Institutions and scholarships

SAIA, n.o., is a non-governmental non-profit organization implementing programmes and providing services aimed at enhancement of civil society and assisting in the internationalization of education and research in Slovakia since 1990.

SAIA came to existence in 1990’s at the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic. New conditions in the society naturally called for an independent information agency to guarantee access to information and provide advisory service on opportunities for study abroad. Such agency would also develop an open and transparent application system for distribution of scholarships offered to Slovakia by foreign governments and various non-profit organizations after the regime change.

Academic Mobility:

The establishment of SAIA in 1990 is directly related to this programme, it is financed by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of SR on the basis of contract signed with SAIA. Since 1990, more than 11,600 scholarship applicants for study abroad have been recommended and nominated in selection rounds. In 2000 – 2016, 1,532 international scholarship recipients have been admitted for study in Slovakia based on inter-governmental bilateral agreements.

CEEPUS:

The Programme started in 1994 to focus primarily on multilateral cooperation of higher education institutions and ECTS; currently CEEPUS III is being implemented with the main focus of joint degree diplomas and an effort to link education and research (which started in May 2011). The Programme promotes mobility of students, PhD students and university teachers by supporting cooperating networks and individual mobility with priority given to networks developing joint study programmes. 15 countries participate in the Programme: Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, and University of Pristina in Kosovo.

In Slovakia the Programme is funded by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of SR, SAIA, n. o., has been contracted by the Ministry of Education of SR to serve as the national office for the Programme. Within the CEEPUS Programme (since 2005) 1 714 participants went to study outside Slovakia and 1 168 international scholarship recipients studied in Slovakia.

Action Austria - Slovakia, Co-operation in Science and Education:

The programme was launched in 1992 and its fourth programming period runs since 2008. Its purpose is to promote and further develop cooperation between universities and scientific institutions in Slovakia and Austria through grant support to joint projects and individual scholarships. The programme is funded by annual contributions from Slovakia and Austria.

SAIA has been contracted by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of SR to serve as the programme office; the managing body of the programme is the joint Slovak-Austrian Managing Gremium of 10 members. Since the beginning of the 4th programming period about 30 projects, 231 individual scholarships of Slovak and 21 scholarships of Austrian applicants have been supported.

National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic:

The Programme financed by the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic supports mobility of Slovak and international students, PhD students, university teachers and researchers. It was created by the Slovak Government as part of the Action Plan of SR for implementing the Lisbon Strategy. In April 2006, the public procurement process resulted in a contract between the Ministry of Education and SAIA, n. o. to implement the Programme in the period 2006 – 2010. In 2009 the Slovak Government approved extension of the Programme under the Modernisation Programme Slovakia 21 and SAIA has become its administrator again.

Since 2007, submission, administration and evaluation of applications are handled on-line via the https://www.scholarships.sk/en portal. During the Programme’s existence a total of 2,088 scholarship and travel grant applications from Slovak applicants and 1,443 scholarship applications from international applicants interested in study or research stays in Slovakia was processed (numbers including the period 2006 – 2011). 

EURAXESS Slovakia:

EURAXESS Slovakia are centres for researchers and research organisations which help overcome obstacles and oversee that mobility programmes (designated for researchers) operate smoothly. They provide information and services to international and Slovak researchers and their families on various aspects of mobility, including practical information (on issues of social security, taxes, visa and residence permits, or study opportunities for family members) related to the stay in another country. With their services and activities, they intend to support career development of researchers in all stages of their careers.

EURAXESS Slovakia is part of the European EURAXESS Network, more than 200 centres operating in 40 countries. The centres were created by the initiative of the European Commission in 2004. SAIA in Bratislava is the coordinator of the project on national level with national network of EURAXESS centres situated in all of its 5 offices. Currently the initiative is financially supported by the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of SR and by the European Commission.

AIESEC (International Association of Students in Economics and Business) is a worldwide youth-led organization that offers opportunities for students and recent graduates to gain practical experience through exchange programmes. 

For more information, go to their website: https://www.aiesecsk.org/.

Placement UK is a conference of student employment organizations in the UK, which offers the perfect place for organizations, businesses, universities and students to share ideas and form partnerships amongst themselves. Placement UK is a brilliant way to form new connections, gain experience, and learn more about a multitude of topics within your field.

To find out more about their conferences, events, and programmes, go to their website: http://www.placement-uk.com.

The Fulbright Program is one of the most widely recognized international educational exchange programs in the world. Led by the U.S. government in partnership with over 160 countries worldwide, Fulbright offers programs and scholarships for passionate and accomplished students, scholars, artists, teachers, and professionals of all backgrounds. Fulbright is built on the foundation of cooperation and mutual understanding between nations, improving education across various communities, and improving lives around the world.

For more information, go to the Fulbright website: https://www.fulbright.sk/en/. 

The DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) offers many programmes, scholarships for studying in Germany or abroad, and information about student exchanges, living in Germany, work, research, and much more. 

For more information, go to their website: https://www.daad.de/en/.

The UN website offers information about job offers, career options, and other useful advice.

For more information, go to their website: http://careers.un.org.