FAQs

 


General information on the project

  • What is the Erasmus Mundus Programmne Action 2 – Strand 1?
  • The EMA2- Strand 1 main goal is to promote the European higher education, to endorse the effort and the improvement of the students career perspectives and to favor the intercultural comprehension through the third countries cooperation, in line with the EU external policy objectives, so as to contribute to the sustainable development of the third world countries in the higher education area. This strand includes partnerships between European and Third Countries Higher Education Institutions, academic exchange and mobility flows in different education levels, and also a scholarship system.
  • Which is my home institution?
  • If you are a student, the home institution is the one where you have obtained your diploma, which endows your eligibility to apply to the BABEL Project.

    If you are a teacher or an investigator, the home institution is the one where you work (full-time) or where you have any kind of contract, which endows your eligibility to apply for the BABEL Project.
  • Which is my host institution?
  • The host institution is the partner university where the applicant wants to develop his/her study/work programme within the BABEL Project.
  • What is a Target Group?
  • Target Groups are defined by the European Agency responsible for the Erasmus Mundus Project management (link EACEA). The Consortium is responsible for assuring the respect for these definitions. In order to decrease the chance of error by the applicants, the coordination has defined a group of questions addressed to the applicants immediately before starting to fill in the application form. The answers to those questions will determine which Target Group the applicant belong to.

    Target Group I
    – To be enrolled, be associated or work (full time) in one of the partner institutions of the BABEL project at the time of application.

    Undergraduate (mobility): Undergrad students going to undertake a mobility period in Europe must be enrolled as regular students in an undergraduate programme in one of the partner institutions of the Consortium and have its formal support for the application (the letter of support must be included as an annex in section 10).

    Master (mobility): Master students going to undertake a mobility period in Europe must be enrolled as regular students in a master programme in one of the partner institutions of the Consortium and have its formal support for the application (the letter of support must be included as an annex in section 10).

    Full Master: Applicants for full master must have a formal link to one of the partner institutions of the Consortium and have its formal support for the application (the letter of support must be included as an annex in section 10).

    PhD (mobility): PhD students going to undertake a mobility period in Europe must be enrolled as regular students in a PhD programme in one of the partner institutions of the Consortium in a field of study related to one of the fields of research available in the host institution and have their formal support for the application.

    Full PhD: Applicants for full PhD must have a formal link to one of the partner institutions of the Consortium and have its formal support for the application (the letter of support must be included as an annex in section 10).

    Postdoc: Researchers with a full time contract in one of the partner institutions of the Consortium supporting their application (the letter of support must be included as an annex in section 10).

    Academic staff: Applicants currently working as professors with a full time contract in one of the partner institutions of the Consortium supporting their application.

    Administrative staff: Applicants currently working with a full time contract in one of the partner institutions of the Consortium supporting their application.

    Target Group II
    – To be enrolled in an associate partner institution (or in other institution outside the Consortium) of one of the Latin American countries eligible or have a degree awarded by an institution of one of the eligible third countries.

    Master (mobility): Applicants must be formally enrolled in a master programme in an associate partner institution or a non-partner institution of one of the eligible countries for this lot.

    Full Master: Applicants must have finished their undergraduate degree in an institution of the eligible Latin American countries for BABEL Consortium and not be enrolled or working in one of the partner institutions of BABEL Consortium.

    PhD (mobility): Applicants must be formally enrolled in a PhD programme in a non-partner institution of one of the eligible countries for this lot.

    Full PhD: Applicants must have finished a university degree in an institution of the eligible Latin American countries for BABEL Consortium and not be enrolled or working in one of the partner institutions of BABEL Consortium.

    Postdoc: Applicants must have finished a university degree in or have a formal link to a non-partner institution of BABEL Consortium in one of the eligible Latin American countries for BABEL Consortium.

    Target Group III – To be national of one of the eligible Latin American countries for BABEL Consortium and be in a particularly vulnerable situation for social, economic or political reasons. For example:
    1) Have a refugee status or be beneficiary of asylum (international or according to the national legislation of one of the European host countries);
    2) Have been object of unjustified expulsion from university on racial, ethnic, religious, political, gender or sexual orientation reasons;
    3) Belong to an indigenous population targeted by a specific national policy or be an Internally Displaced Person (IDP);

    Undergraduate: Applicants must be enrolled as regular students in an undergraduate programme in an institution of one of the eligible Latin American countries for BABEL Consortium and be in a particularly vulnerable situation (abovementioned).

    Master: Applicants must have a degree in or have a formal link to an institution of one of the eligible Latin American countries for BABEL Consortium and be in a particularly vulnerable situation (abovementioned).
  • What does “force majeure” stand for?
  • Force majeure is an unpredicted or exceptional event or situation, beyond our control, that prevents from accomplishing the demands within the BABEL Project, despite all the diligences. Malfunctioning of materials or equipment, delays, labour disagreements, strikes or financial difficulties cannot be considered as force majeure.

