European Digital UniverCity (EDUC)
The EDUC (European Digital UniverCity) alliance, the members of which include, aside from MU, universities in Germany, France, Italy, Hungary, Norway and Spain, has opened up to MU students new opportunities for international education in a wide variety of formats, from a broad range of foreign placements or short-term summer schools all the way through to virtual mobility at partner universities.
EDUC is part of prestigious network of European universities and its aim is to connect eight universities, which have a combined total of more than 150 thousand students and 20 thousand staff, into one combined European university. You can find further information regarding EDUC at the website educalliance.eu.
EDUC offers MU students the following opportunities in international education:
- Online inter-university courses
- EDUC Miniprojects
- EDUC Gap Semester
- Hybrid course Initiation to Research and Critical Thinking
- EDUC summer schools
Online inter-university courses
- MU students can enrol in virtual mobility & online courses through the inter-university campus. Students can study online courses from eight universities, including MU. The list of EDUC online courses is available in the EDUC Course Catalogue.
- It is possible to enrol in some of these courses through IS MU. In this case, you will find at the course’s description that the course is taught at MU and partner university, and there is no link for the application. After the successful completing of the course, it will be automatically recognised in the IS.
- Other courses require filling out an application form. After acceptance, and before the start of the course, coordinators or teachers will send you all the necessary information. These courses may be recognised by your home MU faculty. In order for them to be recognized, students must fill out the Learning Agreement in IS OIS. This must be completed before the start of the course. Detailed procedure of filling out the LA can be found in the document How to fill out LA online v Documents section. It is necessary to administrate the course in IS.
- More information (about application, pre-requisites, ECTS) can be found in the description of each course.
- Participants must be MU students for the entire duration of the course.
- Visiting students (Erasmus, Exchange, semester long, etc.) are entitled to participate on online courses through the EDUC alliance. If the course is taught by a partner university (i.e. not MU) it will not be part of the student's studies at MU and therefore will not be on the MU transcript of records, nor can it be included in the learning agreement. The student will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course by the hosting university which they can give to their home university and be used for recognition. It is up to the home university if the student will receive credits.
EDUC Miniprojects
The MU Centre for International Cooperation is opening a five-year grant project from the academic year 2024/2025, which will make it possible to finance student projects implemented in cooperation with one or more partner universities from the EDUC alliance.
As part of the project, students will be able to apply for funding for various activities, such as the organisation of events, conferences, workshops, seminars, round tables, etc.
Participation and financial conditions:
- students who apply for EDUC grant must be enrolled on an accredited bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral study programme at MU in a full-time form of studies
- at least one university within the EDUC alliance must be involved in the project (you can connect with students from partner universities for example through the EDUC students group on Facebook)
- financial support will be given to projects that are focused on sustainability, the university's third mission, current social challenges or voluntary, associational, publication and scientific activities
- the amount of the grant depends on the number of partners involved in the project:
- 1 partner: grant 20,000 CZK/project
- for 2 or more partners: grant of up to 50,000 CZK /project
Application:
- applications can be submitted online via the form up until October 31, 2024, and will be evaluated by the MU Centre for International Cooperation. Successful candidates will be contacted within two weeks, and in the following two weeks, they will be paid a grant in the form of a scholarship.
- The evaluation criteria are:
- application quality
- relevance to the project
- feasibility
EDUC Gap Semester
The programme EDUC Gap Semester is opening up for MU students the unique opportunity to broaden their education and study in a different field at Université of Rennes (France), Université Paris Nanterre (France), Universitat Jaume 1 (Spain), Università of Cagliari (Italy), University of Pécs (Hungary), University of South-Eastern Norway (Norway), University of Potsdam (Germany). This broadening of studies is supported by a grant from the European Digital UniverCity (EDUC), co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union.
The aim of the programme is to make it possible for students to gain knowledge from other scientific disciplines, thus expanding on the education gained at MU, acquiring new skills important for future employment, gaining international and cultural experience and developing their language skills.
The EDUC Gap Semester can begin in the spring semester of the academic year 2024/2025, and you can go for one semester abroad.
On the 10th October 2024, there will be an information meeting for students. The link for the meeting is here.
