extension of the Programme under the Modernisation Programme Slovakia 21 and SAIA has become its administrator again. Since 2007, submission, administration and evaluation of applications are handled on-line via the www.scholarships.sk portal. During the Programme’s existence a total of 2,088 scholarship and travel grant applications from Slovak applicants and 1,443 scholarship applications from international applicants interested in study or research stays in Slovakia was processed (numbers including the period 2006 – 2011).
Sciex - Swiss-Slovak Scholarship Fund
Sciex-NMSch (Swiss Slovak Scholarship Fund) seeks to reduce economic and social disparities within the enlarged European Union. It is financed through the Swiss-Slovak Cooperation Programme in the enlarged European Union. The Programme provides fellowships for research projects in all academic disciplines, in which two researchers or departments from Switzerland and Slovakia wish to collaborate and have the required expertise and qualified human resources. In Slovakia, the Programme is implemented in the period 2010 – 2016; SAIA serves as its Coordination Unit, based on the agreement with the Office of the Government of SR. In the past three calls (2010 – 2012) 27 fellowships of Slovak PhD students and postdocs were approved.
EURAXESS Service Centres
EURAXESS Service Centres are helping overcome obstacles and support smooth operation of the mobility programmes designated for researchers; they provide information and services to international and Slovak researchers and their families on various aspects of mobility, including practical information (on issues of social security, taxes, visa and residence permits, or study opportunities for family members) related to the stay in another country. EURAXESS Slovakia is part of the European EURAXESS Services Network, more than 200 service centres operating in 40 countries. The centres were created by the initiative of the European Commission in 2004. SAIA in Bratislava is the coordinator of the project on national level, gradually creating national network of service centres situated also in its 5 regional offices. From 2011 the initiative is financially supported by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of SR.
Bourse Incitative d´Expatriation aux lecteurs français (FR)
Scholarships for lectors of French language working at secondary schools and universities in Slovakia. The programme is administered by SAIA in close co-operation with the French Embassy in Slovakia.