Survey to identify the problematic issues associated with accessibility by Middle East & North Africa students to postgraduate
Studies in the European Union in the frame of the JISER-MED project.
UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA
Ques
tion
No.
1
1A
2
Question
1
2
What kind of
difficulties did
you encounter
when trying to
obtain your
visa? Please
indicate the
most important
one.
Incomplete
information on the
requirements to
obtain the visa
Too many
documents were
requested by the
embassy
How did you
solve the
problems
encountered
when trying to
obtain your
visa?
Have you
received any
kind of
information on
the laws of the
country of
destination?
You asked for help
to the University of
destination
Your University
of origin helped
you speed up the
process
Yes
No
Go to Question 3
Go to Question 4
3
Lack of time to
obtain the visa
4
Lack of
financial
resources to pay
the visa fees
LEGAL ISSUES
Possible Answers
5
6
Legal
Problems
You had no
problems to obtain
your visa
Go to Question 2
You resorted to
an institution of
your country of
citizenship
(please state
which)
You applied for
a loan
You hired a
lawyer or a
representative
to speed up the
process for
obtaining the
visa
A relative helped
you to obtain your
visa
7
8
9
10
11
12
3
The
information
provided by
the agency
granting the
scholarship
regarding the
legal
requirements
of the country
of destination
was:
Very Good
Good
Fair
Poor
Very Poor
You did not receive
any information
4
Who helped
you to obtain
the residence
permit of the
country of
destination?
Please indicate
the two most
important
institutions
Have you
experienced
any of these
problems
when
travelling
within the EU
as a student?
Please indicate
the most
important one
University of
destination
University of
country of origin
Agency/Organiz
ation granting
the scholarship
Embassy or
consulate of the
destination
country or of
your country of
citizenship
You received
no support of
any kind
Other
Legal problems
Discrimination
Administrative
problems
You did not
experience any
inconveniences
Visa problem
The degree of
coincidence of
your thesis
project with
the working
Very Good
Good
Fair
Poor
5
ACADEMIC ISSUES
6
Very Poor
guidelines of
the university
you have
attended was:
7
Do you
consider the
period of the
scholarship
was long
enough to
comply with
the
requirements
of the selected
programme?
8
How would
you rate the
academic level
of the
university you
have attended?
9
10
Yes
No
High
Good
Fair
Low
Very low
Academic
Personal
Professional
Alumni
You did not
belong to any
kind of network
or association
Academic
Personal
Professional
I did not belong to
any type of network
You have not
completed your
What kind of
network or
association in
your country
of origin
helped you
access to the
European
Higher
Education?
Please indicate
the most
important one
Since you left
Europe you
Erasmus Mundus
Alumni
have
participated or
you still
participate in
the following
type of
networks or
associations:
10
A
11
In which field
did the
Networks you
have created in
Europe proved
to be the most
useful?
Did you return
(or do you
plan to return)
to your
country of
origin once
you have
completed
your studies?
or association.
studies
Go to Question 13
Academic
Personal
Yes
No
Professional
Work
I did not belong
to any type of
network or
association
It id not affect
any of these fields
INFORMATION
12
13
Which was the
most useful means
of obtaining
information on the
programmes
offered by the
university of
destination?
What kind of
information did
you consider most
important when
choosing the
university of
University of
origin
Internet site of
the University of
destination
Graduates/Stude
nts/Alumni
Professors Researchers
Directly from the
University of
destination
Postgraduate
Fairs in the
country of
origin
Financial
Academic
Administrative
Legal
Cultural
Language
Other
destination?
14
15
16
17
Which of these
sources proved
most useful when
obtaining
information on the
characteristics of
the scholarship?
Please rate the
quality of the
information
provided by the
organisation
granting the
scholarship
regarding the
expenses to be
covered during
your stay in the
country of
destination:
University of
origin
Internet site of
the institution
granting the
scholarship
Graduates
ProfessorsResearchers
Directly from the
University of
destination
Focal Points
Very Good
Good
Fair
Poor
Very Poor
You did not
received any
Taking into
account your own
experience, please
rate the
ACCESSIBILITY
to postgraduate
Studies in the EU
for students from
Middle East &
North Africa
In your opinion,
which were the
main difficulties
that Middle East &
North Africa
students encounter
when trying to
Very Easy
Easy
Fair
Difficult
Very difficult
Language
All the processes
to be completed
before being
admitted into
University and
obtaining the
scholarship are
Obtaining a visa
is difficult
The cost of living
in the European
Union is too high
Academic level
differences
between the two
regions
Cultural
integration
Alumni
Associati
on
Other
(State
which)
study in the
European Union?
18
19
How would you
rate the promotion
-in your country of
origin- of the
postgraduate
Studies that can be
pursued in the
European Union?
Very Good
too many, too
long and
cumbersome
Good
How would you
rate the promotion
-in your country of
origin- of the
scholarships to
pursue
postgraduate
Studies in the
European Union?
Very Good
Good
Fair
Did you encounter
difficulties to
obtain additional
funds to
complement your
scholarship?
