The Dag Hammarskjöld Scholarship Fund for Journalists is now accepting applications from professional journalists from developing countries for its 2009 Fellowship Programme.
The fellowships are available to radio, television, print and web journalists, age 25 to 35, from developing countries who are interested in coming to New York to report on international affairs during the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. The Fellowships will begin in mid-September and extend to late November and will include the cost of travel and accommodations in New York, as well as a per diem allowance.
The Fellowship Programme is open to journalists who are native to one of the developing countries in Africa, Asia, South America and the Caribbean, and are currently working full-time for a bona fide media organisation in a developing nation. Applicants must demonstrate an interest in and commitment to international affairs and to conveying a better understanding of the United Nations to their readers and audiences. They must also have approval from their media organisations to spend up to two months in New York to report from the United Nations.
The journalists who are awarded Fellowships are given the incomparable opportunity to observe international diplomatic deliberations at the United Nations, to make professional contacts that will serve them for many years to come, to interact with seasoned journalists from around the world, and to gain a broader perspective and understanding of matters of global concern.
Eligibility and documentation requirements and Fellowship application form are available at http://unjournalismfellowship.org.
NOTE: Deadline for submission of application is March 22, 2009. Please allow sufficient time for your application to arrive by Friday, March 20, 2009.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Master Scholarships in the Netherlands
Each year the organisation of alumni, Leiden University Fund (LUF) awards 6 LUF scholarships to truly outstanding foreign students pursuing an English language Masters Degree at Leiden University (See the list of eligible English language masters programmes on www.mastersinleiden.nl). The LUF scholarship is open to highly talented students from all countries of the world except the Netherlands.
SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT
The scholarship consists of EUR 10.800,- for one academic year and is available for master’s programmes starting per September 2009.
APPLICATIONS
Applications can only be made by sending the completed online scholarship application form to the Leiden University Fund (LUF).
DEADLINE
Application deadline: 1 April 2009.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY
The applicant has been admitted unconditionally to an English language Masters programme of Leiden University on the basis of prior education outside the Netherlands.
The applicant is not in his/her second year of the masters programme.
The applicant must have obtained excellent results in his/her previous studies and be for instance in the top 10% of students in his/her programme.
The applicant´s studies in the Netherlands must constitute a deepening and broadening of his/her previous studies in the home country.
FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROCEDURES
The International Office of Leiden University will forward the necessary documents to the selection committee of LUF.
Please note: students applying for a LUF scholarship still have to submit an application for admission to a master’s programme in order to be admitted to the programme. This is a seperate procedure and can be done via on-line application for admission to a master’s study as described on the website: www.mastersinleiden.nl/admissions
Students have to pay the application fee and necessary deposits for MVV and or housing themselves.
Students will be informed by LUF about the decision by the end of May 2009.
Allowances will be paid by LUF in September 2009
For more information please visit:
http://www.leidenuniv.nl/en/prospective/index.php3-c=13_luf2009-2010.htm
SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNT
The scholarship consists of EUR 10.800,- for one academic year and is available for master’s programmes starting per September 2009.
APPLICATIONS
Applications can only be made by sending the completed online scholarship application form to the Leiden University Fund (LUF).
DEADLINE
Application deadline: 1 April 2009.
REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY
The applicant has been admitted unconditionally to an English language Masters programme of Leiden University on the basis of prior education outside the Netherlands.
The applicant is not in his/her second year of the masters programme.
The applicant must have obtained excellent results in his/her previous studies and be for instance in the top 10% of students in his/her programme.
The applicant´s studies in the Netherlands must constitute a deepening and broadening of his/her previous studies in the home country.
FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROCEDURES
The International Office of Leiden University will forward the necessary documents to the selection committee of LUF.
Please note: students applying for a LUF scholarship still have to submit an application for admission to a master’s programme in order to be admitted to the programme. This is a seperate procedure and can be done via on-line application for admission to a master’s study as described on the website: www.mastersinleiden.nl/admissions
Students have to pay the application fee and necessary deposits for MVV and or housing themselves.
Students will be informed by LUF about the decision by the end of May 2009.