Eligibility

  • Can the Erasmus Mundus scholarship holders receive other scholarships from other European programmes?
  • No, there cannot be double European financing. Being so, the Erasmus Mundus scholarship holders who are already benefiting from a European Union scholarship, cannot receive any other kind of European financing.

    If the scholarship holder is benefiting from an additional support granted by another kind of financing (for example, a scholarship from a national entity of his/her home country and not European), he/she can benefit from both scholarships.
  • Can be a BABEL scholarship holder twice?
  • An applicant who has already benefited from an Erasmus Mundus scholarship for a certain mobility type cannot beneficiate from a new scholarship for the same type of mobility (example: if the applicant was an undergrad scholarship holder in a prior Erasmus Mundus project, he/she can not apply again to a BABEL undergrad scholarship).
  • Are the intra-European or intra-Latin American mobility flows eligible?
  • No. Within the BABEL Project, it is not eligible the mobility of European students within Europe nor the mobility of Latin American students within Latin American countries.
  • Are the mobility flows from Europe to Latin American eligible?
  • No. Within the BABEL Project, it is not allowed the mobility of European students to Latin America. Only students from Latin America are eligible to go to Europe. This imposition is determined by the Erasmus Mundus Programme guidelines, defined by the EACEA (Education Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency), European Agency responsible for the implementation of the Erasmus Mundus Programme.
  • Are the academic and administrative mobility flows from Europe to Latin America eligible?
  • No. Within the BABEL project the mobility of European academic and administrative staff to Latin America is not eligible. Only academic and administrative staff from Latin America is eligible to go to Europe.
  • I am a student from an eligible BABEL Latin American country but I do not belong to any institution of the Consortium. Can I still apply?
  • Yes. If your home institution (see definition on question 2) is in one of the eligible Latin American countries and does not belong to the BABEL Consortium, you may be eligible for Target Group II or III (see definition on question 10).

    BABEL project foresees 25 places Target Group II students willing to undertake master, doctorate or postdoc mobility flows. There are also 30 places foreseen for Target Group III students willing to undertake undergraduate or master mobility flows.

    All interested applicants must read the “Guide for applicants” and follow all the necessary steps to formalize the online applicant (for more information, see question 38).
  • I am academic/administrative staff from an eligible BABEL Latin American country but I do not belong to any institution of the Consortium. Can I still apply?
  • Unfortunately, academic or administrative staff not working in an institution of the BABEL Consortium is not eligible to apply.
  • Do I need to speak the teaching language of the host institution?
  • The Programme guidelines determine that the applicants must have enough knowledge of the teaching language of the institutions they want to apply to. Being so, that means that if the teaching language is English, regardless of the country offering the study programme (for instance, Sweden), it is enough that the applicant has adequate knowledge of English in order to be eligible.

    There may be other situations in which the offered or activities courses by the host institutions demand the knowledge of another language (for example, French or Portuguese). Consequently, the applicant must follow that condition and include, when required, the document that proves the demanded linguistic knowledge under penalty of considering the application not eligible.

    As a result, it is extremely important that the applicant checks attentively all the available information about the institution to which he/she intends to apply to, as well as the specific requirements, namely in what concerns the linguistic knowledge. The applicant can easily access that information through the consultation of the academic offer (include link) available at the Consortium website and, more importantly, through the direct contact (preferential) with the contact person of the host institution to which he/she intends to apply to.

    The applicant shall never submit an application for a study/work programme if he/she does not have enough knowledge of the teaching/work language of the programme he/she intends to undertake.
  • Which are the eligibility criteria?
  • • Be national of one of the eligible Latin American Countries for BABEL Consortium;
    • Have not resided, lived or carried out their main activity (work, study, etc.) for more than 12 months (on the date of application) over the last five years in one European Country (not applicable to staff nor Target Group 3 applicants);
    • Have not benefited in the past from an Erasmus Mundus scholarship for the same type of mobility;
    • Have sufficient knowledge of the tuition language of the host institution or of one of the languages currently spoken in the hosting country;
    • Identify the target group;
    • Respect the specific criteria applicable to each type of mobility:
    • In the case of undergraduate students, have successfully completed at least the first year of studies at the home institution.
    • In the case of master students, have completed a bachelor's degree. Master mobility students (10 months) have to be enrolled in a master's degree in one of the institutions of the third countries included in the lot;
    • In the case of PhD students, have completed at least a bachelor's degree and preferably a master’s degree. PhD mobility students (10 months) have to be enrolled in a PhD in one of the institutions of the third countries included in the lot.
    • In the case of postdocs, have obtained their doctorate in the last two years and have the support of one of the institutions of third countries to carry out their mobility.
    • In the case of academic and administrative staff, work full time in a partner institution.
    It should be noted that, in addition to these criteria, there may be other internally defined by each partner HEI of the Consortium. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that applicants previously articulate their application with the contact person of their institution to learn about the specific eligibility criteria established by their home institution (when applicable) or the host institution they wish to submit their application.