Participation Conditions
- Studying on an accredited full-time MU study programme.
- Students who want to go on an EDUC Gap semester mobility cannot interrupt their studies at MU during their placement.
- The programme is open to students at the bachelor’s and master’s level.
- The students can apply only for semester-long mobility.
- Previous mobility (study and work placements) counts towards this mobility, maximum study mobility is 12 months at each level of study (Bachelor, Master, and PhD).
- A condition of participation is that the chosen set of courses is substantially different (but possibly complementary to that of the study programme at MU). The completed courses will be recognised as free electives only.
- The student must demonstrate knowledge of the foreign language in which they will study. French language proficiency at the B2 level is strongly recommended (for French universities). For Spanish and German university, language proficiency is recommended at B1 level.
- The student must choose courses worth at least 30 ECTS per semester. At the end of the stay, the student must prove that s/he has obtained at least 20 ECTS per semester of study at the host institution.
- Further information about the recognition you can find here.
- The student must provide all the documents requested before the start of placements abroad and after their completion.
- A Gap semester will be certified with an EDUC Certificate, Certificate of Attendance, and a Transcript of Records upon completion so that the student can get the courses recognised at MU.
Financial Conditions
Funds are paid in CZK to accounts in crowns held at any bank in the Czech Republic; the allocated amount of the grant will be transferred according to the monthly exchange rate of the European Commission and sent to the student's account in CZK. The grant will be transferred to the student’s bank account entered into the IS MU in accordance with the agreed payments.
The grant serves for only partial coverage of costs, being only a contribution to the increased costs linked to a placement abroad – the financial contribution of the student is assumed.
Differentiation of grants for EDUC Gap semester study placements:
- 600 EUR/month: Norway, Germany, France, Italy, Spain
- 480 EUR/month: Hungary
- Students will receive a one-time travel grant:
- 500 EUR for Norway
- 400 EUR for France, Italy, Spain
- 300 EUR for Hungary, Germany
- The student will receive the financial support (scholarship) and travel grant in two repayments. 70 % of scholarship + whole travel grant after providing incoming documents (after the arrival to the host university). Approx 30 % of scholarship after return and providing final documents. The scholarship is counted on the basis of real beginning and end of the mobility (the end date is the date of the last exam), and the financial support cannot exceed 5 months.
- The mobility is funded by EDUC Alliance (co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union) and paid out by Masaryk University.
Application
How do I apply?
- Through a dedicated application form together with a cover letter explaining your motivation for the Gap semester mobility and the choice of the partner university and the selection of courses.
- MU online application: Students apply for the MU online application accessible in the IS OIS system. Choose Freemover programme and EDUC Gap semester application, choose the right application according to which university you want to apply (University of Potsdam and University of South-Eastern Norway have earlier deadline, see below). Within the application, upload the cover letter in English (max. 1 page) with answers to the following questions for each university:
- Describe what you want to achieve during this mobility experience in relation to your academic career.
- Explain how your mobility experience would allow you to develop new skills, and European skills, and open up to Europe.
- Explain how your project will allow you to personalise your academic career and how it represents added value for your socio-professional integration.
- You must also indicate which courses you are interested to take within the Gap semester. Find the list of available courses on the following web pages:
- Université Rennes 1 – course catalogue in French, programmes taught in English
- Université Paris Nanterre
- Universitat Jaume I – courses in English, courses in Spanish
- Università degli Studi di Cagliari – courses of each faculty, courses in English
- University of Pécs – information for incoming students, study guide
- For the University of South-Easter Norway, you can choose this programme:
- Scandinavian studies (Autumn or Spring semester) 30 + 30 ECTS
- University of Potsdam – you can choose courses from Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Econimics and Social Studies (it is not possible to mix courses from different faculties)
- The table of courses chosen by former Gap semester students can be helpful. The table is for inspiration, you can choose other courses.
- Students need to upload the following document to the MU online application:
- Cover letter in English (max. one page)
- Language certificate or language confirmation for each language (languages of courses)
- Gap semester application (in the Documents section)
Deadline for application:
- 8 October 2024 for the University of Potsdam and the University of South-Eastern Norway.
- 30 October 2024 for remaining universities.