Allowances will be paid by LUF in September 2009
For more information please visit:
http://www.leidenuniv.nl/en/prospective/index.php3-c=13_luf2009-2010.htm
PhD Scholarships at University of Leicester
Eligibility
1. Candidates for Open Scholarships must be classified by the University as international students for fees purposes.
2. Except in the case of Open PhD Scholarships, all Open Scholarships are awarded only in the form of a reduction in tuition fees payable.
3. For Open PhD Scholarships, candidates must not be in receipt of a full scholarship (tuition fees and living costs) from any other sources. Students with partial scholarships from other sources will be considered.
4. New PhD students starting in September / October 2009
5. Where an Open Scholarship is awarded to a candidate who is also eligible for a fee discount, the discount will be calculated after the Scholarship reduction to the tuition fees payable has been made.
6. Some scholarship funding may also be available to outstanding PhD students who begin their studies at other points in the academic year.
Guidance for applicants
1. Check the application deadlines and look at the notes about eligibility on the International Office website. Applicants must be intending to follow a full-time degree programme at the University, and must be classified as overseas students for fees purposes.
2. Complete the application form yourself, making sure that you answer all the questions. Please type or write clearly in black ink. You must sign the form personally (not third party or agent).
3. Make sure that you include all relevant information even if it has already been submitted with your application for a place at the University. If an award is made to you the University may require evidence, in the form of course transcripts, class lists, references, to support all the statements that you have made. If you are made an award it is your responsibility to respond.
4. A transcript, in English, of your most recent course may also be submitted if available but no other papers will be considered, except the application form and your personal statement.
5. Prepare a personal statement (typed if possible) on one side only of A4 paper (400 words maximum). The statement should be headed by your full name and the course you are applying for. Your personal statement should include details of your academic performance, the ranking of any University that you have attended, and your personal ranking compared with other students in your class.
6. Include with your application a copy of your offer letter from UCAS or from the Graduate Office. Applicants who do not include this letter will not be considered.
7. Send your complete application to: Scholarship Applications, International Office, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK or by fax to +44 116 252 5127. We regret that we are unable to accept scanned applications.
8. Only successful candidates will be contacted. If you do not hear from the University, you should assume that your application has been unsuccessful and that you have not been selected for an award. We will contact you by email. Please ensure that your email address is legible.
9. The decision of the selection panel is final and the University will not enter into correspondence unless it is able to make you an award.
Application Deadline : 31 May 2009
For further info: http://www.le.ac.uk/ua/io/future/open.html
1. Candidates for Open Scholarships must be classified by the University as international students for fees purposes.
2. Except in the case of Open PhD Scholarships, all Open Scholarships are awarded only in the form of a reduction in tuition fees payable.
3. For Open PhD Scholarships, candidates must not be in receipt of a full scholarship (tuition fees and living costs) from any other sources. Students with partial scholarships from other sources will be considered.
4. New PhD students starting in September / October 2009
5. Where an Open Scholarship is awarded to a candidate who is also eligible for a fee discount, the discount will be calculated after the Scholarship reduction to the tuition fees payable has been made.
6. Some scholarship funding may also be available to outstanding PhD students who begin their studies at other points in the academic year.
Guidance for applicants
1. Check the application deadlines and look at the notes about eligibility on the International Office website. Applicants must be intending to follow a full-time degree programme at the University, and must be classified as overseas students for fees purposes.
2. Complete the application form yourself, making sure that you answer all the questions. Please type or write clearly in black ink. You must sign the form personally (not third party or agent).
3. Make sure that you include all relevant information even if it has already been submitted with your application for a place at the University. If an award is made to you the University may require evidence, in the form of course transcripts, class lists, references, to support all the statements that you have made. If you are made an award it is your responsibility to respond.
4. A transcript, in English, of your most recent course may also be submitted if available but no other papers will be considered, except the application form and your personal statement.
5. Prepare a personal statement (typed if possible) on one side only of A4 paper (400 words maximum). The statement should be headed by your full name and the course you are applying for. Your personal statement should include details of your academic performance, the ranking of any University that you have attended, and your personal ranking compared with other students in your class.
6. Include with your application a copy of your offer letter from UCAS or from the Graduate Office. Applicants who do not include this letter will not be considered.
