A specific cooperation process between Asia and Europe in the field of education – and more specifically higher education – has been set up in the context of the Asia-Europe Meeting. During the Asia-Europe Meeting of Ministers of Education held in Kuala Lumpur in 2013, the Wallonia-Brussels Federation announced it would participate in the ASEM-DUO Fellowship Programme as of 2014.
DUO/Wallonia-Brussels has been established at the Wallonia-Brussels Federation in order to promote “paired exchanges” between professors from Wallonia-Brussels HEIs and Asian ones. Mobility must be carried out over a period of 3 weeks to 2 months and by "pair", i.e. a professor/researcher from an FWB institution goes to an Asian partner institution and vice versa. However, candidates don't necessarily have to work in the same field of study.
Generally, the ASEM-DUO Fellowship Programme (dating from 2001) aims at:
- Promoting balanced mobility of higher education professors between the two regions;
- Setting up regular exchange programmes between HEIs;
- Reinforcing cooperation and dialogue across both regions.
The list of partner countries is: Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
What kind of financial support?
The DUO Belgium/Wallonia-Brussels grants are awarded annually to a pair of professors for a project that should take place between August 1st of the academic year and August 31st of the following academic year.
The duration and the amount of the grants enter these conditions:
01/ Duration of stay
The duration of the exchange should be of at least 3 weeks and of maximum 2 months.
02/ Amount of the scholarship
The amount of the grant awarded to the pair of professors is 5,000€ for the two professors. This amount includes mobility and per diem costs.
How to introduce an application?
The application must be formally submitted by the institution belonging to the FWB, as ONE single PDF document to the following address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The institution belonging to the FWB applies for both partner institutions. In each higher education institution, a contact person must be clearly identified. The person responsible for the application is the one belonging to the Belgian institution and should ideally be the institution’s representative for international relations. This person is responsible for coordinating the exchange and for sending a complete application, including the documents for both applicants.
01/ Documents to inclose
Documents have to be sent in ONE single PDF document:
- The completed application form of the current call for the DUO/Wallonia-Brussels Fellowship Programme. The application form must be typewritten and submitted in PDF format;
- A copy of the academic cooperation agreement between paired institutions or the declaration of intent to sign one in the two following years;
- The passport copies of the two applicants;
- The resume of both applicants (maximum 5 pages).
02/ Eligibility criteria
The applicants must meet all eligibility requirements:
- applications should be submitted by a pair of academic or scientific staff from higher education institutions, one from the FWB and one from Asia ;
- candidates must be remunerated by their respective institutions and it must be their main occupation (full or part-time (50%)) ;
- the Wallonia-Brussels and Asian HEIs must be recognised/accredited by the competent authorities in the field of higher education ;
- the Asian institution must be located in one of the following countries : Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam ;
- the Wallonia-Brussels and Asian HEIs must sign a cooperation agreement or must have expressed the intention to sign one in the two following years ;
- the call is open to all disciplines. The two members of the duo do not have to belong to the same disciplines ;
- the citizenship of the candidate is not a criterion for eligibility ;
The following groups are not entitled for a fellowship:
- students and PhD students,
- professors emeritus and honorary,
- teaching assistants.
Exemptions are possible for the colleges of arts. The selection committee will assess on a case-by-case basis.
The exchange must necessarily take place between the two same institutions, but does not need to take place in the same time span, nor between two identical departments.
03/ Selection criteria
ARES selects beneficiaries of the ASEM-DUO Wallonia Brussels Fellowship Programme based on the following criteria:
- The scientific, academic or artistic quality of the submitted project ;
- The originality of the project ;
- The scientific, academic or artistic quality of the applicants (e.g. publications, publications with the partner institution, research or artistic project, exhibitions, work experience, competitions, academic background, etc.) ;
- The expected impact of the grant on the work and professional career of the applicant ;
- The expected impact of the grant on the applicant’s institution ;
- The explanation for the duration of the trip ;
- The quality of bilateral relations between the Wallonia-Brussels institution and the Asian partner ;
- The relevance of financial support for the applicants ;
- The complementarity of the projects submitted between the members of the duo (if the projects are different).
04/ Application form
Applications must be submitted on the date mentionned in the documents. No applications will be accepted beyond the deadline:
> Download the call for applications for an ASEM-DUO scholarship
> Download the application form for an ASEM-DUO scholarship
After the exchange?
No later than 2 months after their final return date, the beneficiaries undertake to send back a report of their stay in PDF format using a form that will be sent to them at the same time as the agreement. This report will describe the results of the project in the target country, according to the following structure:
- A summary of the project (10 lines),
- The actions/research carried out during the visit and the results obtained,
- The course of the visit,
- The impact of your visit on your institution,
- The contribution of the ASEM-DUO programme to this particular project,
- Positive points and improvements to be made to the ASEM-DUO programme.
FAQ
02/ How to find an eligible partner?
If you already have a partner, you must then check that he or she actually works for an eligible higher education institution (HEI) of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB) and meets the conditions of eligibility.
If you do not have a partner yet, you can inquire with the international relations office of your institution to find out whether your institution already has a partnership with a HEI in the FWB. Alternatively, you can check the list of HEIs dealing with areas related to your project and contact, for instance, the head of international relations office, the head of the research department, or the heads of faculty / department of these institutions.
03/ Are electronic signatures accepted?
You have two options regarding signatures: either the document is signed by hand and then scanned, or you save the completed form in PDF format and you, and your authorities, append your authenticated signatures.
04/ Can I split my stay of min. 3 weeks and max. 2 months in two trips?
Yes, you can split your stay in two trips in order to meet, after your second trip, the minimum length of stay of three weeks in total. However, in this case, we draw your attention on the fact that most of your grant will be spent in transportation fees.
05/ If my application is selected, will I be allowed to modify the travel dates stated in my application file?
Yes, you can change your travel dates up to one month after the deadline for signing the agreement between you, your partner and ARES, i.e. until September 30.
06/ How do I demonstrate the intent to sign an agreement to meet the eligibility criteria?
This is a co-signed letter (or two separate signed letters) from the authorities of both institutions, or their representatives, stating the intention of both parties to sign an inter-institutional agreement within the next 2 years.
MORE INFORMATION: International Relations Department - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