Coordinators at partner universities:
- Université Rennes 1: Chloé Duvivier (educ@univ-rennes.fr)
- Université Paris Nanterre: Coline Porée (activites.educ@liste.parisnanterre.fr)
- Universitat Jaume I: Fermín Mallén (fmallen@uji.es) a María José Aramburu (aramburu@uji.es)
- Università degli Studi di Cagliari: Fabio Sorrentino (educ@unica.it)
- University of Pécs: faculty coordinators, educ@pte.hu
- University of South-Easter Norway: international@usn.no
- University of Potsdam: Wiebke Giese (wiebke.giese@uni-potsdam.de)
Criteria for the selection of candidates
- Validation of the administrative documents: The application form is complete, and the language certificate is attached.
- Quality of the cover letter, mentioning:
- New skills development (6 pts)
- Linguistic and cultural skills development (4 pts)
- European openness (4 pts)
- Asset for social and professional integration (4 pts)
- Coherence of selected courses with the mobility project of the student (4 pts)
- The student must validate at least one point in the above criteria.
Before Departure
- Fill out the EDUC Learning Agreement (provided to students before the start of the mobility) and MU Learning Agreement:
- The guide to completing the MU Learning Agreement in ISOIS you can find in the Document section.
- One signature from the foreign university will suffice.
- Signature of Gap semester Agreement – we will contact you.
- To document a short-term foreign placement in IS, go to the section “internship and stays” and upload the Learning Agreement. From the “programme” columns, select “EDUC Gap Year/semester”. Instructions on how to document the stay are here.
- Organise health insurance for the complete time of the placement abroad, including the journey there and back, in EU countries, etc.
While Abroad
- After arrival at the host university, have the Certificate of Arrival signed (the template will be provided) and send it to the CZS coordinator. After this, the first repayment will be provided.
- If there is any need for changes to your selection of courses, discuss them with the local (host university) coordinator first. The formal process of changing your Learning Agreement will follow.
- At the end of the stay, agree on the signature of the Certificate of Attendance and the handover of the Transcript of Records. You will also receive EDUC Certificate.
After Return
- The student undertakes to obtain at the host institution at least 20 ECTS credits per semester of study.
- Recognizing foreign studies is fully within the competence of individual faculties. Further information can be found here.
- Part of the request for recognition is the following documents, which the student uploads to the IS:
- MU Learning Agreement (in case you made some changes)
- EDUC Certificate of Attendance (with confirmed mobility days)
- Transcript of Records
- Students have to fill out MU Online final report and EDUC Evaluation Form.
- After return, send these documents to the coordinator at CZS (EDUC Certificate of Attendance, Transcript of Records, EDUC Certificate) and fill out the evaluation forms mentioned above, after which the remaining scholarship amount will be paid.
Hybrid course Initiation to Research and Critical Thinking
EDUC Alliance is once again offering students interested in research the opportunity to expand their knowledge and go on a short-term internship at one of the partner universities in the Alliance:
- Université de Rennes (France),
- Université Paris Nanterre (France),
- Universitat Jaume 1 (Spain),
- University of South Eastern Norway (Norway),
- University of Potsdam (Germany),
- University of Cagliari (Italy) or
- University of Pécs (Hungary).
The aim of this activity is to promote critical thinking and the development of research competences, as well as to provide students with the opportunity to develop their education and research focus outside their home university.
The activity has three parts:
1) Online course Initiation to Research and Critical Thinking - successful completion of the course is a prerequisite for mobility to the research centres or labs. The course will be offered annually until 2026. Completion of the course is awarded with 1 ECTS. If you wish to have ECTS recognised, please contact your department coordinator for further instructions.
2) Short-term physical internship in the laboratory of a partner university - it is only possible to go on physical mobility if the student successfully completes the above-mentioned course. The internship can be carried out in laboratories/departments related to the student's field of study. The student applies for the internship separately after an official call. Due to capacity constraints, not all students who apply may be selected for the internship.
3) Final presentation - the student presents the acquired knowledge and experience in the form of an assignment.
The student will receive 2 ECTS for the internship and the presentation, so after completing all three activities, the student will receive a total of 3 ECTS.