7. Send your complete application to: Scholarship Applications, International Office, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK or by fax to +44 116 252 5127. We regret that we are unable to accept scanned applications.
8. Only successful candidates will be contacted. If you do not hear from the University, you should assume that your application has been unsuccessful and that you have not been selected for an award. We will contact you by email. Please ensure that your email address is legible.
9. The decision of the selection panel is final and the University will not enter into correspondence unless it is able to make you an award.
Application Deadline : 31 May 2009
For further info: http://www.le.ac.uk/ua/io/future/open.html
Scholarships for Master in European and International Studies
The Master Program offers the unique opportunity to learn Europe "in Europe" and develop perspectives for Europe`s future. The programme includes semesters in Istanbul, Nice and Berlin and guarantees an international education with an excellent academic staff and environment.
Location: Istanbul, Nice, Berlin, PoznanDuration: 9 months (From October to July)
Location: Istanbul, Nice, Berlin, PoznanDuration: 9 months (From October to July)
PhD position at Florida International University
A PhD student position is available in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Florida International University in Miami, FL. The project is estimated to last for a period of 3 years under the supervision of Professor F. Miralles-Wilhelm.
The position is funded through collaboration with the Everglades Foundation (Dr. G. M. Naja http://biosorption.mcgill.ca/home_gn/najawww.htmand R. G. Rivero http://serc.fiu.edu/rivero.php) and the FIU Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Dr. Miralleshttp://web.eng.fiu.edu/~miralles/fmwme/index.htm) and Economics (Dr. Bhat http://www.fiu.edu/~bhatm/).
Research groups at the FIU and in the Everglades Foundation have focused on water quality and transport modeling in the Everglades. The research project outcome will provide foundations of a regional phosphorus cap and trade policy similar to carbon emissions trading.
Qualifications: The successful multidisciplinary applicant will understand and apply engineering and economics methodologies as well as remote sensing techniques. The proposed work will focus on the application of ecological-economics approach to environmental problem-solving through offering direct incentives for decreasing the phosphorus level in the runoff using tradeable emission. The successful applicant will be using laboratory techniques and computer software for the analysis and modeling of phosphorus transport through the Northern Everglades. Field trips will be necessary to investigate the current situation. Economics courses and interests will be essential for the student. Necessary supervision (Everglades Foundation and FIU) and training will be given. The candidate must have a Master Degree in Environmental Sciences, Chemical engineering or Physical Chemistry with a strong interest in economics and modeling or other relevant education. The position requires experience in water quality analysis. The candidate will be enrolled in the PhD-program at the FIU Faculty of Engineering. The student will be part of a small and individually supervised group of PhD students and will have the opportunity to work with senior researchers from the FIU and from the Everglades Foundation (direct supervision). The student will receive a fellowship for the three years of studies.
The proposed starting date is September 2009 (flexible).
Fellowship application package, containing:
• Personal cover letter;
• Professional Resume;
• University transcript(s);
• 2 reference letters mailed/e-mailed by the referees; (mnaja@evergladesfoundation.org) should be forwarded by May15, 2009
Contact address:
Dr. G.M. NAJA,
Everglades Foundation 18001 Old Cutler Road PALMETTO BAY,
Florida 33157
E-mail: mnaja@evergladesfoundation.org
The position is funded through collaboration with the Everglades Foundation (Dr. G. M. Naja http://biosorption.mcgill.ca/home_gn/najawww.htmand R. G. Rivero http://serc.fiu.edu/rivero.php) and the FIU Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering (Dr. Miralleshttp://web.eng.fiu.edu/~miralles/fmwme/index.htm) and Economics (Dr. Bhat http://www.fiu.edu/~bhatm/).
Research groups at the FIU and in the Everglades Foundation have focused on water quality and transport modeling in the Everglades. The research project outcome will provide foundations of a regional phosphorus cap and trade policy similar to carbon emissions trading.
