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 9 000 scholarship applicants for study abroad have been recommended and nominated in selection rounds. In 2000 – 2008, 953 international scholarship recipients have been admitted for study in Slovakia based on inter-governmental bilateral agreements.
CEEPUS - Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies
The Programme started in 1994 to focus primarily on multilateral cooperation of higher education institutions and ECTS; currently CEEPUS III is being implemented with the main focus of joint degree diplomas and an effort to link education and research (started in May 2011). The Programme 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. 15 countries participate in the Programme: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, 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, n. o., has been contracted by the Ministry of Education of SR to serve as the national office for the Programme. Within the CEEPUS Programme (since 2005) 1 714 participants went to study outside Slovakia and 1 168 international scholarship recipients studied in Slovakia.
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 programme, 778 projects have been approved, and 746 individual scholarships have been awarded to Slovak applicants and 150 scholarships to Austrian applicants.
National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic for the Support of Mobility
The Programme is financed by the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic and supports mobility of Slovak and international students, PhD students, university teachers and researchers. The Programme 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 of SR and SAIA, n. o. to implement the Programme in the period 2006 – 2010; SAIA immediately started with its preparation, implementation and promotion. Since 2007, submission, administration and evaluation of applications are handled online via the www.scholarships.sk portal. During the Programme’s first phase (2006 to 2010), a total of 1525 scholarship and travel grant applications from Slovak applicants have been processed as well as 994 scholarship applications from international applicants interested in study or research stays in Slovakia. On the 29th April 2009 the Government of the Slovak Republic approved extension of the Programme for the period 2010/11 to 2015/16 under the Modernisation Programme Slovakia 21. Decision on the specific design of the programme will be made by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the SR.
Sciex - Swiss-Slovak Scholarship Fund
Sciex-NMSch seeks to reduce economic and social disparities within the enlarged European Union by supporting the scientific capacity of researchers from new member states and the sustainable research partnerships between eight new member states and the Swiss Confederation. Sciex-NMSch provides fellowships for research projects in all academic disciplines, in which two researchers or departments from Switzerland and a new member state wish to collaborate and have the required expertise and qualified human resources. In Slovakia, the Sciex-NMSch Programme is implemented in the period 2010 – 2016; SAIA, n. o., serves as the coordination body for this programme and is funded from the Slovak state budget. The programme is funded as part of the Swish contribution to the enlarged European Union.
EURAXESS - European Services Network for Researchers
Service centres for researchers are part of the European EURAXESS Services Network in 37 countries; the centres were created by the initiative of the European Commission in 2004, which provided funding for the first 3 years of their operation; nowadays national EURAXESSS Services Network consist of six SAIA offices located in Bratislava, Nitra, Zilina, Banska Bystrica, Presov and Kosice. SAIA manages the Slovak web portal (www.euraxess.sk) in both Slovak and English versions.
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.