Application

  • Is there a minimum or maximum age in order to apply to the BABEL Project?
  • The guidelines defined by the European Agency responsible for the Erasmus Mundus Programme implementation do not establish any minimum or maximum age as an eligibility criteria. Any person, regardless his/her age, can submit his/her application.

    It is important to note that all eligibility criteria mentioned in the available information at the consortium’s website and in the produced dissemination material (leaflets, posters and guidelines for applicants) are the minimum established by the partnership’s coordination. This means that every home institution can define more restrictive criteria, which will be applicable only to their applicants. Being so, it is crucial that the applicant does an attentive reading of the guidelines for applicants and other informative material made available by the coordination and, at the same time, to do a direct contact with the contact people at the home and host institutions, who are responsible for the BABEL Project management.
  • Which application form shall I fill in?
  • You must fill in the online application form (link application form). The coordination will not accept applications in paper format (originals sent by mail) nor applications sent by e-mail. All applicants must access the online application form, fill in all the required fields, scan the required documents and submit the application.

    For security reasons, the applicant’ session expires if you spend some time without making any kind of action. Therefore, we advise you to frequently save the application form you are filling in.

    Any mistake during this procedure is of the applicant’s entire responsibility and will result in his/her immediate exclusion of the application process.

    We advise you to contact with the home and host institutions (when applicable) in order to confirm which are the compulsory documents and information. The non inclusion of a required document or information will result in the invalidation of the application.
  • Do I have to necessarily choose three mobility options? After concluded the selection process, can I choose another host institution?
  • No, it is not mandatory to choose three mobility options. However, in order to considerably enhance the chances of being selected, the coordination advises all applicants to include more than one host institution.

    After concluded the selection process, applicants cannot choose another host institution.
  • Can I choose several courses in the same host institution?
  • No. Applicants can select up to 3 host institutions, but they can only choose one course per host institution.
  • Does it need to exist a cooperation agreement between my home and host institutions in order for me to apply?
  • No, it is not necessary to exist a previous bilateral cooperation agreement between the home and host institutions. Nevertheless, in the BABEL Project case, the partner institutions of the Consortium have agreed to sign bilateral agreements to formalize the mobility flows
  • I exclusively want to apply to universities with the same teaching language. Can I attach the required documents exclusively in that language?
  • Applicants must always submit the documents in English language, as the members of the Selection Committee have different nationalities. However, if the applicant only wants to apply to universities with the same teaching language, he/she can submit his/her application, as well as the documents, in that same language.
  • If my home institution does not issue official documents in English, can I attach them in another language (ex. Portuguese or Spanish)?
  • Yes, only if the applicant wants to apply to a university which teaching language is Portuguese or Spanish.

    If the applicant wants to apply to more than one university, he/she can also submit the documents in that language, always accompanied by a certified translation by the contact person of a Consortium’s partner institution or an authorized entity.
  • When filling in the application form, shall I define straight away the subjects/courses I intend to attend?
  • In the case of mobility flows within undergraduate and master programmes, the selection of subjects is made on a later stage, if he/she is selected. Nevertheless, at this stage, the applicants must check the subjects offered by each host institution, since the home institution will have to ensure the full academic recognition (validation) of all subjects undertaken during the mobility.

    In case of full master mobility flows, when filling in the application form, applicants must immediately define, in a precise way, the course they intend to undertake. It is important to take into consideration the demanded requirements by the host institution for a certain course, namely academic records, prior instruction, course objectives, teaching language and all criteria that can determine the success, or not, of the application. Applicants who reveal to have a prior knowledge of the course (possible through available documents and information) have more chances of submitting a successful application.

    In the case of doctorate mobility flows, further to the prior training, the applicant must take into consideration the course in which he/she is enrolled in, since he/she must be sure that his/her home institution will academically recognize the studies undertook abroad, the academic offer of the host institutions and how they adequate to the research that the applicant is developing. Being so, in order to get a successful application, we strongly advise a previous contact with the Host Institution, particularly with a teacher who is working in the same study area and can receive the applicant in case he/she is selected.

    In the case of postdoc researchers, the applicant must consult the academic offer of the host institution and ensure that this is directly related to the work of research/teaching he/she is developing at his/her home institution. To prepare a successful application, we strongly suggest a prior contact with the host institution, namely with a professor that works in the same field of studies and can welcome the applicant if he/she is selected.