Qualifications: The successful multidisciplinary applicant will understand and apply engineering and economics methodologies as well as remote sensing techniques. The proposed work will focus on the application of ecological-economics approach to environmental problem-solving through offering direct incentives for decreasing the phosphorus level in the runoff using tradeable emission. The successful applicant will be using laboratory techniques and computer software for the analysis and modeling of phosphorus transport through the Northern Everglades. Field trips will be necessary to investigate the current situation. Economics courses and interests will be essential for the student. Necessary supervision (Everglades Foundation and FIU) and training will be given. The candidate must have a Master Degree in Environmental Sciences, Chemical engineering or Physical Chemistry with a strong interest in economics and modeling or other relevant education. The position requires experience in water quality analysis. The candidate will be enrolled in the PhD-program at the FIU Faculty of Engineering. The student will be part of a small and individually supervised group of PhD students and will have the opportunity to work with senior researchers from the FIU and from the Everglades Foundation (direct supervision). The student will receive a fellowship for the three years of studies.
The proposed starting date is September 2009 (flexible).
Fellowship application package, containing:
• Personal cover letter;
• Professional Resume;
• University transcript(s);
• 2 reference letters mailed/e-mailed by the referees; (mnaja@evergladesfoundation.org) should be forwarded by May15, 2009
Contact address:
Dr. G.M. NAJA,
Everglades Foundation 18001 Old Cutler Road PALMETTO BAY,
Florida 33157
E-mail: mnaja@evergladesfoundation.org
Travel Diary of a Pakistani Student at US
“The Memoirs of a Pakistani in the Windy City”
I am a student at Tompkins Cortland Community College, also known as TC3. I live with a bunch of international students that came to the U.S. We are on the same program of scholarship offered to different countries by the government of the US. My friends and I wanted to explore America during our winter vacations. When my friends Didi, Syeda, Tulin, Sisca, and I were talking to people about our mission to go to Chicago, the responses surprised us. We were curious as to why people's reactions were odd. We were planning to go in the beginning of January, which is supposed to be the coldest time in Chicago. Syeda and I are from the warmer part of Pakistan and, the cold in Ithaca is already extreme weather for us. Sisca also comes from the warm climate of Jakarta, Indonesia. Tulin, from a colder part of Turkey, was somewhat immune to the cold weather, but our dear friend Didi from South Africa absolutely hates winter.
So you guys must be thinking: “why in the world did we even plan to go to the windy city?” This was not our original plan. Since we came to the US, all we heard was that Florida is amazing. It has Disney World, beautiful beaches, and exotic resorts, and we couldn't wait to go to Florida. However, when the time came for us to leave for Florida, we were told not to go by our professor, Tim McCabe. He advised us not to go to Florida on our own. We had only one driver, the tough mountaineer from Pakistan, Ali. He was determined that he could drive for more than 24 hours to Florida. So we would have been relying only on his driving skills. Also, with an amount of $ 300 in each of our pockets; we would have never been able to make it. Yeah that's the important part, the money; we all had approximately $ 300 each.
The creative mind always finds a solution. So the mastermind Didi and I thought of the wonderful idea of contacting Beth Van Dine. She is a part of the faculty at TC3, but works from Chicago. She was the only one we thought would be able to accommodate these five girls from absolutely different backgrounds. So we emailed Beth asking for her hospitality. We were not very optimistic that we would get any response from her. I remember we were jumping with excitement when she emailed and told us that we could visit her. It was amazing; we got an opportunity to travel somewhere away from the village of Dryden. We had no idea what the city of Chicago was like. We only knew about the Chicago Bulls and that's it.
We reached Chicago on the 5th of January. Beth was there to pick us up at the airport, one of the largest and most beautiful in the U.S. Didi, Sisca, Syeda and Tulin hardly fit in the back of her car. Luckily, I had the privilege of sitting in the front seat the entire time, during our stay in Chicago. We reached Beth's house in about fifteen minutes. Her house was beautiful, and we felt embarrassed to enter with our snowy boats. Her lovely dog was on the entrance of the house to welcome us. Let me tell you we were bundled in as many clothes as we could. Beth was a little amused to see our “beautiful” attire.
We had no idea what the city was going to be like. The very next day we were on the train and were going to the Navy Pier and Millennium Park. The Navy Pier was colder because it was on the edge of the lake. Millennium Park was this huge place with a big metallic kidney bean. Millennium Park is the same place where Barack Obama delivered his victory speech. We also got a chance to go up to the Sears Tower for a city view. The architecture in the city is eye catching. It is unique and different. The city has buildings in many different styles of architecture. Many students of architecture come here from all over the world to study and observe the architecture styles.
