EXCHANGE TAKE-OFF 2015-2016

26-5-2015 pag. 3

Exchange Take-Off

Programme

• Welcome, dr. Jacqueline Couder, Head International Relations and Mobility Office (IRMO)

• General preparation information

• Testimonials : Exchange in Spain and South-Korea

• Specific information per scholarship programme

• Award ‘Erasmus Photographer of the Year’ by EPOS

• Drink

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Exchange Take-Off

!! Congratulations !!

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Administration before departure

IRMO

• Project responsible

• Specific info students & staff

• Contact host HEI, EPOS, EACEA, FKA, ...

SAC

• Exchange administration

• Learning Agreement, ...

• Contact host HEI

Exchange Coordinator

• Academic content Learning Agreement

• Changes Learning Agreement

exchange.outgoing@vub.ac.be

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Administration before departure

• Grant agreement -scholarship program

• Application host institution

• Application VUB -finalize if documents are still missing

• Resit exams -‘tweede zit’ Check faculty procedure

After resit, faculty sends list of students that can start their exchange

→ IRMO and SAC: follow-up administration with students

Check start dates of semester at host institution (August-September)

• Register at the VUB for the academic year 2015-16

(Student Selfservice - SAC)

• Inform friends and/or family of your whereabouts

(destination, address, phone number)

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Housing

Belgium

• Contract 1 year - 1 semester

• Sublet

• Clear arrangements with landlord

• Promote via Facebook group ‘International Students@VUB’

E: international.relations@vub.ac.be

Abroad

• Host institution

Dormitories: check application procedure & deadlines

• Private market

Rental price: short-term vs long-term

Included: energy, internet, etc.

Insurance (fire, third party liability)

Contract (termination, etc.)

Use your common sense (money transfers, etc.)!

• Some destinations are very cheap compared to Brussels, others quite expensive

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Travel

• Valid ID-card and/or passport

• Non-EU countries: valid visa

→ Student visa, not a tourist visa

→ Apply at concerned embassy in Belgium (Invitation Letter of host institution and/or project)

• Copy of Invitation Letter and/or scholarship program

• Make several copies of your documents (paper and/or electronic)

• Mandatory/recommended vaccinations?

• Air: check luggage allowance (carry-on and check-in); check specia l deals for international students by some airline companies

• Cash and debit and/or credit cards

• Travel advice: ‘Buitenlandse Zaken – Reisadviezen’

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Insurance

• VUB cover: accidents & third party liability (study related) abroad, for studies & traineeship

• Student: health & travel insurance (‘reisbijstand’)

• Make sure you are insured for your ENTIRE period of stay abroad

• Double-check with your current provider and take out extra insurance if necessary

• See also MY.VUB, Verzekeringen

• Erasmus+ Traineeship after Graduation:

Health & travel insurance

Accidents & third party liability cover (receiving company, not via VUB!)

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Language preparation

• Erasmus+ Online Linguistic Support

Online test (before & after mobility)

Online courses

English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch

• ACTO, Academic Language Center

Language courses & tests

MY.VUB

• Host institution

Credits or not (Learning Agreement)

Participation fee or not

• Private language schools in Brussels or host country

• Summer crash course

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Practical info host institution & exchange

• Check the webpages of your host institution International Office pages

Student pages

• Local Erasmus Student Network (ESN) chapter or International Students Club

• Get in touch with your incoming exchange VUB classmates

• Contact former VUB exchange students

• Join ESN VUB-EhB Brussels

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Practicalities -administration

• Kinderbijslag?

• Inschakelings- en werkloosheidsuitkering?

• Belgian taxes?

• ...

http://www.kamiel.info/

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Arrival host institution

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Arrival host institution

• Arrive 1 week before the start of the semester

• Welcome Days & activities

• Registration International Office & University

Student card

Certificate of Arrival

Course schedule

Other docs

• Meeting Department and/or Faculty

• Local Erasmus Student Network (ESN) chapter or International Students Club

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Arrival host institution

• Changes to Learning Agreement

Contact VUB exchange coordinator for confirmation

Consult exchnage coordinator or supervisor at host institution

Send signed LA to SAC (signed by you and the host HEI)

Deadlines: 31 October 2015 (sem 1) and 1 March 2015 (sem 2)

• Registration of VUB & host HEI courses

VUB courses: register for your VUB courses on your LA, in Student Selfservice

Host HEI courses: registration done by VUB faculty

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During your exchange

Stay in touch!