    In the case of academic and administrative staff, the applicant needs to define straight away his/her objectives, mentioning the kind of work he/she wants to develop taking into account Consortium’s main goals:
    • Active participation in teaching/daily life office activities;
    • Research activities that may involve joint research projects;
    • Implementation of new cooperation activities such as bilateral agreements for mobility implementation, joint co-supervision agreements, joint supervision of master/PhD thesis(…);
    • Participation in seminars, workshops on relevant topics for the cooperation of both universities;
    • Development of joint curricula (eg. creation of double or joint degrees);
    • Expansion/creation of local and regional management and organizational structures, namely IOs, research groups, etc.;
    • Implementation of tools to allow a more dynamic academic structure of Latin American HEIs benefiting from the Bologna Process and the wide EU experience;
    • Create synergies among the EU higher education system and Latin American partners through the use of ECTS, Diploma Supplement, among others.
  • By filling in the application form, shall I define straight away the work/research programme which I intend to develop?
  • Yes. It is very important to define it since the moment of application, as it demonstrates that you have carefully thought about the kind of work you want to carry out and how this work/research can determine your personal evolution. It also contributes to the institutional relations (home and host institutions) and also to the impact of the project in the involved Latin American countries.
  • Do I need a support letter from my home/host institution in order to submit my application?
  • In the case of Target Group I applicants, in order for the application to be considered eligible, applicants must always submit a support letter of their home institution.

    Not submit a letter of support of an institution together with the application will determine failure to comply with the formal requirements of the application and will result in the immediate exclusion of the applicant.

    Target Group II or III applicants must also submit letter of support, regardless the institution is member of the Consortium or not. It won’t be necessary to submit a letter of support of the host institution.
  • I will only finish my degree after the deadline for applications. Can I still apply?
  • No. The applicant must reunite all the necessary requirements in order to undertake his/her study/research period.

    Undergrad mobility applicants must be mandatorily enrolled in the undergrad course as they will get full academic recognition of their mobility period by the home institution.

    Master mobility applicants must be mandatorily enrolled in the master course as they will get full academic recognition of their mobility period by the home institution.

    Full master applicants must have concluded their bachelor degree in a Latin American institution in the moment of application, under penalty of exclusion. It is mandatory to submit (upload) the corresponding diploma, course conclusion certificate or an equivalent official document (signed and stamped) issued by the applicant’s home Latin American university. The non presentation of this document implies the immediate exclusion of the application.

    PhD mobility applicants must be mandatorily enrolled in a doctoral programme at their home institution in the moment of application. This enrolment must be confirmed by submitting (upload) an official document (signed and stamped) issued by the applicant’s home Latin American university. The non presentation of this document implies the immediate exclusion of the application.

    Full PhD applicants must have concluded their prior degree in an institution of one of the Latin American eligible countries in the moment of application, under penalty of exclusion. It is mandatory to submit (upload) the corresponding diploma, course conclusion certificate or an equivalent official document (signed and stamped) issued by the applicant’s home Latin American university. The non presentation of this document implies the immediate exclusion of the application.

    Postdoc researchers must work (full time) at the home institution in the moment of application. This situation needs to be confirmed through the submission (upload) of an official document (signed and stamped) issued by the applicant’s home institution. The non presentation of this document implies the immediate exclusion of the application.

    Academic and administrative must work (full time) at a home institution of the Consortium in the moment of application. This situation needs to be confirmed through the submission (upload) of an official document (signed and stamped) issued by the applicant’s home institution. The non presentation of this document implies the immediate exclusion of the application.
  • Which are the evaluation criteria?
  • In accordance to the established guidelines of the Erasmus Mundus Programme, the Consortium has defined common application, selection and admission criteria, which will be used by all partners. The applications’ qualitative evaluation is based in very specific criteria, such as:
    • Very good/excellent academic results in the field of study/research;
    • Submitted proposal in the fields of study considered as priority by the Latin American countries/partners;
    • Applicant’s academic potential;
    • Mobility proposal impact at individual, institutional and regional levels;
    • Level of language proficiency in order to successfully complete the proposed mobility;
    • Motivation;
    • Recommendations;
    • Work/research experience and professional qualification;
    • Cross-cutting related issues (gender balance, equal opportunities, being part of a vulnerable group).
    These criteria ensure the transparency of the selection process and the same treatment for all the applications.
  • Where can I obtain further information about the different steps to be followed in order to officialise my application?
  • All the information about the several steps to be followed in order to formalize the application is available at the “Guidelines for applicants” (incluir link. All applicants must read these guidelines very carefully in order to be completely acquainted with the application requirements and criteria. If there are doubts that the guidelines cannot elucidate, the applicants can contact the Project’s coordination (babel@reit.up.pt) or the partner institutions.(incluir link contactos).
  • Can I send my application by mail, fax or e-mail?
  • No. All applications must be submitted online through the project’s website (incluir link formulário) . Under no circumstance any other kind of application (mail, fax, e-mail, letter or in person) will be accepted.
  • I do not have all the documents required by the application. Can I finish my application?
  • No. The application form can only be finalized after fill in all the required information in the respective fields and upload all scan required documents. Any mistake made by the applicant when filling in the application form or the lack of any required document will result in the immediate exclusion of the application.