Food was something exciting in Chicago, and Beth took us to different cafes and restaurants. We had some of the best tasting sandwiches, soups, and salads. She also treated us at one of the most popular Arabic restaurants, which served us enormous portions of delicious food. During our stay, we ate authentic Chinese food in China Town. The last night at Beth's house is a beautiful memory in our minds. Her Armenian friend made chicken barbeque for us. We talked and ate barbequed salmon, chicken, and delicious Russian cake.
Everything was fun in the windy city. However, the best part was the gigantic, beautiful, and elaborate museums. One of these was the planetarium. Sitting in it felt like sitting under peaceful moonlight. The planetarium staff informed us about the planets, stars, and constellations. The Art Museum was fortunately free for visitors on one of the days. It had a huge collection of antiques from China, Pakistan, India, Egypt, Indonesia and Greece. The Art Museum had a huge collection of paintings and also miniature art. The collections at the Art Museum and the Science and Industry Museum in Chicago attract tourists from different parts of the world. Theses museums serve a great purpose for students and researchers.
It was a great time for us women, from different parts of the world, along with our American host Beth Van Dine. We experienced being in one of the greatest cities of the world. Our trip would have not been possible if we had not been invited by Beth. Her house was cozy and warm in the cruel winter of Chicago. We got a chance to see the city in a real sense, not like a tourist. The memories of the city of Chicago, the music playing in Millennium Park, the people ice skating under the park, the metallic kidney bean, and the barking of Beth's dog causes me to smile.
Beenish Javed
Pakistan
Source: http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20090223/LOCAL05/902230334
I am a student at Tompkins Cortland Community College, also known as TC3. I live with a bunch of international students that came to the U.S. We are on the same program of scholarship offered to different countries by the government of the US. My friends and I wanted to explore America during our winter vacations. When my friends Didi, Syeda, Tulin, Sisca, and I were talking to people about our mission to go to Chicago, the responses surprised us. We were curious as to why people's reactions were odd. We were planning to go in the beginning of January, which is supposed to be the coldest time in Chicago. Syeda and I are from the warmer part of Pakistan and, the cold in Ithaca is already extreme weather for us. Sisca also comes from the warm climate of Jakarta, Indonesia. Tulin, from a colder part of Turkey, was somewhat immune to the cold weather, but our dear friend Didi from South Africa absolutely hates winter.
So you guys must be thinking: “why in the world did we even plan to go to the windy city?” This was not our original plan. Since we came to the US, all we heard was that Florida is amazing. It has Disney World, beautiful beaches, and exotic resorts, and we couldn't wait to go to Florida. However, when the time came for us to leave for Florida, we were told not to go by our professor, Tim McCabe. He advised us not to go to Florida on our own. We had only one driver, the tough mountaineer from Pakistan, Ali. He was determined that he could drive for more than 24 hours to Florida. So we would have been relying only on his driving skills. Also, with an amount of $ 300 in each of our pockets; we would have never been able to make it. Yeah that's the important part, the money; we all had approximately $ 300 each.
The creative mind always finds a solution. So the mastermind Didi and I thought of the wonderful idea of contacting Beth Van Dine. She is a part of the faculty at TC3, but works from Chicago. She was the only one we thought would be able to accommodate these five girls from absolutely different backgrounds. So we emailed Beth asking for her hospitality. We were not very optimistic that we would get any response from her. I remember we were jumping with excitement when she emailed and told us that we could visit her. It was amazing; we got an opportunity to travel somewhere away from the village of Dryden. We had no idea what the city of Chicago was like. We only knew about the Chicago Bulls and that's it.
We reached Chicago on the 5th of January. Beth was there to pick us up at the airport, one of the largest and most beautiful in the U.S. Didi, Sisca, Syeda and Tulin hardly fit in the back of her car. Luckily, I had the privilege of sitting in the front seat the entire time, during our stay in Chicago. We reached Beth's house in about fifteen minutes. Her house was beautiful, and we felt embarrassed to enter with our snowy boats. Her lovely dog was on the entrance of the house to welcome us. Let me tell you we were bundled in as many clothes as we could. Beth was a little amused to see our “beautiful” attire.