Keep us and your VUB fellow students informed about your (study) adventures abroad!

• Photos, testimonials, holiday wishes, etc.

• VUB Facebook page

• #deweekvan on VUB Instagram

• Post your pics: #vub #abroad

• Interested?

Contact Nicky Temmerman & Jan Puttevils, Marcom

E: marcom@vub.ac.be

Subject: De week van - Instagram

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During your exchange

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During your exchange

• In case of emergency

Local emergency services

Belgian embassy or consulate (or other EU embassy)

Host institution

Family/friends

Academic issues: VUB exchange coordinator

Administrative issues: SAC

exchange.outgoing@vub.ac.be

international.relations@vub.ac.be

• Travels

Rules & regulations scholarship program + host institution

Weekends and/or academic holidays

Check your private insurance cover

Check (for non-EU destinations) visa regulations & travel advice of Belgian foreign affairs

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Return to the VUB

• Submit signed ‘Certificate of Arrival & Departure’ to SAC

• Transcript of Records (=grade sheet)

• Other docs

• Grade conversion & credit/traineeship recognition

Faculty, department, exchange coordinator

• Online survey or other evaluation

• Erasmus+ : 2nd OLS test

• Remain internationally active!

Join one of the International Student Associations VUB:

ESN VUB-EhB, AIESEC, BEST, IAESTE, AEGEE, etc.

MY.VUB

• Become a buddy for a new international VUB student!

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Testimonials

• Carmen Mazijn, WE, Universidad de Granada – Spain

• Emre Simsek, ES, Korea University – South Korea

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Erasmus+ KA1

• Contact

SAC: Maxime De Schepper, Evie Kerselaers

IRMO: Griet Wijns, Nikki Van Tendeloo

E: exchange.outgoing@vub.ac.be

• Studies & Traineeship

• After exams June & September

Final confirmation by faculty (YES/NO/ON CONDITION OF PASSING RESIT EXAMS)

Erasmus+ grant agreement (to be signed by you, acceptance of grant, deadline: 1 Oct 2015)

VUB Erasmus+ student certificate

Erasmus+ Student Charter (rights & obligations)

Certificate of Arrival & Departure (to be signed by host institution)

Invitation Letter Host Institution

Online Linguistic Support (OLS): Test before departure

Online course when language level is not high enough

Second test upon return

Mandatory for payment of grant

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Erasmus+ KA1

• Grant amounts:

3 country groups

Studies versus Traineeship

‘(Bijna) beursstudent’ (Flemish government)

30 days/ 1 month

Payment: 70% arrival (Nov 2015) - 30% departure (Certificate Arrival

& Departure, Transcript of Records, second OLS test, online survey)

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Erasmus+ KA1

• Group 1 Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Norway, Austria, United

Kingdom, Sweden

(Bijna) beursstudent

Geen beursstudent

Studies Traineeship

€ 435 € 435

Studies Traineeship

€ 335 € 435

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Erasmus+ KA1

• Group 2 Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Croatia, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Portugal,

Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic, Turkey

(Bijna) beursstudent

Geen beursstudent

Studies Traineeship

€ 385 € 385

Studies Traineeship

€ 285 € 385

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Erasmus+ KA1

• Group 3 Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Romania,

Slovakia, FYROM

(Bijna) beursstudent

Geen beursstudent

Studies Traineeship

€ 335 € 335

Studies Traineeships

€ 235 € 335

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Switzerland

• No longer an Erasmus+ program country

• Contact

SAC: Maxime De Schepper, Evie Kerselaers

IRMO: Griet Wijns, Nikki Van Tendeloo

E: exchange.outgoing@vub.ac.be

• Grant will be covered by the Swiss government

• Contact host HEI for exact amount for 2015-16

• 2014-15:

Studies: €300-350

Traineeships: €350

• After exams June & September

Final confirmation by faculty (YES/NO/ON CONDITION OF PASSING RESIT EXAMS)

VUB exchange student certificate

Certificate of Arrival & Departure (to be signed by host institution)

Invitation Letter Host Institution

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Erasmus Belgica

• Contact

SAC: Maxime De Schepper, Evie Kerselaers

IRMO: Griet Wijns, Nikki Van Tendeloo

E: exchange.outgoing@vub.ac.be

• After exams June & September

Final confirmation by faculty (YES/NO/ON CONDITION OF PASSING RESIT EXAMS)

Erasmus Belgica grant agreement

VUB Erasmus Belgica student certificate

Certificate of Arrival & Departure (to be signed by host institution)

Invitation Letter Host Institution

Grant amount:

‘Kot’ & proof of rental contract: €100/month

No ‘kot’: €100 (1x)

Exchange to China

650 Euro/month + 1,100 Euro travel (return flight) Exemption from registration fees

- Complete official application/admission procedure required by Asian university. - Arranging the accomodation (on campus), based on the information from host university.