    If the applicant scans a wrong or blank document in a way that the system allows the submission of the application form, the partnership will immediately invalidate the submitted application and it will immediately be excluded of the application process.
  • How will the applicants be selected?
  • The selection process comprehends the following phases:
    For applicants from partner or associate institutions:
    1. Validation of applications by the applicants’ home institution. This validation implies:
    • Careful analysis of all the information given by the applicant in the application form
    • Verification that the applicant fulfils the general eligibility requirements defined by the Erasmus Mundus Programme (for further detail, please see question 35)
    • Verification that the applicant fulfils the internally established requirements by the home institution for the mobility
    • Verification of the host institution required documents and their veracity
    • Verification that the applicant has not submitted several applications
    • Support of the home institution regarding the mobility proposal
    In this validation process, if the applicant does not fulfil any of the general or specific home/host institution requirements, his/her application will immediately be invalidated by the home institution and will not be evaluated by the host institution.
    If all information and documents included are real and all the requirements were fulfilled, the home institution will validate the applications.
    2. Analysis and acceptance, by the host institution, of the validated applications. This process implies:
    • Careful analysis of all the information given by the applicant in the application form
    • Verification that the applicant fulfils the general eligibility requirements defined by the Erasmus Mundus Programme (for further detail, please see question 35)
    • Verification that the applicant fulfils the internally established requirements by the home institution for the mobility
    • Verification of the host institution required documents
    • Verification that the applicant has not submitted several applications
    • Support of the host institution regarding the mobility proposal

    For applicants from non partner and non associate institutions:
    1. Validation of applications by the applicants’ first selected host institution. This validation implies:
    • Careful analysis of all the information given by the applicant in the application form
    • Verification that the applicant fulfils the general eligibility requirements defined by the Erasmus Mundus Programme (for further detail, please see question 35)
    • Verification that the applicant fulfils the internally established requirements by the home institution for the mobility
    • Verification of the host institution required documents and their veracity
    • Verification that the applicant has not submitted several applications
    • Support of the proposed mobility by an institution of an eligible Latin American country for the BABEL Project
    In this validation process, if the applicant does not fulfil any of the general or specific requirements, his/her application will immediately be invalidated by the host institution selected as first option and will not be evaluated by other host institutions.
    If all information and documents included are real and all the requirements were fulfilled, the host institution will validate the applications.

    2. Analysis and acceptance, by the host institution, of the validated applications. This process implies:
    • Careful analysis of all the information given by the applicant in the application form
    • Verification that the applicant fulfils the general eligibility requirements defined by the Erasmus Mundus Programme (for further detail, please see question 35)
    • Verification that the applicant fulfils the internally established requirements by the host institution for the study/work plan selected by the applicant
    • Verification of the host institution required documents
    • Verification that the applicant has not submitted several applications
    • Support of the host institution regarding the mobility proposal

    Target Group III (see definition on question 10):
    1. Validation of applications by the co-coordinating institution. This validation implies:
    • Careful analysis of all the information given by the applicant in the application form
    • Verification that the applicant fulfils the general eligibility requirements defined by the Erasmus Mundus Programme (for further detail, please see question 35)
    • Verification that the applicant fulfils the internally established requirements by the home institution for the mobility
    • Verification of the host institution required documents and their veracity, namely the document that verifies its belonging to TG III
    • Verification that the applicant has not submitted several applications
    • Support of the proposed mobility by an institution of an eligible Latin American country for the BABEL Project
    In this validation process, if the applicant does not fulfil any of the general or specific host institution requirements, or he/she doesn’t refer that he/she belongs to TG III, his/her application will immediately be invalidated by the coordinating institution and will not be evaluated by other host institutions.
    If all information and documents included are real and all the requirements were fulfilled, the host institution will validate the applications.

    2. Analysis and acceptance, by the host institution, of the validated applications. This process implies:
    • Careful analysis of all the information given by the applicant in the application form
    • Verification that the applicant fulfils the general eligibility requirements defined by the Erasmus Mundus Programme (for further detail, please see question 35)
    • Verification that the applicant fulfils the internally established requirements by the host institution for the study/work plan selected by the applicant
    • Verification of the host institution required documents
    • Verification that the applicant has not submitted several applications
    • Support of the host institution regarding the mobility proposal
  • I forgot my password. How do I recover it?
  • In the “Scholarship holders” section there is an option to obtain a new password, through the “Forgot your password?” link . If you have difficulties in this procedure, you must directly contact the coordination. However, it is important to take into account that, for security reasons, the coordination cannot provide passwords by telephone, but only through the e-mail indicated in the application form. In case this field is not filled in, the coordination cannot send you the password.
  • Is it necessary to include in the application period a certification of authenticity of my diploma?
  • No. In the application period you may simply include a normal copy of the diploma. In case you’re selected for a full degree mobility, you’ll have to obtain a certification of authenticity of your diploma in the Embassy in order to be able to enroll at the European university.
  • What does the support by the home institution mean?
  • This support is given through the issue of a supporting letter by a professor from the institution the applicant has a formal link with. In case of students applying to an exchange mobility period, the letter should be written by the responsible person at the institution for granting academic recognition.

