ITALIAN BURSARY PROGRAMME OFFERED TO
FOREIGN AND IRE (Italians Resident Abroad) STUDENTS
Public announcement
for Academic Year 2013/2014
DEADLINE: 31 May
2013
Introduction
The Italian Government announces the following
bursary programme for foreign students and IRE (Italian Residents Abroad) to
study in Italy during the Academic Year 2012/2013.
The program aims to
promote international cultural cooperation and the diffusion of Italian
language, science and culture, also promoting the projection of Italian economy
and technologies abroad.
The programme is offered by the Italian Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, through its diplomatic mission in the accredited country of the
applicants, to foreign citizens or Italians resident abroad (IRE), living and
residing in selected countries wishing to study at Italian public universities
or other public institutions of higher education. Bursaries will be awarded with
a priority to students who shall demonstrate through the excellence of their
curriculum the ability to complete with profit their studies in Italian public
study institutions.
Please access the list of countries whose citizens
may apply to the bursary programme from the page of the web site dedicated to
foreign students:
http://www.esteri.it/MAE/EN/Ministero/Servizi/Stranieri/Opportunita/BorseStudio_stranieri.htm?LANG=ENBefore
filling their application, students should contact Italian diplomatic
representatives or Italian Cultural Institutes in their country of citizenship,
for detailed and country specific information about this
offer.
Applicants should study this public announcement carefully and
familiarise themselves with the terms for participating in this bursary program
before completing the online application procedure.
Particular attention
should be paid to the following:
• Age limit (Applicant's age should not
exceed 35 years, with some exceptions);
• Educational background (Preferably
a Masters Degree or equivalent);
• Required documentation (Application form,
referee reports, academic diplomas and transcripts, applicant's CV)
1.
Thematic areas of study, duration of bursaries offered,
prerequisites
Applicants are advised to check the website of the Italian
mission in the student's country of citizenship for further details and country
specific exceptions to the following, before applying.
Applicants may request
three monthly bursaries for:
a) courses in Italian language and culture:
Applicants are asked to provide proof of enrolment in a foreign university and
of having passed at least a Level A1 Italian language test. Admittance is only
to courses with a minimum duration of 3 months and of an A2 university level or
higher; applicants must be enrolled in the 3rd year or higher and have passed at
least one university level Italian language exam in their home country.
Recommended are the Italian language courses offered by the Universities for
Foreigners in Perugia, Siena, "Dante Alighieri" of Reggio Calabria and Roma Tre,
or other institutions accredited to certify knowledge of Italian as a foreign
language. All beginner level and/or less than 3-month language courses are
excluded. Upon completion of the course attended the bursary-holder will have to
sit the required exams.
b) Courses in Italian language teaching:
Applicants must be foreign teachers with documented experience in teaching
Italian as a foreign language (IFL) in their country
of origin. Admitted are
only courses of a minimum 3-month duration given at the Universities for
Foreigners of Perugia, Siena, "Dante Alighieri" of Reggio Calabria and Roma Tre
or other institutions accredited in the certification of knowledge of Italian as
a foreign language. Upon completion of the course attended the bursary-holder
will have to sit the required exams.
c) Study or research projects at
non-private Italian research Centres – Laboratories – Libraries - Archives -
Museums: Applicants must duly document study or research projects they intend to
carry out at the chosen facility for a period of at least 3 months. Projects
must have prior written approval, in a letter to the applicant from an Italian
host institution supervisor. The letter must state the supervisor's willingness
to accept responsibility also for assessing the bursaryholder's performance both
during and at the conclusion of the study or research activity.