Yes
Go to Question
25a
No
Go to Question 3
26
Your scholarship
did not require
complementary
funding
How did you
obtain additional
financing to
complement your
scholarship? Please
indicate the two
most important
answers/options
You got a loan
from a Bank
You obtained a
scholarship from
a different
organization/enti
ty
You received
support from
your family
The funds you
received to cover
Enough
Not enough
Fair
Poor
Very Poor
There is no
promotion
Poor
Very Poor
There is no
promotion
FINANCIAL ISSUES
20
21
22
You used your
own savings
You worked
while studying
You worked
during your
holidays
Private
institution
in your
country
23
your living
expenses under
your scholarship
were:
Did you experience
any of the
following
problems to
receive the
scholarship (Please
indicate the most
important one)
Delayed
Deposit
The amount of
the deposit was
less than agreed
You were not
provided with
the necessary
information to
open a bank
account
There were no
problems
Administrative issues
24
25
26
Which of the
following
requests to
obtain the
scholarship did
you find most
difficult to
meet?
How did you
solve the
problems
encountered to
obtain the
scholarship?
(Please select
the most
important one)
Contact with
professors of the
universities (of
origin and of
destination) to be
the mentors for the
thesis
Obtain the
graduate degree
previous to the
one you would
pursue
Count with the
support of a
university of the
country of origin
Language
Submit the
Research
Proposal
Notification
of
acceptance
by the
university of
destination
There were
no
difficulties
You asked the
University of
destination to help
you speed up the
process
Your University
of origin had to
help you speed
up the process
You requested an
institution from
your country of
origin to help
you (please
specify)
You applied for a
loan
A relative helped
you
Other
(specify
which)
You had no
problems
Please indicate
if you
encountered
any of the
following
problems
when
registering to
Problems with the
validation of the
undergraduate
degree
You had
problems with
the translation of
the degree that
you obtained
prior to
graduating in
Europe
Your research
Project did not
comply with the
requirements of
the University of
destination
The University of
destination
requested
additional
documentation
You had a tourist
visa and the
university
requested a
student visa
You had no
problems
the University
of destination?
(Mention the
most important
one)
CULTURAL ISSUES
27
28
29
29
A
30
Induction to the
new academic
environment of the
University of
destination has
been:
Very Good
Good
Fair
Poor
Very Poor
You did not
receive any
Did you feel
discriminated in
the country of
destination? If so,
in what way?
Please indicate the
two most important
discriminatory
attitudes that you
have suffered.
Religious
Ethnic
Linguistic
Gender
Financial
Ideological
How would you
qualify those
discriminatory
attitudes? Please
indicate their
seriousness in
relation to the
previous answers.
How would you
rate your academic
experience in
Europe?
If you would have
to choose another
country to carry
out postgraduate
Very Serious
Serious
Moderate
Very Good
Good
Fair
Poor
Very Poor
Yes
No
Go to question
39A
Go to question 40
Nationality
There
were no
problems
30
A
Studies, would you
choose one in the
European Union
again?
Which country
would you chose?
(Indicate which
countries)
GENERAL INFORMATION
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
Country of Origin
University of
Origin
Age
Sex
What kind of study
did you complete
in the European
Union?
University of
Destination (If
there are more than
one, please indicate
the different names
and separate them
with a
stroke/backlash)
Field of
undergraduate
studies
Your University of
Origin was:
When starting your
Studies in Europe,
how many
dependents did you
have?
Which is your
mother tongue?
Please indicate
Male
Master
Female
Master with Joint
Degree
Agricultural
and Farming
Sciences
Public/State
Health Sciences
None
Doctorate
Exact Sciences
and Natural
Sciences
Social Sciences
Administrative
Sciences
1
2
3
4 and more
Arabic
English
French
Spanish
Portuguese
English
Other, please
specify
French
German
Education
Humanities
and Arts
Engineering
and
Technology
Other (state
which)
Italian
Other (state
I do not
Private
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
what other foreign
language you
speak
Maximum level of
study your father :
Maximum level of
study of your
mother:
After having
completed your
Studies in Europe,
how long did it
take you to start
working?
What was your
income before
coming to study to
the European
Union (in US$/per
month)?
What is your
current income? (in
US$/per month)
In which sector do
you currently
work?
How did you get
your current job?
Do you currently
teach or do
research?
which)
High-school
Undergraduate/
Bachelor degree
Undergraduate/
Bachelor degree
Graduate/Master
Degree
Graduate/Master
Degree
Doctoral Degree
No studies
Doctoral Degree
No studies
Up to 1 month
Between 2 and 3
months
Between 4 and 6
months
Between 7 and 9
months
Up to 1 year
You have not
completed
your studies
yet
No income
Up to 500 US
dollars per
month
From 501 up to
1,000 US dollars
per month
From 1,001 up to
2,000 US dollars
per month
From 2,001 to
4,000 US dollars
4,000 US
dollars or
more
No income
Up to 500
dollars per
month
NGO
From 501 up to
1,000 dollars per
month
International
Organisation
From 1,001 up to
2,000 dollars per
month
I am still a
scholar
From 2,001
to 4,000
dollars
I do not work
4,000
dollars or
more
Governmental
I only receive the
amount of the
scholarship
Private
Through
networks of
the University
of destination
I teach
Through the
network of the
University of
origin
I do research
Through the
Careers Office of
the University of
origin
Both
Family contacts
I went back to my
previous job
I am not
working yet
I am still a
scholar
Go to
question 61
High-school
speak any
other
language