Bilateral state scholarships are based on scientific and educational cooperation agreements signed by the governments of two countries. Similarly to the foreign partner, the Hungarian side offers scholarships for foreign students, researchers or lecturers in higher education institutions or in scientific or art institutions. Each foreign partner has a national scholarship office which is responsible for nominating potential outgoing scholars to foreign partner(s), as well as arranging their and the potential incoming foreign applicants’ application process. These offices work within or related to the particular ministries of education. In Hungary, the national scholarship office is Tempus Public Foundation, a background organisation of the Hungarian Ministry of Innovation and Technology (MIT).
Bilateral state scholarships can be applied for in two ways:
1) Being nominated by the home country
In this case, applicants first submit their applications to their national scholarship office, as required by the office. (The national office assesses them along a number of criteria and prepares a nomination list of the successful applicants.) The scholars also need to submit an application into Tempus Public Foundation’s online system. Tempus Public Foundation receives its foreign partner office’s list of nominated scholars.
2) Submitting an individual application
If not being nominated by the home country, applicants simply need to submit their applications into Tempus Public Foundation’s online system.
In both of the above cases, after submission, applications are assessed by the Hungarian side: first, a formal eligibility check is made, then Tempus Public Foundation’s external experts score the applications along several professional criteria. As a result, applicants (and in the case of country nomination, the national offices, as well), are informed about the decision (acceptance/rejection) directly by email. Tempus Public Foundation also sends other necessary information in order to help organise and start the stay in Hungary.
For information about bilateral state scholarship types available in Hungary please, click HERE!
Links and sources: studyinhungary.hu – Bilateral State Scholarship