We had no idea what the city was going to be like. The very next day we were on the train and were going to the Navy Pier and Millennium Park. The Navy Pier was colder because it was on the edge of the lake. Millennium Park was this huge place with a big metallic kidney bean. Millennium Park is the same place where Barack Obama delivered his victory speech. We also got a chance to go up to the Sears Tower for a city view. The architecture in the city is eye catching. It is unique and different. The city has buildings in many different styles of architecture. Many students of architecture come here from all over the world to study and observe the architecture styles.
Food was something exciting in Chicago, and Beth took us to different cafes and restaurants. We had some of the best tasting sandwiches, soups, and salads. She also treated us at one of the most popular Arabic restaurants, which served us enormous portions of delicious food. During our stay, we ate authentic Chinese food in China Town. The last night at Beth's house is a beautiful memory in our minds. Her Armenian friend made chicken barbeque for us. We talked and ate barbequed salmon, chicken, and delicious Russian cake.
Everything was fun in the windy city. However, the best part was the gigantic, beautiful, and elaborate museums. One of these was the planetarium. Sitting in it felt like sitting under peaceful moonlight. The planetarium staff informed us about the planets, stars, and constellations. The Art Museum was fortunately free for visitors on one of the days. It had a huge collection of antiques from China, Pakistan, India, Egypt, Indonesia and Greece. The Art Museum had a huge collection of paintings and also miniature art. The collections at the Art Museum and the Science and Industry Museum in Chicago attract tourists from different parts of the world. Theses museums serve a great purpose for students and researchers.
It was a great time for us women, from different parts of the world, along with our American host Beth Van Dine. We experienced being in one of the greatest cities of the world. Our trip would have not been possible if we had not been invited by Beth. Her house was cozy and warm in the cruel winter of Chicago. We got a chance to see the city in a real sense, not like a tourist. The memories of the city of Chicago, the music playing in Millennium Park, the people ice skating under the park, the metallic kidney bean, and the barking of Beth's dog causes me to smile.
Beenish Javed
Pakistan
Source: http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20090223/LOCAL05/902230334
New Zealand: A new PhD destination
Foreign students swell PhD rolls
By REBECCA TODD - The Press Monday, 23 February 2009
International students are swelling the ranks of New Zealand's PhD programmes, with foreign enrolments increasing across the board.
University of Otago director of graduate research services Charles Tustin said doctoral student numbers had risen from 849 in 2005 to 1104 last year.
The rise followed the Government's decision to allow international students to study for PhDs at domestic rates from 2006.
"We don't have a huge natural population, so, with the international side opening up, we have that much more interest," Tustin said.
The university was on track to meet a target of 10 per cent of all enrolled students doing masters degrees or PhDs by 2012, and had introduced a raft of new scholarships.
"Not all departments can take a whole lot more students; they can't just keep growing and growing, but others have scope for growth," he said.
Canterbury University dean of postgraduate studies Steve Weaver said the university had gained 100 PhD students over the past three years.
While Kiwi enrolments remained static, international numbers were increasing and now made up 30 per cent of all doctoral students.
Finding supervisors was a major issue, as some subjects and lecturers were at saturation point, he said.
Popular supervisors could be juggling up to 10 PhD students, but there was room for growth in areas such as education, business and economics and the arts.
"It's a balancing act, finding the facilities to cope with these international students."
Students from countries such as Saudi Arabia or Bangladesh were more demanding of time and resources because they came from such different cultural and religious backgrounds, Weaver said.
The quality of these international students was incredibly high, creating more competition for scholarships.
The university was trying to increase the number of scholarships to address the large enrolments, but the global recession meant returns on university investments were dropping, affecting the availability of scholarship money, he said.
Completion rates were also on the rise, driven by cost pressures and a strong research environment, Weaver said.
In 2006, there were 83 PhD completions, 99 in 2007 and 129 last year.
Professor Matthew Turnbull, of the university's School of Biological Sciences, said he had five doctoral students this year two from the United States, one from Pakistan and two from India.
"Certainly, the change in regulations made it a lot easier to recruit people from overseas," he said.