Applicants
may request six or nine month bursaries for:
d) Individual university
courses: Applicants must provide certification both of enrolment in a foreign
university and of pre-acceptance by the Italian university where they intend to
study. Preference is given to bursary applications for Level II individual
university courses of a 6-month minimum duration, accompanied by a letter of
pre-acceptance from the chosen university. Upon completion of the course
attended the bursary-holder will have to sit the required exams.
e)
University degree courses (Levels I or II): Preference is given to bursary
applications for Level II University courses accompanied by a letter of
pre-acceptance from the chosen university. Applicants must provide proof, valid
in their place of residence, of having completed upper secondary school and/or
first level university studies depending on the University Level they intend to
follow. Bursaryholders may request renewal of the bursary for the subsequent
academic years in compliance with the "Memorandum for Bursary-Holders"
(Regolamento del Borsista). Upon completion of the course attended the
bursary-holder will have to sit the required exams.
f) Advanced
professional training, art and music courses: Applicants must provide proof,
valid in their place of residence, of having completed upper secondary school
studies for admission to State or legally accredited academies or
conservatories. It is advisable to have a letter of pre-acceptance from the
Italian Institution chosen. Eligible courses, of a minimum 6-month duration,
include those offered by institutes of advanced professional, art, music and
choral training (academies, conservatories, ISIA, etc.), restoration institutes
and the National School of Cinema. Upon completion of the course attended the
bursary-holder will have to sit the required exams.
g) Courses in Italian
language teaching: Bursaries for teacher training or refresher courses, reserved
for foreign teachers of L2 Italian language courses, and university students
with a degree equivalent to the Italian short degree who have passed at least
one university-level Italian language exam in their country. Bursaries are
awarded for specific course programmes with a minimum 6-month duration offered
by the Universities for Foreigners of Perugia, Siena, "Dante Alighieri" of
Reggio Calabria and Roma Tre, or other accredited institutions authorized to
certify knowledge of the Italian language or teaching Italian as a
Foreign
Language. Upon completion of the course attended, the bursary-holder will have
to sit the required exams.
h) Masters Degree courses (Levels I or II):
Applicants must have a degree corresponding with the Italian first or second
Level degree depending on the Master course chosen and eventual other
documentation as requested by their chosen Italian institution. All Level I and
II Masters courses must have minimum six month duration and are not exempt from
enrolment fees. If the course requires a period of study outside of Italy,
payment of the bursary will be suspended during that period. Since admittance to
Masters Courses is often on a selection basis, and courses require a minimum
number of participants to be held, it is the applicants' responsibility to make
sure both of their admittance to the course and its actual start date.
Bursary-holders are reminded that they have a right to the awarded bursary only
for a period of study to be completed by 31 December 2014, and only if they
attend the courses originally chosen. Upon completion of the course attended the
bursary-holder will have to sit the required exams.
i) Doctorate Courses:
Since admission to research doctorates in Italy is regulated by strict
provisions issued by individual universities, in addition to the requirements
listed in the previous point, applicants are required to have established
contact with the university of their choice before submitting their bursary
applications in order to agree on admission requirements.
l) Schools of
specialisation: (See also "Masters Degree courses", above) Courses must be of
minimum six month duration. Medical studies are categorically excluded from the
list of eligible specialisations (See Legislative Decree no. 257 of 08.08.1991).
For admission see also the previous point "Doctorate Courses". Upon completion
of the course attended the bursary-holder will have to sit the required
exams.
m) Individual or jointly supervised study or research projects:
(See also "Masters Degree courses", above). Research bursaries are awarded
exclusively for research activities at the CNR (Consiglio Nazionale delle
Ricerche), Istituto Superiore di Sanità or other analogous State university
facilities, museums, or archives, and for a minimum duration of 6 months. The
research project proposal must be submitted with the application, in addition to
letters of acceptance from the professor or expert supervisor of the research
project proposed by the applicant, and from the director of the Italian academic
institution or facility meant to host the bursary-holder. Priority will be given
to applicants whose study and research aims are cited in existing bilateral
agreements with the researcher's home university. To receive each three months
payment, in addition to the documentation cited in the Memorandum for
Bursary-Holders (Regolamento del Borsista), bursaryholders will be required to
send periodical summary reports of the study or research activities carried out
to the Country Contact at Office VII of the DGSP. Such reports shall be signed
by the Italian supervisor who produced the above letter of acceptance. All free
research programs are not eligible for a bursary.
2. Degrees/certificates
awarded
First and second level University Degree – Teaching certificate of
Italian as a foreign language – Italian Language Certificate - Certification of
individual University course completion - Level I and II Masters Degree –
Doctorate Diploma - Certificate of completion of research – Advanced
professional, art or music specialisation or diploma.