Academic issues

  • Am I going to receive any diploma or a degree from my host institution at the end of my mobility period?
  • The awarding of a degree by the host institution will rely on the type of mobility of each scholarship holder.

    Undergraduate scholarship holders undertaking a mobility flow in a European host institution will have this period recognized by their home institution. This home institution will be the only one issuing the diploma. The host institution will issue an academic certificate to verify the activities undertook during the mobility flow; this document will be the basis for the home institution to recognize the mobility period.

    Master scholarship holders undertaking a mobility flow in a European host institution (10 months) will have this period recognized by their home institution. This home institution will be the only one issuing the diploma. The host institution will issue an academic certificate to verify the activities undertook during the mobility flow; this document will be the basis for the home institution to recognize the mobility period.

    Scholarship holders willing to undertake a full master in a European host institution will obtain a master diploma issued by that European host institution – in the same conditions they are issued for national students – after the end of their studies.

    PhD scholarship holders undertaking a mobility flow in a European host institution will have this period recognized by their home institution. This home institution will be the only one issuing the diploma, since they will conclude their studies at it.

    Scholarship holders willing to undertake a full PhD in a European host institution will obtain a PhD diploma issued by that European host institution – in the same conditions they are issued for national students – after the end of their studies.

    The Consortium’s coordination has determined that a Declaration of Participation will be issued at the end of the mobility flow to be sent to all scholarship holders.

    In the same way, the coordination will make available a Participation Diploma in the project’s website, so that the Consortium Partner Institutions can print it and deliver it to the scholarship holders who wish to have one at the end of their mobility flow.
  • Which courses and/or activities can I choose to enrol at a host institution?
  • The available scholarships within the BABEL Project are the following: Undergraduate (5/10 months)/Master (10 months)/Full Master (12/24 months): monthly allowance is €1000; PhD (10 months)/ Full PhD (36 months): monthly allowance is €1500; Postdoc (6 months): monthly allowance is €1800; Academic and Administrative staff (1 month): monthly allowance is €2500. The academic offer is available in the Project’s website.

    It is possible that the host institutions do not have all the eligible study areas. As a result, it is advisable an attentive reading of the information provided in the academic offer of each university, available at the Consortium’s website.
  • I am a sandwich doctorate student. How can I be sure that my mobility flow will be recognized by my home institution?
  • The academic recognition by the home institution is a BABEL Project guarantee. The places available for PhD mobility flows are available only for students who are enrolled at a Consortium partner or associate institution. These institutions have signed a protocol in which they confirm their commitment with the academic recognition. Further to this institutional commitment, signed by the partner institutions rectors, the Consortium has developed a specific document in order to ensure the academic recognition: the “Academic Recognition Agreement”. This document clearly states the work that will be developed during the mobility period and its equivalence in the home institution. In order to formalize this commitment, the mobility specificities (included in this document) are agreed before the beginning of the mobility flows. This document must be signed by the applicant, the home and host institutions. Without this signed document by all the intervening institutions, the mobility cannot take place. Being so, if you are a PhD applicant, your academic recognition will always be assured by your home university.
  • I am a sandwich PhD student. Can I propose a co-tutelle?
  • Yes. PhD students are responsible for addressing this possibility together with their supervisors at the home and host institutions. To establish a co-tutelle, it is necessary to follow very specific procedures, which may differ between institutions. We advise all students who are interested to contact their supervisors as soon as they initiate their mobility, so as to begin that process which sometimes can be very slow and bureaucratic.
  • Which are the consequences if I do not fulfil the mobility programme goals? Ex. Fail or non-execution of the programmed activities.
  • In the case of scholarship holders that do not satisfy the minimum established successfully (75% of the activity programme), the coordination will consult the European Commission and the Legal Department the procedure to follow.

Financial support

  • What kind of financial support will I receive if I am selected?
  • The BABEL Project provides the following financial support to the scholarship holders:

    Monthly allowance (the amount will depend on the mobility type; for further details on this subject, see question 14).

    Plane return ticket between the scholarship holder’s home city and his/her host country.

    Travel, health and accidents insurance during all the mobility period since the moment of departure and until returning to the home country.

    Tuition fees directly paid by the host institution for mobility flows with a 10 month or superior duration and up to €3,000 per year (for further details on this subject, see question 12).
  • Do I have to pay tuition fees?
  • The host institutions can demand the payment of tuition fees for mobility flows with a duration equal or superior to 10 months up to €3,000 per year and per student (maximum amount foreseen by the Erasmus Mundus Programme). Tuition fees will be directly paid by the coordinating Institution to the host institution. Mobility flows with duration inferior to 10 months are subject to a fee waiver.

