September 2014
(Undergraduate courses)
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UoG Syria Scholarship 2014-2015 is a result of joint initiative by the University of Gaziantep (UoG) and
Stitching SPARK. The programme is sponsored by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with the contribution from the University of Gaziantep.
The programme supports Syrian students to attend undergraduate and graduate courses at the UoG. As part of this programme, Syrian students Support desk is established to provide support to Syrian students at the UoG and offer on the job couching. Community projects engaging both Syrian and
Turkish youth will be implemented as well as lessons learned shared by the end of the programme to offer an example of ‘scholarship scheme’ that could be used by other universities in the region and elsewhere in addressing higher education needs for young people in refugee situations.
The aim of the UoG Syria Scholarship is to assist the UoG and other educational institutions with their response strategy amid Syria crisis, to contribute to study and career prospects of Syrian refugees in
Turkey, and to help building community cohesion.
Suitable candidates for the UoG Scholarship are Syrian students with promising academic profile who want to play an active and meaningful role in their communities, either in Turkey or in Syria.
University of Gaziantep
The UoG Syria scholarship is managed by the University of Gaziantep. In cooperation with SPARK, UoG prepares the documentation, manages the selection procedure and allocates the scholarships. In addition, the counseling officer appointed by the UoG is responsible for running the support desk and everyday administration of the scholarship programme.
The scholarship covers undergraduate and graduate courses available in Turkish or English at the UoG.
The university will use its existing systems to manage the scholarship award.
SPARK
SPARK assists the UoG with management of the programme and regularly discusses implementation, monitoring and evaluation, as well as issues of strategic nature.
Turkish, Syrian, and international educational stakeholders
Throughout implementation of the programme, active involvement of the Turkish, Syrian, and international educational stakeholders will be sought to further raise awareness of the challenges related to the provision of post-secondary education in emergency situations, to investigate and identify the best approaches, and to mobilize additional support (technical expertise and financial resources).
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The UoG Syria Scholarship can be used for a number of selected undergraduate and graduate programmes offered by the University of Gaziantep.
The scholarship will be awarded for undergraduate courses in October 2014, and graduate courses by the end of 2014 or beginning of 2015 (Call for applications for the graduate courses will be announced by the end of 2014).
UoG Syria Scholarship is a contribution to the costs of selected programmes as well as subsistence support. The following items are covered:
• subsistence allowance (approximately 850 TLper month);
• course fee (if applicable);
• allowance for study materials (approximately 250 TLper month);
• accommodation in the University dormitory (covered by means of the Scholarship, if applicant prefers to arrange accommodation elsewhere, it is on his own responsibility).
The allowances are considered to be sufficient to cover one person’s living expenses during the study period. The scholarship holders must cover any other costs from their own resources. For some programmes, scholarship holders may be asked to cover part of the tuition fees from their own resources.
The scholarship is only intended for the duration of the course or programme for which the candidate has been selected. Successful candidates will be informed about total size of the scholarship upon announcement of the results.
The programme will run between September 2014 and July 2015.
A candidate applying for the UoG Syria scholarship must:
• be a national of Syria;
• be available for the entire period of the selected course and be physically and mentally able to take part in the entire course;
• demonstrate a solid link between his/her educational background and the selected course and motivation to actively engage within the community;
• meet the admission requirements of the selected course. As such a candidate must have a
General Certificate Exam Diploma (undergraduate courses) or bachelor’s degree (graduate courses) in one of the selected fields of study and meet other educational or professional requirements, which may vary per course. For course details, consult Student Support Desk;
• offer evidence of proficiency in speaking and writing the language of instruction (English or
Turkish). Preferably, a candidate can provide evidence in the form of an official and verifiable
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score in an internationally recognized test such as TOEFL (a score of at least 550 points on the paper-based test or 213 points on the computer-based test or 79 points on the internet-based test), or TOMER (C1 Level). The final decision about a candidate’s language proficiency lies with
N.B. the University;
• complete an UoGSyria Scholarship application form and submit in one folder all the required documentation to Civic Involvement Project Centre(a candidate can only submit one application). The folder can be submitted in person or by (regular) mail (Address provided below. Folders that arrive after the deadline will not be taken into consideration).
UoG Syria scholarship for the Undergraduate students will be awarded retroactively and both existing students and newcomers are eligible to apply.
Information about the scholarship disbursement will be provided to students upon announcement of the selection process.
UoG Syria scholarship for the Graduate students will be awarded in the beginning of 2015. Call for applications will be announced by the end of 2014.
Only undergraduate students are considered for the scholarship award in October 2014. Graduate students are kindly requested to await the Call for applications in the end of 2014.
Candidates should complete and sign the UoG Syria scholarship application form. Application form for the eligible candidates who are interested in the UoG Syria Scholarship can be downloaded from the following link: http://uogsyrianscholarship.com/application-form.docx
The application form should be accompanied by the following necessary documentation:
• evidence of proficiency in speaking and writing the language of instruction (either Turkish or
English, depending on the course choice);
• a complete copy of the candidate’s passport or other official identity document;
• Certified copies of educational records, accompanied by translation(s) in English or Turkish;
• a detailed Curriculum Vitae;
• one current photo;
• any documentation that supports your motivation/demonstrates your civic involvement;
• any documentation that supports you challenging economic situation.
Applications for the UoG Syria Scholarship must be submitted no later than the scholarship application deadline of 15 October 2014
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Only applications that are complete, signed and that contain all the required documents will be processed. The complete application including the required documents must be submitted in person or sent to the following address:
Gaziantep UniversıtyCivicInvolvement Project Center
Üniversitebulvarı PK.27310 Şehitkamil/GAZİANTEP
Tel: 0342- 360 17 41
Fax: 0342-317 13 45
Email: tdp@gantep.edu.tr
Simge Akbas- Project Coordinator
Tel: 0342-360 13 37
Email: simge@uogss.com
Seçkin Arslan- Student Support Desk
Tel: 0342- 360 13 43
seckin@uogss.com
Please note that you cannot make any changes or additions to the scholarship application after the deadline. Applications that are not complete when submitted will not be taken in to consideration, and will not be assessed further for a scholarship.
To select candidates for the UoG Syria Scholarship the following selection procedure applies:
1.
Selection committee (comprises of the representatives of the UoG and SPARK) assesses each application against the criteria listed above, gives specific recommendations and prioritizes the applications.
2.
UoG assess the applications and decide if the applicants’ educational, social and economic background, and where necessary, professional experience, meet the specific requirements of the scholarship programme, and if a candidate is eligible for the scholarship award.
3.
These assessments lead to a selection.
The outcome of the selection will be made available to UoG Syria Scholarship candidates through e-mail by the beginning of November 2014. University will inform awarded students about the Scholarship disbursement, further logistical arrangements and by means of the support desk give guidance to the scholarship holders.
5.
In the selection process, the following criteria will be taken into consideration:
Academic profile
Motivation to participate
Economic situation of the Applicant
The UoG Syria Scholarship will give priority to those candidates who come from the economically challenged families. The programme offers equal opportunity to women as well as candidates coming from various religious and ethnic backgrounds.
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