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Coordinated Call for Applications: Mobility between CIVIS member and strategic partner universities in Africa

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CIVIS and six leading universities in Africa have entered a strategic partnership for promoting joint education, research, and outreach activities as well as institutional collaboration (more information). Addressing societal challenges in the realm of the five CIVIS Hubs is thereby of key thematic importance.

While CIVIS member and partner institutions generally aim at fostering exchange across all university groups against this background – faculty members, postgraduate/ undergraduate students, staff – this Call particularly seeks to support mobility enabling research-oriented, challenge-based educational activities, postgraduate training (Postdocs, PhD candidates), and staff training through the Erasmus+ programme (ICM).  

CIVIS member universities and its six strategic partner universities in Africa permanently invite applications for:

  • Visits of members of an African partner university to a CIVIS member university (EU only),
  • Visits of members of a CIVIS member university (EU only) at an African partner university,   

in the framework of Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility – ICM (see E+ ICM Handbook).

Participating universities:

Africa:

CIVIS - changes may apply in the future:

Overview on possible combinations of sending/ receiving institutions (not all are possible).

What is funded?

  • Subsistence and travel costs for individual stays at a CIVIS member or African partner institution according to the Erasmus ICM funding rates (see table below).
  • As a rule, stays of faculty/staff members may last between 5 days (min.) to 2 months (max.). Postgraduate (PhD) students can apply, in principle, for short-term or long-term stays. Short-term stays last from 10 days (min.) to 30 days (max.); long-term stays from 2-6 months. Exceptions may apply for individual sending/receiving universities (please check with the Erasmus+ ICM contact person).
  • In line with Erasmus+ funding rules, top-ups will be granted for green mobility, for persons with fewer opportunities, for disabled or chronically ill persons, for students with children according to national rules for the Erasmus+ ICM.

Who is eligible?

  • Faculty members, including Postdocs, from a CIVIS member or partner university in Africa (employment contract or formal enrolment required), invited by a member of the host university;
  • PhD candidates from a CIVIS member or partner university in Africa (enrolment as PhD candidate or in a PhD programme required), invited by a member of the host university;
  • Staff member from a CIVIS member or partner university in Africa, invited by a member of the host university.

Eligible purposes

In line with the underlying Erasmus+ ICM framework, faculty/ staff members can apply for all teaching, educational, and individual training purposes at the host university, in principle (e.g., participation in a seminar at the host university, joint PhD supervision, preparation of a joint educational project/ curriculum development, best-practice exchange).

PhD students can apply for all individual training/ learning purposes, in principle (e.g., a research stay). In case they (also intend to teach at the host university, they should check with the Erasmus officer whether this is possible.

Moreover, the visit should support one or more of the following purposes promoted by CIVIS and its strategic partner universities:

  • Develop/apply research-oriented training/education.
  • Address societal challenges, primarily in the realm of (one or more) Hub themes:
  1. Climate, Environment, Energy
  2. Society, Culture, Heritage
  3. Health
  4. Cities, Spaces, Mobilities
  5. Digital and Technological Transformation
  • Foster the collaboration with non-academic actors/stakeholders.
  • Develop the network-based collaboration between CIVIS and African partners (e.g., by including several partners in the same activity, or by including visits to further CIVIS member/ partner universities during the stay at the host university).
  • Contribute to more sustainable work relations between the receiving and sending university.

There is no entitlement to funding. Mobilities will be approved by the host university depending on the available budget. 

For representatives of strategic partner universities participating in CIVIS alliance events or CIVIS governance meetings in Europe:

If you have been invited by CIVIS for participation in a CIVIS event and can embed/ relate this (in)to a teaching/ training activity at the host university, please contact the Erasmus+ KA171 unit/officers of your and the host university for exploring funding opportunities, if you were not directed by the inviting CIVIS body to them already.

Application process

1. Contact the Erasmus+ KA171 units/ officers of your home and the host university (see list). Briefly outline in a short email who would like to go where, when, for how long, and for which purpose. Ask whether such a mobility could be funded in the framework of this Call, in principle. The KA171 units/officers might inform you thereby also about university specific application requirements. 

2. Find/ contact your (potential) host at the receiving university; arrange with him/her your stay there. (Applicants are expected to build/rely on own contacts. Neither CIVIS nor member/ partner institutions can provide active support in the search for hosts). 
3. If not stated otherwise by the unit/ officer, send an application to the Erasmus+ ICM units/ officers of your home and host university (see list) by email, including:

  • application letter (1-2 pages max.), explaining who would like to go where, when, for how long; the exact purpose(s) of the visit, and how those relate to (one or more of) the purposes described above;
  • programme of the visit (if already at hand), otherwise a list of planned activities (can be attached to / integrated in the application letter);
  • official invitation of the host/hosting institution or confirmation (email sufficient) that s*he/it is willing to host you;
  • PhD candidates should also send a short endorsement letter/ email of from their PhD supervisor, agreeing to the visit;
  • individual universities might ask you (for specific purposes) for additional documents.

4. In case your application is approved, the responsible unit/ officer will inform you about the next steps to take. This usually implies a formal online application for Erasmus+ funding, for which you then need to hand additional documents (usually: Passport, CV, Mobility Agreement / Learning Agreement fully signed by home and host institution). Please note that your application is only formally successful, and funding secured, if your official Erasmus+ application has been accepted.

Applicants from/ to UNIL and UofG:
The University of Glasgow and the University of Lausanne fully participate in this Call, but with a different funding line than Erasmus+. If you are interested in applying for an exchange to/ from these universities and/or would like to receive further information, please contact:

Application deadlines

Applications from faculty/ staff members, including Postdocs, can be submitted anytime.

Specific deadlines for applications from PhD students may apply according to the European CIVIS member university involved in the planned mobility (receiving/ sending institution). Please consult this list for details. 

Contact & support

For general questions on this Call and the partnership between CIVIS and strategic partner universities:

For university specific questions and Erasmus+ ICM/ KA171 conditions:  

  • Erasmus+ ICM (Key Action 171) unit/ officer or CIVIS officer of your home university (see list)

You can download this full call by accessing the file attached: 

Call website
Institution
Duration
5 days to 2 months
Discipline
Humanities
Social sciences
Citizen Sciences
Other