Freemovers
The Freemovers programme is for students who as part of their studies at Masaryk University want to complete a month to semester-long foreign placement in their filed and do not have the chance to utilise other funding (for example the Erasmus+ programme, from the faculty, etc.). As a Freemover you can go on a placement to any country in the world.
You can find out about the students who went on placements as Freemovers can be found here (only in Czech).
Participation Conditions
- Studying in accredited full-time or combined study programme at MU.
- The programme is available for students at bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. At the time of submitting the application the student must have completed at least the first semester of bachelor’s studies.
- The student must demonstrate a knowledge of the foreign language in which they will be conducting their placement. This does not apply to PhD students, as long as English is the language of the placement.
- Unlike the Erasmus+ programme this programme is not intended for financing a graduate placement.
- During the period of the placement and payment of the grant studies at the MU home faculty cannot be interrupted or ended.
- This programme requires that MU students submit an application for recognition of courses/credits from a foreign placement after completion of the placement; you can find further information here.
Top ▲
Financial Conditions
- The grant is only allocated to physical mobility in a foreign country, not to online mobility.
- The monthly scholarship rate can be up to CZK 16,000. Account shall be taken of the financial cost of the placement, any material or financial support provided by the receiving institution or by a third party, such as free accommodation or food, other scholarships, etc. Any other support provided or requested for the placement shall be indicated by the student in the application form. If he/she receives it later, it is necessary to inform the CZS programme coordinator immediately via e-mail.
- The grant is not there to cover all expenses connected with studies abroad as it assumes that the student will make up the difference.
- It is not possible to simultaneously draw on a grant for this placement from EU sources (for example Erasmus+) and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport.
- In justified cases it is not out of the question to gain a grant from the faculty stipendium fund, the region, foundations, etc. to make up for part of the costs. The student is obliged to inform the CZS if they gain further support. If you have gained a different grant or have applied for such, or if in the Training Agreement the receiving organisation has ticked to show that it will in any way support you, provide an overview of all anticipated income and expenses for the given foreign placement.
- The specific amount of the grant is set according to the time spent at the foreign university and according to the possibilities of the project. If you do not go on a placement for a whole number of months, the amount of the grant for the last incomplete month is calculated as follows:
- 1 to 7 days: no financial support
- 8 to 20 days: 1/2 the financial support for a month
- 21 to 30 days: the complete financial support for a month
- The grant will be transferred to the student’s bank account entered into the IS MU.
- We should caution outgoing students who are also employees that on the given foreign studies that it is not possible to have travel expenses paid at the same time by their employer.
- The scholarship may be paid only in the calendar year in which the mobility takes place.
- Students departing for the autumn semester may be awarded the scholarship for January only at the end of January or later (i.e. after approval of funds) if they do not terminate or interrupt their studies at MU in the meantime. There is no automatic entitlement to this scholarship.
Top ▲
List of Deadlines
- To support placements in the calendar year 2023, you must apply by 15 December 2022.
Top ▲
Application
Application to foreign institution:
Those interested must first contact their preferred foreign institution, agree the conditions for acceptance and get a signed Training Agreement.
Application at the CZS:
- The application for the Freemover grant programme is submitted electronically.
- The application is completed in Czech/Slovak, or English.
- The application does not need to be sent in paper form.
- The signature of the person authorised by the faculty is not necessary because it is already in the appendix “Training Agreement”. Detailed information from individual faculties and the names of authorised people can be found here.
Essential appendices to the application:
- Training Agreement signed by all three parties (you can find the form in the section Documents):
- a working plan for the placement confirmed by the student, department (guarantor of the student traineeship) and the responsible representative of the foreign host institution
- the working plan must give the number of the credits the student will be awarded for the placement. The credits are awarded by the home faculty on the basis of the length of the placement
- do not forget to save a scan of the Training Agreement as evidence in the IS. Keep the original/part original of the TA as after your return you may be asked to present it
- the Training Agreement should include confirmation that you have been accepted for a physical stay at a foreign institution (that is not online mobility).
- Motivational letter (in Czech/Slovak or English)
- Copy of proof of knowledge of language, in which you will communicate in the course of your work (not applicable to students of languages)
- the results of language exams at MU (the results of language exams at MU will be recognised based on Academic Records in IS, other documents are voluntary)
- confirmation from a teacher from the MU Centre for Language Education (Language Proficiency Report)
- the results of an international exam (for example for English FCE, CAE or TOEFL)
- if you do not have any documentation of your English you can take part in a test at the CZS; further information here
- study results from previous study in the given foreign language will be recognised (for example if you have already studied abroad through Erasmus)
- student, who is in the first semester of their studies and previously studied at a different school submits the “Transcript of Records” or the appendix to the diploma from previous studies
- if your target institution accepts you on the basis that they have checked your language knowledge and confirm this in the letter of acceptance or in the Training Agreement, no proof is necessary
Criteria for the selection of candidates:
- the formal correctness of the submitted application
- residency at a top university according to the QS World University Rankings (up to TOP 500)
- content of the placement: a motivational essay in Czech/Slovenian or English
- priority is given to students of master's and bachelor's programmes
- priority is given to students who are going for a placement abroad for the first time
- school grades
- impossibility to use another programme (e.g. Erasmus+ programme, faculty scholarships, DZS offers, etc.)
The student will be notified about the result by email within approximately one month. The result will be in the ISOIS application database.
Top ▲
Before Departure
Before departure it is necessary to:
- Document the placement in the IS, in the section “Placements”. In the box “programme” choose “freemover”. Upload a scan of the completed and signed “Training Agreement”.
- Arrange health insurance for the entire duration of the placement abroad with the journey there and back and including the costs of repatriation (for the case of transport after an unexpected operation, etc.). In EU countries, etc. we recommend additional insurance, further information here. We also recommend liability insurance.
- Request a grant. In order to pay the grant onto the account it is necessary to submit an electronic application for a grant – the specific link in the IS will be provided to you by the CZS coordinator if you are accepted on to the programme.
- In the application give the precise anticipated dates of the start an end of the foreign placement (not the length of your stay).
- We will process the application within a month. The promised scholarship will most likely be awarded to you all at once, or gradually by more decisions on awarding the scholarship.
- Normally we pay the grant onto the account as a lump sum (for example for the whole semester provided it falls within a single calendar year). After receipt of applications we pay grants in bulk mostly on the 20th day in month (in July and August a different date may be set).
Top ▲
While Abroad
At the end of the placement have the documents that you will need after your return issued: Confirmation of Placement Period (which you can find in the section Documents).
Top ▲
After Return
- Have the authorised person at the faculty/department complete the concluding part of the Confirmation of Placement Period (which you can find in the section Documents). The authorised person should also indicate the number of credits given for the placement. In the case that you finish in December or January, immediately give a scan of the document to the CZS coordinator.
- Upload the completed Confirmation of Placement Period to the placement documentation in the IS and submit an electronic application for recognition of credits/courses from a foreign placement. You can find further information here.
- Caution: not adhering to the conditions of the programme, and especially not submitting the final documents, results in the student losing their right to the grant for mobility support.
- Within 6 weeks of completing the study placement the student must fill in the final report from the placement, which will help those that follow you. The report is completed online in the IS OIS application (select Final Reports in the Programme section).
- The reports of students who were abroad as part of this programme are available only in Czech in the CZS database (final reports up to 2018) and in IS OIS (final reports from 2019).
Top ▲