Lincoln University vice-chancellor for academic services Sheelagh Matear said Lincoln had experienced similar growth in international PhD student numbers, while domestic student numbers had remained stable. The quality of applications meant the university could be more selective about the researchers it accepted, she said.
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4856246a7694.html
By REBECCA TODD - The Press Monday, 23 February 2009
International students are swelling the ranks of New Zealand's PhD programmes, with foreign enrolments increasing across the board.
University of Otago director of graduate research services Charles Tustin said doctoral student numbers had risen from 849 in 2005 to 1104 last year.
The rise followed the Government's decision to allow international students to study for PhDs at domestic rates from 2006.
"We don't have a huge natural population, so, with the international side opening up, we have that much more interest," Tustin said.
The university was on track to meet a target of 10 per cent of all enrolled students doing masters degrees or PhDs by 2012, and had introduced a raft of new scholarships.
"Not all departments can take a whole lot more students; they can't just keep growing and growing, but others have scope for growth," he said.
Canterbury University dean of postgraduate studies Steve Weaver said the university had gained 100 PhD students over the past three years.
While Kiwi enrolments remained static, international numbers were increasing and now made up 30 per cent of all doctoral students.
Finding supervisors was a major issue, as some subjects and lecturers were at saturation point, he said.
Popular supervisors could be juggling up to 10 PhD students, but there was room for growth in areas such as education, business and economics and the arts.
"It's a balancing act, finding the facilities to cope with these international students."
Students from countries such as Saudi Arabia or Bangladesh were more demanding of time and resources because they came from such different cultural and religious backgrounds, Weaver said.
The quality of these international students was incredibly high, creating more competition for scholarships.
The university was trying to increase the number of scholarships to address the large enrolments, but the global recession meant returns on university investments were dropping, affecting the availability of scholarship money, he said.
Completion rates were also on the rise, driven by cost pressures and a strong research environment, Weaver said.
In 2006, there were 83 PhD completions, 99 in 2007 and 129 last year.
Professor Matthew Turnbull, of the university's School of Biological Sciences, said he had five doctoral students this year two from the United States, one from Pakistan and two from India.
"Certainly, the change in regulations made it a lot easier to recruit people from overseas," he said.
Lincoln University vice-chancellor for academic services Sheelagh Matear said Lincoln had experienced similar growth in international PhD student numbers, while domestic student numbers had remained stable. The quality of applications meant the university could be more selective about the researchers it accepted, she said.
Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4856246a7694.html
PhD positions in soil and environmental sciences at Denmark
Five PhD positions open for inquisitive and ambitious candidates within the International Research Education Programme for Soil Technology and Inter-disciplinary Research in Soil and Environmental Sciences, STAiR, Denmark
Description : STAiR is now looking for a number of bright and enthusiastic people with excellent MSc degrees in relevant natural science, agricultural or engineering disciplines to fill the following five PhD positions:
1. Soil pore characteristics and its hydraulic properties as affected by traffic-induced compaction and distortion
2. Linking the toxicity of organic soil contaminants to their chemical activity
3. Self-organization in the soil-microbe system
4. Long-term climate change effects on dynamics of microorganisms and carbon in the root zone
5. Wetland hydro-biogeochemical phosphorus cycling
Homepage: www.stair.agrproject.dk
Contact address : Lis.w.de.jonge@agrsci.dk
Name : Lis Wollesen de Jonge
Email : Lis.W.de.Jonge@agrsci.dk
Description : STAiR is now looking for a number of bright and enthusiastic people with excellent MSc degrees in relevant natural science, agricultural or engineering disciplines to fill the following five PhD positions:
1. Soil pore characteristics and its hydraulic properties as affected by traffic-induced compaction and distortion
2. Linking the toxicity of organic soil contaminants to their chemical activity
3. Self-organization in the soil-microbe system
4. Long-term climate change effects on dynamics of microorganisms and carbon in the root zone
5. Wetland hydro-biogeochemical phosphorus cycling
Homepage: www.stair.agrproject.dk
Contact address : Lis.w.de.jonge@agrsci.dk
Name : Lis Wollesen de Jonge
Email : Lis.W.de.Jonge@agrsci.dk
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