Enrollment around 1st week September (in case of China) – suggest to arrive earlier.

- Initial Request Transfer (15 days prior to the expected departure date): send flight booking and signed Initial Transfer Form to ASEM DUO → receive first two month fund.

- Final Request Transfer (start of the 3rd month of exchange period) → receive last two month fund.

1700 RMB/month + Accommodation + textbooks + Insurance + travel (return flight) Exemption from registration fees

Contacted directly by the coordinator of Flanders (Departement Onderwijs en Vorming) & Chinese Embassy in Belgium.

ASEM DUO Flanders - China DUO

Scholarship

Host University

Purchase flight tickets & Apply for visa (For China, it takes 1 to 2 weeks).

- Confirm the scholarship (informed by IRMO or scholarship coodinator). - Follow instructions as exchange students, and complete VUB procedures for outgoing students.

Request fund

Enroll at host university

*Chinese visa application: for exchange students staying in China less than 6 months, you are exempted from the physical examination.

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Transition Fellowship Programme

• Contact

SAC: Maxime De Schepper, Evie Kerselaers

IRMO: Hilde De Haseleer

E: hilde.de.haseleer@vub.ac.be; exchange.outgoing@vub.ac.be

• After exams June & September

Final confirmation by faculty (YES/NO/ON CONDITION OF PASSING RESIT EXAMS)

• Letter of Acceptance – VLUHR (to be signed by you and sent to IRMO)

• Book your flight ticket (refunded by VLUHR, based on distance, max. €1100)

• Request for transfer document + copy flight ticket (send to IRMO)

• Certificate of Arrival & Departure (to be signed by host institution)

• Invitation Letter Host Institution

• Grant amount:

€650 or 850/month (max. 4 months) (80% advance – 20% departure, report)

• Upon return:

Report

Copy passport (arrival and departure date)

• Travel during your stay: ONLY during academic holidays + notify VLUHR

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The Washington Center

• Contact

SAC: Maxime De Schepper, Evie Kerselaers

IRMO: Hilde De Haseleer

E: hilde.de.haseleer@vub.ac.be; exchange.outgoing@vub.ac.be

• After exams June & September

Final confirmation by faculty (YES/NO/ON CONDITION OF PASSING RESIT EXAMS)

TWC application (IRMO → TWC)

• ‘Request for Transfer’ document– VLUHR (to be signed by you and sent to IRMO)

• ‘Repayment of scholarship on withdrawal’ document

• Book your flight ticket (part of VLUHR grant)

• Grant amount:

€7,500 or € 9,000 (1 transfer)

• Upon return:

Report

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Generieke beurzen

• Contact: Ms. Nikki Van Tendeloo, IRMO

E: Nikki.Van.Tendeloo@vub.ac.be

• Learning agreement (studies/training): SAC & VUB exchange coordinator

E SAC: exchange.outgoing@vub.ac.be

• Sign Grant Agreement VUB – student

• Certificate of Arrival & Departure

• Monthly grant (€650 or €850) + travel fee (distance Brussels- host university, max. €1.100)

• Flanders Knowledge Area will announce results in 3rd week May 2015

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Other

• Group mobility

Contact: Mrs. Katrijn D’Herdt, LK

ELON University

Learning Agreement: SAC & VUB exchange coordinator

• Agreements VUB

Contact: Ms. Nikki Van Tendeloo, IRMO

Crepuq universities in Québec; universities in South-Korea

Learning Agreement: SAC & VUB exchange coordinator

• ISEP

Contact: Vesalius College

Learning Agreement: SAC & VUB exchange coordinator

• Universidad Catolica Bolivia 'San Pablo‘

Contact: Prof. Gerrit Loots, PE

Learning Agreement: SAC & VUB exchange coordinator

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Erasmus Photographer of the Year

GOOD LUCK WITH THE EXAMS

ENJOY YOUR EXCHANGE

Q&A + DRINK

ROOM NELSON MANDELA