    In any circumstance shall the host institutions demand the payment of a higher amount of tuition fees than that above indicated or claim to the scholarship holders its payment.

    It will be only possible to require the scholarship holders to pay small additional fee also charged to national students, such as library extra funds, student unions, laboratory consumables, etc.
  • What can happen if the travel costs are higher than the Consortium budget?
  • The Consortium has been in touch with several travel agencies in order to obtain the best tariffs for each mobility type. Considering that some travels can be under the foreseen budget, the Consortium will do an integrated management of the budget in order to cover all the travel related expenses
  • Which is my scholarship amount? Can I receive more money according to the host country?
  • The European Agency responsible for the Erasmus Mundus Programme implementation has defined the following amounts (regardless of the host country) for the scholarships depending on the type:
    UNDERGRADUATE – €1,000
    MASTER – €1,000
    PHD – €1,500
    POSTDOC – €1,800
    ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF – €2,500
  • How will I receive my scholarship?
  • In order to ease the integration process at the host country and institution, the coordination has determined that all students and academic and administrative staff receive the first scholarship payment (amount already pre-defined according to the mobility type) after arrival to the host institution and signature of the “Scholarship Contract”. This document is essential to execute the scholarship payment, so we advise all scholarship holders to immediately contact their host institution after their arrival to the host country in order to start the required procedures for the payment of the monthly allowance.

    The European Agency responsible for the Erasmus Mundus Programme implementation has defined the following amounts (regardless of the host country) for the scholarships depending on the type:
    UNDERGRADUATE – €1,000
    MASTER – €1,000
    PHD – €1,500
    POSTDOC – €1,800
    ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF – €2,500

    This monthly allowance is designed to cover the expenses with accommodation, subsistence and all costs regarding the stay in the host country.

    The payment of the scholarship will be done on a monthly basis, according to the information provided in the “Scholarship Contract”. Scholarship Schedule:
    1. The scholarship payment will be organized as follows:
    a. 1st transfer corresponding to 1st and 2nd months of mobility: directly paid by the host institution after arrival of the scholarship holder to the host institution and signature of the “Scholarship Contract”.
    b. 2nd transfer corresponding to the 3rd month of stay: directly paid by the coordinating institution to the scholarship holders’ European bank account.
    c. From the 3rd month of stay, the coordination will make monthly transfers during the first week of each month to the scholarship holders’ European bank account.
    d. The host institution will directly pay the only allowance to the academic/administrative staff after the arrival to the host institution.
    2. The total number of scholarships awarded is directly related to the exact period of the mobility in the host institution.
    3. To calculate the exact mobility period, the informatics’ system uses the activities dates or, in case the scholarship holder arrives to the host institution after the beginning of activities, the travel dates. The scholarship holders will only be granted a scholarship for their exact period of stay at the host institution and not for the period initially foreseen.
    4. In cases when the duration of the mobility period does not include a full number of months, the 16-day rule will be applied to fulfil one full month of mobility (e.g.: in case a student undertakes a mobility period of 9 months and 15 days, 9 months will be accounted; if a student undertakes a mobility period of 9 months and 16 days, 10 months will be accounted).
    5. In all cases, the project will pay the global amount of the monthly scholarship and no fractions.
    6. The project cannot provide the scholarship holders with any additional funds for instalment upon arrival.

    The scholarship holders will have to correctly manage the first transfer as they will not receive more money until the third month of stay.

    For the academic and administrative staff mobility flows, the coordination will transfer the scholarship in one time. In case of Latin American scholarship holders, once they will stay in Europe for a limited time, they will not need to open a European bank account. Therfore, they can ask for the scholarship to be transferred to their home country bank account (not recommendable) or to directly receive the scholarship in the host institution (check or cash). Each case will be analyzed between the coordination, the scholarship holder and the host institution in order to define the better procedure to follow.

    The “Scholarship Contract” signed by the scholarship holders at the beginning of their mobility period states, in a very clear way, the scholarship payment system and the scholarship’s total amounts.
  • Am I going to benefit from medical assistance during my mobility period (health insurance)?
  • Yes. All scholarship holders are covered by a health insurance during all the duration of their mobility period. This insurance covers the majority of the medical problems, except chronicle diseases or treatments which are made because of a pre-existing disease (previous to the mobility flow). All the medical cover details, the places where the scholarship holders must go to and the reimbursements for each kind of medical assistance are described in the insurance certificate that is sent to each scholarship holder at the very beginning of their mobility. Further information about the foreseen coverage can be consulted in the following link: .