3. Bursary
Selection Committee and Host Institutions
Bursary recipients are selected by
the Italian diplomatic mission in the applicant's country of residence through
an "ad hoc" committee or jointly with the local authorities. The Italian
Government awards and pays the bursary through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Directorate General for Country Promotion (DGSP), Office VII, Rome.
4.
University Host Institutions
Bursaries are awarded for study and/or research
programmes at public and legally accredited institutions. Bursary recipients
study at the Italian universities/institutions of their choice, based on the
approval of the selection committee. Pre-enrolment to the chosen Italian
Institution will be done through the Italian Diplomatic Representatives in the
student's country of citizenship.
Eligible Institutions include:
Universities, university institutes and polytechnic institutes.
Advanced
training institutes for art and music and conservatories.
Restoration
institutes.
The National School of Cinema.
Italian research centres or
laboratories, archives and museums that have stipulated agreements with the
foreign under-graduate or post-graduate university departments in which the
applicant is enrolled, or that offer institutional collaboration to foreign
scholars and/or researchers through supervisors appointed by the director of the
institution.
Bursaries cannot be granted for the following:
Foreign
institutions (universities, academies, libraries, schools of any sort), even if
situated in Italy;
Private and non-accredited research centres or
laboratories.
The only exceptions are for bursaries awarded for designated
"Special Projects".
Please check information for foreign students in
Italy at the website of the Ministry of Education, Universities and Research
(MIUR):
http://www.studiare-in-italia.it/studentistranieri/5.
Bursary duration and start dates
The only bursaries to be awarded for the
2013/2014 academic year will be of three, six or nine month duration. Exceptions
may be made in particular cases. Start dates must be from January 1st 2014
onward, and duration cannot exceed 31 December 2014.
6. Age limits for
applicants
Unless otherwise indicated in the executive programmes of cultural
agreements with individual countries, new bursary or renewal applications cannot
be accepted from applicants above 35 years of age at the date of expiration
("deadline", see below) of this announcement. In no case may bursaries be
awarded to applicants under legal age. The applicant age limit can be extended
to 45 years for teachers of the Italian language with documented, ongoing
Italian language teaching experience in their country of origin.
Since age
limits can vary, as some institutions are legally required to set different
ones, applicants are advised to check directly with the institutions
concerned.
7. How to apply
All applicants must fill in the on-line
application form at "Borse on Line".
http://borseonline.esteri.it/BorseOnLine/Please read
carefully the indications and notes on the website.
8. Application
deadline
Application forms must be received on-line by midnight (Italian
time) Friday, May 31st 2013.
Applicants will be notified of the outcome by
the Italian Embassy in their country. Successful recipients will be asked to
immediately submit authenticated copies of their documents along with their
official translations in Italian. The online application "Borse On Line" for the
academic year 2013-2014 has been updated to reflect the new rules. Completion
and submission of the online application form presumes acceptance of the rules
indicated on the website.
Access to a functional, unrestricted and fast
internet connection is a necessary pre-requisite for the application
process.
9. Language of study
Italian is the required language of
study in Italy. A basic knowledge of Italian is necessary even at Universities
offering courses in English. Adequate knowledge of the Italian language is
indispensible to obtaining a bursary and to enrolment in a university course in
Italy, and must be certified in writing. Applicants will need a certificate of
intermediate level Italian (e.g. CILS B2, CELI 3, PLIDA B2 or INT.IT Roma Tre)
or of equivalent linguistic competence issued by a local organization or
language school (e.g. Italian Cultural Institute, Dante Alighieri Society branch
etc.). Applicants for enrolment in advanced musical training courses, 3-month
language courses or
University courses held entirely in English, will have to
demonstrate at least A2 level certification of competence in Italian, or
equivalent.
10. Number of bursaries available, amounts and bursary,
selection Committee
Specific information is provided by the Italian Embassy
or Italian Cultural Institute in the applicant's country of citizenship. Please
check also the websites of these institutions for more country-specific
information.
