The Centre for East European Studies University of Warsaw
For details on scholarship conditions and scope as well as requirements for candidates, please see this booklet or visit www.studium.uw.edu.pl
THE CENTRE FOR EAST EUROPEAN STUDIES was established under the resolution of the University of Warsaw Senate in 1990 as part of the Institute of Oriental Studies. In 1991, EAST EUROPEAN SUMMER SCHOOL, a programme for young researchers from the former Soviet Union, was initiated (500 graduates by 2010). The SPECIALISED EAST EUROPEAN STUDIES PROGRAMME was solemnly inaugurated in the presence of the Prime Minister of Poland in 1998. The Programme’s ambition is to be the heir of the pre-war traditions of Polish East European studies conducted most intensely in Vilnius and Warsaw. It is a full-time, two-year master’s course, with 6 majors. POST-GRADUATE EAST EUROPEAN STUDIES have been available since 2000. In the academic year 2001/2002, the special EAST EUROPEAN STUDIES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME backed by government funds and intended for candidates from Central and Eastern Europe and from the former USSR was launched. One of the programme’s goals has been to give a chance of educating young elites coming from the entire region. Over 250 scholarships have been granted so far to students coming from 21 different countries (Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan). Three-year bachelor’s SPECIALIZED EAST EUROPEAN STUDIES was established in 2012. The aim of East European Studies is to educate a skilful group of specialists in East European affairs. The Centre has also co-implemented other programmes, such as the LANE KIRKLAND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME (economics) and the POLISH GOVERNMENT’S SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME (humanities). Since March 2004, our Centre has also organized, in cooperation with the College of Eastern Europe in Wroclaw, the EAST EUROPEAN WINTER SCHOOL, intended for students doing their last year of humanity studies and coming from Eastern Europe. In 2006, our Centre was also entrusted with the task of implementing the POLISH GOVERNMENT KONSTANTY
KALINOWSKI SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME intended for students from Belarus.
I. CANDIDATES
1. CANDIDATES may come from any of the countries of Eastern Europe, Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asia.
2. PREFERENCE will be given to candidates, who can prove their academic achievements or organizational activity and whose accomplishments would allow them to put advanced study in this specialization to good use in their own countries in various fields of academic or public life.
II. SCHOLARSHIP CONDITIONS
1. THE PROGRAMME lasts 2 years (4 semesters), of which the scholarship covers 9 months in a year. There is also a possibility of prolonging the scholarship for max. 1 month in the 2nd year of studies for finishing one’s thesis.
2. THE PROGRAMME of the studies encompasses East and Central European, Russian and the entire post-communist area’s history and contemporary affairs. It focuses on history, ethnicity and political science, but also includes elements of art history, literature, culture, sociology, geography demography, law and economics.
The programme also includes study of at least one of the region's languages.
3. THE PROGRAMME has six basic majors:
a) Eastern Europe b) Russia c) Caucasus
d) Central Asia e) Central Europe f) the Balkans
4. COURSES WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK of the East European Studies Programme are taught by Polish lecturers (the team of the Centre for East European Studies) and by a large group of guest faculty members, both Polish and foreign, including a US professor as part of the University of Warsaw-Fulbright Distinguished Chair in East European Studies.
5. THE SCHOLARSHIP COVERS:
a) Fees normally charged for foreign students who study at the University of Warsaw (approx. € 5,000/year)
b) Scholarship for foreign scholarship holders being graduates of foreign institutions of higher education (1350 PLN/month).
c) Polish language course (during the 1st semester of studies).
d) Course in one of the region's languages (for the two years of the programme)
e) Payment for a research tour in Poland (in the 1st year of studies).
6. CONDITIONS: scholarship holders must meet all the programme and scholarship requirements and prepare a final written thesis, to be submitted in Polish, at the conclusion of the programme.
7. IF these conditions are not satisfied or if the academic progress during the programme is insufficient, the scholarship may be withdrawn. The details of the scholarship conditions are stated in an agreement individually signed with each student.
III. REQUIREMENTS
1. COMPLETED MA studies or equal to them five-year studies, preferably in the humanities; research work or organizational and practical experience in the fields of interest of the East European Studies are desirable.
2. AGE LIMIT: 30.
3. GOOD background in the general issues concerning Eastern Europe, Central Europe, Russia, Central Asia and the Caucasus, particularly in the 19th and 20th century and contemporary affairs, and especially the periods of 1980s and after 1991.
4. PASSING GRADE in the written examination on general knowledge (subject matter as in point 3 above) and in the qualifying interview.
5. KNOWLEDGE of the Polish, English and Russian languages at a level guaranteeing that the student is able to understand the lectures and do the required reading – is essential.
IV. DOCUMENTS
1. COPY of university diploma (see III-1).
2. THOROUGHLY FILLED IN APPLICATION FORM of East European Studies Programme candidate (available at: www.studium.uw.edu.pl).
3. CONCISE (in Polish, up to 2 pages maximum) letter of motivation in application for the Scholarship, outlining the student’s future plans connected with the graduation from the East European Studies programme at the University of Warsaw. The student should also indicate which major he or she intends to choose (according to the list of majors provided in item II-3).
4. CURRICULUM VITAE written in English, sorted in the reverse chronological order (i.e. the most recent events are listed first), including 1 photograph.
5. LIST of all academic publications – for candidates who are already working in their field; others should include a list of their most significant academic written work, jobs, accomplishments or projects.
6. DOCUMENTS, such as certificates, examination results, etc., which certify the candidate’s knowledge of the Polish language.
7. OTHER information, documents or details that the candidate believes might assist the Admissions Committee in evaluating his or her application.
V. APPLICATION
1. THE COMPLETE SET of documents should be submitted by e-mail stypendia.studium@uw.edu.pl by 15th March 2013 at the latest.
2. BY 15th April 2013, the special Admissions Committee of the East European Studies Programme will decide on the results of the 1st stage of the competition and select applicants for the 2nd and 3rd stages; both groups will be immediately informed of the results by email and post.
3. PARTICIPANTS in the 2nd (written examination) and 3rd (qualifying interview) phases are to meet any and all further qualification requirements in the presence of members of the Admissions Committee or its appointed representatives between 1 - 31 May 2013 The qualifying interviews and examinations will take place both at Polish diplomatic posts abroad and in Poland. Detailed schedule will be announced.
4. THE FINAL decisions based on the qualification results will be taken by the Admissions Committee by 30th June 2013 and the list of winners of the 13th Competition for East European Studies Scholarships will be announced. All Scholarship holders will be informed via e-mail and post.
5. CANDIDATES with insufficient knowledge of Polish language, yet with favorable scientific exam results – will be obligated to learn the language on their own as candidates qualified conditionally. At the beginning of September 2013 they will undergo a further Polish language exams process.
VI. STUDIES
1. THE COURSES begin on 22nd September 2013 with the one week adaptive course for East European Studies of University of Warsaw.
2. FOREIGN SCHOLARSHIP HOLDERS will have the same schedule of semester breaks, winter and summer holidays as their Polish counterparts.
3. SCHOLARSHIP HOLDERS who meet all the programme requirements, satisfactorily complete all coursework, present and defend their theses shall receive a diploma attesting to their successful completion of the specialized two-year, supplementary Master's programme in
the Specialist EAST EUROPEAN STUDIES at the University of Warsaw.
4. THE DIPLOMA constitutes a legally valid certificate of graduation from a Polish institution of higher education, recognized according to adequate legal regulations in other member states of the European Union.
Please make the posters and information brochures available to anyone possibly interested.
The materials are also available on the website at: www.studium.uw.edu.pl