Conditions of participation:
- Study in an accredited full-time MU study programme (Bc and Mgr),
- Students who wish to go to EDUC for a short-term internship must not interrupt their studies at MU during their placement,
- Students apply for a maximum placement of 7 days.
Financial terms:
Financial support is provided by the EDUC Alliance (co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme) and is paid by Masaryk University.
The amount of financial support does not depend on the mobility destination. The student receives €79 per day, so the total financial support is based on the length of the placement:
- 5 days (3 days internship, 2 days travel) = €395
- 6 days (4 days internship, 2 days travel) = €474
- 7 days (5 days internship, 2 days travel) = €553
The financial support is intended to cover only part of the costs, it is a contribution to the increased costs of the placement abroad - the student is therefore expected to contribute financially.
The funds will be paid in CZK to a CZK account held at any bank in the Czech Republic; the amount of the financial support allocated will be converted at the current monthly exchange rate of the European Commission.
The financial support will be sent to the student's bank account entered in the IS MU after all administrative requirements have been met, see below.
Application form
How to apply?
- The internship is only open to students who complete the online course Initiation to Research and Critical Thinking. For more information about this course, please visit the EDUC Course Catalogue (the course has several runs; please search for it in the search box on the top right).
- The course administrators will contact successful graduates with an offer of an internship and send them an application form. The focus of the laboratory and internship must be related to the field of study at MU.
- The course administrators will match-make the student with their preferred university based on the application form. The coordinator from the receiving institution will determine whether his/her local department is willing to accept the student.
- In case of acceptance, the coordinator from the receiving institution contacts the student and the coordinator of the sending institution - Eva Nagyová (nagyova@rect.muni.cz) - and informs them about the possibilities of the short-term internship.
- It is then up to the student to agree a mobility date that suits both parties with the academic/researcher who accepts them. Due to the necessary mobility administration, the date must be at least one month in advance of the placement departure.
- After confirming the date, the student will contact Mai Hoa Nguyenova (nguyenova@czs.muni.cz) with information about the location and date of the internship and the contact person at the foreign university (including contact details).
Before departure
The following must be done before departure:
- Contact your department coordinator with information about your planned internship and completion of the Learning Agreement. The coordinator will provide you with instructions on the conditions under which you can have 2 ECTS recognised after the internship and final presentation.
- Complete the EDUC Learning Agreement:
- Instructions for completing the MU Learning Agreement in ISOIS can be found in the Documents section (Instructions for completing the LA online).
- The document is signed by: MU Departmental Coordinator, MU Faculty Coordinator and the coordinator at the partner university (see list below), or the academic/researcher who will host the student in the laboratory.
- Record short-term stay abroad in the IS, section „Internship and Stays". Please enter: EDUC Initiation to Research and Critical Thinking in the programme field.
- Sign the grant agreement - CZS will contact the student.
- Apply for scholarship in the IS: https://is.muni.cz/auth/uradovna/ukon?agenda=2745;znsn=1
- In order for the financial aid to be paid, the student must be duly enrolled for studies at MU, have fully signed Learning Agreement, signed Grant Agreement and a completed and submitted scholarship application with mobility dates.
- Arrange travel insurance for the entire duration of your placement abroad, including the return journey.
Coordinators at partner universities:
- Université de Rennes: Chloé Duvivier (educ@univ-rennes.fr)
- Université de Paris Nanterre: Sarah-Christina Rotzetter (sarah-c.r@parisnanterre.fr), Claudia Dell'Uomo D'Arme (Claudia.dd@parisnanterre.fr)
- Universitat Jaume I: Eva Camacho (camacho@uji.es)
- University of South-Eastern Norway: Kine Korsmo (kine.korsmo@usn.no)
- University of Cagliari: Carla Argiolas (educ@unica.it)
- University of Pécs: Gyöngyi Pozsgai (pozsgai.gyongyi@pte.hu), educ@pte.hu
- University of Potsdam: Judith Rode (judith.rode@uni-potsdam.de)
At the end of the placement:
The student agrees on the programme with his/her tutor or the coordinators at the host institution.