11. Duties and responsibilities of bursary-holders in
Italy
Bursary-holders in Italy must abide by the rules and regulations
specified in the updated "Memorandum for Bursary-holders" (Regolamento del
Borsista):
http://www.esteri.it/MAE/EN/Ministero/Servizi/Stranieri/Opportunita/BorseStudio_stranieri.htm?LANG=ENFor
other useful information check periodically this page dedicated to foreign
students.
The non-observance of those rules and regulations will invalidate
the bursary.
12. Entry Visa in Italy
All bursary-holders must arrive in
Italy with an entry visa for study purposes issued by the Italian diplomatic
mission and valid for the entire duration of the bursary. Exemptions from visa
requirements include European Union citizens and the citizens of countries with
which Italy has bilateral agreements on such matters. Upon arrival in Italy
bursary-holders must go, within eight (8) days, to the Questura (Police) of the
town or city where they will be living during their studies. They should apply
at the Questura for a residence permit for study reasons. In the case of arrival
in Italy before the bursary start date, the bursary-holder will have to apply
for the residence permit according to the instructions of the Questura.
13.
Travel to Italy and back
Bursaries do not usually cover airfares or other
travel expenses. Italian diplomatic missions will inform bursary-holders of any
exceptions.
14. Bursary payments
Payment of bursaries will take place on a
three-months basis and normally during the quarter of reference by bank transfer
to an Italian bank or postal account in the name of the bursaryholder, who holds
the responsibility for opening the account and transmitting its details to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome, Office VII of the DGSP.
For the academic
year 2013-2014, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has signed a Convention with
several Italian Universities (Politecnico di Milano, Politecnico di Torino,
Università Ca' Foscari di Venezia, Università Bocconi, Università degli studi di
Torino, Università degli studi di Milano, Università degli studi di Roma Tor
Vergata, Università per stranieri di Perugia, Università per stranieri di Siena,
Università per stranieri "Dante Alighieri" di Reggio Calabria) according to
which, among other facilitations, all bursary payments will be made directly to
the students by the University itself with a shortened and simplified
procedure.
15. Health and accident insurance
For the sole period of the
bursary granted by the Italian government, foreign bursary-holders are covered
by an insurance policy that covers eventual expenses incurred as a result of
illness and/or accident. Residence permits for study during periods not included
in the duration of the bursary will be issued by the Questura only to foreign
students with health insurance coverage. Therefore, bursary-holders who arrive
in Italy before the start date of the bursary or that need to stay on after its
expiration, if they are non-EU citizens (i.e. do not have a T.E.A.M., E111 or
E128 health insurance card from their home country), will have to take out
health insurance at their own expense.
16. Enrolment fee
exemptions
Foreign holders of Italian government bursaries enrolled in First
Level Degree Courses (Corsi di Laurea di Primo Livello) Second Level Degree
Courses (Laurea Magistrale), Schools of Specialisation (Scuole di
Specializzazione) (with the exception of medical studies) and research
doctorates (Dottorati di ricerca) are exempt from university enrolment fees
(ref: D.P.C.M. 09/04/2001).
Students enrolled in individual courses,
professional training, art and music courses, Level I and II Masters courses,
will be required to pay related enrolment fees.
17. Bursary
renewal
Foreign students or Italians Residing Abroad (IREs) holding bursaries
may apply for renewal for the continuation or completion of a multi-year course
of study (Corsi di Laurea, Scuole di Specializzazione, Dottorati di Ricerca).
The procedures and timeframes for applicants wishing to renew a bursary are the
same as for all other new applicants. Bursary-holders requesting the first
renewal will have to have passed at least two exams in the preceding year.
Subsequent renewals depend on passing all the exams included in the study plan
for the preceding academic years and two in the current academic year at the
deadline for bursary renewal application. Renewals may be accorded only for a
number of years not exceeding the legal length of course of study.
Bursary-holders that have passed the age limit (See above, point 6) may not
apply for renewal.
Last modified: April 22nd, 2013.
Uff. VII, DGSP, MAE,
Roma
http://www.esteri.it/MAE/EN/Ministero/Servizi/Stranieri/Opportunita/BorseStudio_stranieri.htm?LANG=ENApply
Online:
http://borseonline.esteri.it/BorseOnLine/