Mobility flows: preparation and implementation

  • How and when shall I require for the issuing of my visa?
  • The selected applicants must require for their visa, which will correspond to the type of mobility to which they were accepted, in their home country or in the closest country where there is a diplomatic representation of the country where they will undertake their mobility flow. Scholarship holders shall contact the Embassy or Consulate of the host country immediately after the Consortium’s coordination formal communication in which is stated that the applicant was effectively selected to undertake a mobility flow within the BABEL Project.

    Scholarship holders must reunite as soon as possible all the required documents by the Consulate/Embassy, by contacting the responsible institutions which issue those documents, namely the host institution. Any obstacle found in this contact must be immediately reported to the Consortium’s coordination, which will support the applicant in all the procedures.

    Full master students must possess a valid passport for two or more years in the moment they require the visa issuing so as to avoid any difficulty may arouse in the visa issuing.

    Full PhD students must possess a valid passport for three or more years in the moment they require the visa issuing so as to avoid any difficulty may arouse in the visa issuing.

    Please be aware that the visa can take 2 months or more to be issued, so we strongly advise to the applicants to contact the Embassy immediately after the formal communication of acceptation by the Consortium coordination.
    (acrescentar link para os contactos de Embaixadas e Consulados)
  • Which services and support will I have at my host institution?
  • The Consortium partner institutions have the responsibility of providing all the necessary support to BABEL scholarship holders. This support includes, among others:
    • Documents for visa issuing;
    • Support in the search of accommodation (hall of residence, shared flats, rooms, family houses, other;
    • Language courses;
    • Integration activities;
    • Monitoring actions and mobility quality assessment;
    • Provide the scholarship holders with adequate work/study/ research conditions;
    • Inform about the host country’s cost of life and culture.

    The kind of support provided by each institution regarding every aspect above mentioned may differ, so it is strongly advisable that students do a previous reading of the detailed information concerning this subject. This information is available in each institution’s academic offer . Considering the importance that every aspect above mentioned has for the development and success of the mobility flows, it is advisable that the reading is made when the student decides which host institution he/she wants to attend. If there is any doubt regarding the provided information, applicants must directly contact the institution which they are interested to attend.
  • When do I have to undertake my mobility period?
  • The mobility flows of the first cohort must start until December 31st, 2013 and the mobility flows of the second cohort must start until December 31st, 2014.

    The mobility flows for undergraduate mobility must initiate with the academic year of each institution. This is a very relevant aspect when it comes to select the host institution, since the beginning of the academic year varies from institution to institution. The foreseen dates for the beginning of the academic year are described in the academic offer of each institution. (incluir enlace)

    The mobility flows for master mobility must initiate with the academic year of each institution. This is a very relevant aspect when it comes to select the host institution, since the beginning of the academic year varies from institution to institution. The foreseen dates for the beginning of the academic year are described in the academic offer of each institution. (incluir enlace)

    The mobility flows for full master must initiate with the academic year of each institution. This is a very relevant aspect when it comes to select the host institution, since the beginning of the academic year varies from institution to institution. For instance, the University of Mälmo, Sweden, starts its academic year at the beginning of August, while the University of Porto, Portugal, starts it in the middle of September. The foreseen dates for the beginning of the academic year are described in the academic offer of each institution (incluir enlace).

    The mobility flows for PhD mobility do not necessarily start with the beginning of the academic. Therefore, this mobility flows can start later on, but never after December 2013 (first cohort) or December 2014 (second cohort) as it exists an agreement between the home and host institutions.

    The mobility flows for full PhD and postdoc must initiate with the academic year of each institution. This is a very relevant aspect when it comes to select the host institution, since the beginning of the academic year varies from institution to institution. The foreseen dates for the beginning of the academic year are described in the academic offer of each institution. (incluir enlace)

    The academic and administrative staff mobility flows may start at any moment from the selection of applicants (whenever all the requirements are met – work programme, visa, travel, insurance...) until the end of December 2014.

    All applicants must take this aspect into account in the moment they formalize their application to ensure that, in case they are selected, they will be available to undertake their mobility.
  • Which is the procedure and what warranties can I have regarding accommodation in the host city?
  • There are no guarantees regarding the type of accommodation the applicant can find in his/her host institution. What we can assure is that all the Consortium institutions have committed to provide all the necessary support to the applicants regarding accommodation, although this may differ between countries and between institutions.
  • Can I finish my mobility flow before the initially stated date?
  • No. To finish the mobility period before the foreseen date means a substantial alteration in what was agreed and signed in the Scholarship Contract and established at the beginning of the mobility period. In this Contract are included in a very clear way the consequences for an anticipated ending of the mobility flow, since the scholarship suspension to its partial or full return, depending on the motives which led to the interruption of the mobility.

    Full master students (24 months) of full PhD students (36 months) who finish their academic degree, including the thesis defence, in a prior date to the initially foreseen, will immediately stop receiving the payment and they will have to return to their home institution.