At the end of the placement is needed:
- Have a signed Learning Agreement - After the Mobility filled in and sent to the CZS coordinator, which serves as a confirmation of the completion of the internship - CZS will provide the document.
- Complete the final report (MU Online final report).
- Present the internship - a final presentation of the findings and experiences of each student who completed the online course and internship. The course administrators will contact the student with more information about the content and format of the required deliverable.
After the presentation of the internship, the student will receive EDUC certificate in Moodle, on the basis of which ECTS gained for this activity can be recognised by the study department of the faculty. Recognition of ECTS from the placement abroad is fully within the competence of the faculties. More information can be found here.
By signing all documentation, the student commits to fulfilling the study obligations imposed by the tutor at the receiving institution. Shortening of the placement or failure to fulfil the study obligations will result in the repayment of a pro rata portion of the financial support.
EDUC summer schools
EDUC Alliance Summer Schools
The EDUC Alliance offers students the opportunity to travel to one of the universities in the consortium on various summer schools. In a short period of time, students have the unique opportunity to enrich their academic skills, meet their international colleagues and experience local customs and culture through social and cultural activities. Summer schools are offered in both hybrid and purely physical formats.
Participating Conditions:
- Study in an accredited full-time degree program at MU (all levels).
Financial Requirements:
- Financial support is provided by the EDUC Alliance (co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme) and is paid by Masaryk University. It serves only to partially cover the costs, it is a contribution to the increased costs associated with the stay abroad - therefore the student's financial participation is assumed.
- The amount of financial support is specific to each summer school and is decided by the organising institution. Please note - not all summer schools provide financial support and students must pay for 100% of their participation out of their own pocket. The organising institution may require payment of the fee before the scholarship is issued by MU.
- Funds are paid in CZK to a CZK account held with any bank in the Czech Republic; the amount of financial support allocated will be converted at the current monthly exchange rate of the European Commission.
- The financial support will be sent to the student's bank account entered in the IS MU after all administrative requirements are met, see below.
How to participate:
- Select a summer school from the list below and apply via the partner institution's website.
- Once the partner university confirms your acceptance, contact your department coordinator with information about the planned summer school and the completion of the Learning Agreement. The coordinator will provide you with instructions on the conditions under which you can have any ECTS recognised after the placement.
- Complete the EDUC Learning Agreement:
- Instructions for completing the MU Learning Agreement in ISOIS can be found in the Documents section (Instructions for completing the LA online).
- Sign the document: MU Departmental Coordinator, MU Faculty Coordinator, and the coordinator at the partner university (see list below), or the academic/researcher hosting the student in the lab.
- Sign the grant agreement - CZS will contact the student.
- Apply for the scholarship in IS
- For financial aid to be paid, the student must be enrolled to study at MU, have a fully signed Learning Agreement, a signed Internship Participation Agreement, and a completed and submitted Scholarship Application with mobility dates.
- Arrange travel insurance for the entire duration of your stay abroad, including round-trip travel.
Coordinators at partner universities:
- Université de Rennes: Sujal Chouhan (educ@univ-rennes.fr)
- Université de Paris Nanterre: Julia Blumental (julia.blumental@parisnanterre.fr)
- Universitat Jaume I: Fermín Mallén (fmallen@uji.es)
- University of South-Eastern Norway: Kine Korsmo (kine.korsmo@usn.no)
- University of Cagliari: Fabio Sorrentino (fabio.sorrentino@unica.it)
- University of Pécs: Boglárka Vecsánin (vecsanin.boglarka@pte.hu), educ@pte.hu
- University of Potsdam: Judith Rode (judith.rode@uni-potsdam.de)
EDUC Alliance Summer Schools offer
Summer schools with scholarship
Challenges for Sustainable Management - Université de Rennes, France
- Date: 1 - 12 July 2024, physical attendance only
- Credits: 4 ECTS
- For whom: Open to students of all disciplines, but particularly suitable for Faculty of Economics and Administration students.
- Scholarship: 1065 EUR for 2 MU students (1065 EUR/person).
- Participation fee: 995 EUR.
- Application: Apply by 1.5.2024 HERE.
Summer schools without scholarships (fully paid by the student)
The offer will be updated on an ongoing basis.