9 Jun 2017

India-Pakistan: Three Years of Wasted Efforts?

Rana Banerji


Despite flash in the pan initiatives like the May 2014 invitation to SAARC Heads of Government at its inauguration and the `out of box’ Lahore visit in December 2015, the incumbent Indian government’s relations with Pakistan remain mired in a bitter stalemate. Both sides seem caught in a test of wills, promoting opposing visions of how relations can be normalised and pursuing mutually exclusive, self-sufficient narratives on why talks between them end in mutual recrimination instead of mutual understanding. For Pakistan, it is the resolution of the Kashmir dispute, whereas India accords higher priority to terrorism.
 
Ironically enough, during the 2013 election campaign in Pakistan, public opinion there did not think obsessively about India. When India approached elections in 2014, there were credible assessments about the possible BJP victory. Sections of the intellectual elite and media even projected that detente had a better chance of succeeding whenever strong leadership existed in both countries. However, among hardliners, an almost visceral dislike of Modi persisted, as they expected a turn towards ultra-nationalism in India. A year down the line, even this grudging optimism had eroded. Escalated military confrontation along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB), provocative incidents like Uri, Pathankot and now, the Kulbhushan Jadhav abduction have confirmed worst fears that no silver linings can be found in a relationship so burdened by history. 

Talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif - on the sidelines of the July 2015 Ufa summit - saw a much delayed resumption of the engagement process between two countries. However, the way the Ufa resolution was played up, over-emphasising terrorism and underplaying Kashmir, it put the Pakistani side on the defensive. After Ufa, new ‘red lines’, suddenly delineated about when to meet with the All Parties’ Hurriyat Conference and what to do or not do with them, and led to the cancellation of the Foreign Secretary-level talks that were slated to be held in Islamabad in August 2015. Also, terror incidents with an evident Pakistani hand, in Gurdaspur, Punjab and Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir, saw a familiar pattern of tension being ratcheted up.

Prime Minister Modi’s surprise visit to Lahore in December 2015 signified a clever use of symbolism to generate impetus to the peace process. As the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Pakistan after 11 years, it was welcomed by major opposition parties and civil society in Pakistan. However, predictably enough, spoilers from across the border soon threw a spanner in the works. On 02 January 2016, a major militant attack was carried out by suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants on the Pathankot Air base in India. Though a Pakistani Joint Investigation team (JIT), including officials from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence was allowed to visit the site in March 2016, the promise to assist in investigations on the Pakistani side never materialised. In fact, a report in `Pakistan Today’, a pro-establishment paper, quoting a source within the JIT, even alleged that this was a `false flag’ incident, stage-managed to give Pakistan a bad name.

Pakistan’s bad name as a state sponsor of terror is globally acknowledged, especially after nine years of feet-dragging in the trial of the seven accused in Pakistan in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks case. Arch terrorist, Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi was granted bail. Trial Judges keep getting changed. As one of Pakistan’s most respected police officers, Tariq Khosa, who headed their Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) remarked in August 2015, "Pakistan has to deal with the Mumbai mayhem, planned and launched from its soil. This requires facing the truth and admitting mistakes".

Though Pakistan was forced on the defensive, when Kashmir began to simmer again, an opening presented itself. The mention of Balochistan during the Indian Prime Minister’s Independence Day speech in August 2016 was seen as a menacing and malign challenge. Buoyed by new promises of Chinese support, the Pakistan Army probably did not want to let it go unanswered. Plans for Kulbhushan Jadhav’s abduction from Iran may have been set in motion. Earlier, a Karachi underworld criminal, Uzair Baloch had been arrested and taken into Army custody, as part of the cleanup operations undertaken by Pakistan Rangers. Pakistan is now claiming Jadhav was mixed up also in the Karachi terrorist violence.

Pakistan suffered a setback though, in the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) provisional relief judgment at The Hague in May 2017. Asserting jurisdiction under Article 36(1) of its statute, the ICJ stayed Kulbhushan Jadhav’s execution and ruled that `spies’ or `terrorists’ cannot be excluded from consular access under the Vienna Convention. This completely vindicated the Indian position.

Though Jadhav may not be immediately hanged, the Pakistan Army seems in no mood to react rationally to this verdict. Consular access is unlikely to be given. The Sajjan Jindal track II initiative was seen in Pakistani media as too surreptitious, a move not possessing the blessings of their military establishment. It would be unreasonable to expect the civilian leadership in Pakistan to construct any diplomatic or legal strategy where the Army is on a different page. Positions in Pakistan seem to be hardening, with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly passing a resolution demanding Jadhav’s execution. Because of this case, relations may worsen before they get better.

Over the past three years, the incumbent government in India has tried out various hard-line postures. This does not seem to have worked. An alternative approach for India would be to make talks with Pakistan 'periodic' or almost routine, without any expectation of outcomes. However, before that we must set our own house in Kashmir in order, quelling the unrest in South Kashmir.

After the ICJ verdict humiliation, albeit temporary, an assessment is needed, possibly through a new `Track II‘ outreach to the appropriate quarters, on what would be the minimum terms of Indo-Pak engagement the Pakistan Army could live with. A way forward could then be sought through a mix of gradual, middle of the road approaches, in respect of long-pending or contentious bilateral issues, accommodating reasonable expectations on both sides, based on abiding national interests.

In the present ambience of unmitigated hostility, even small steps in this direction seem unlikely.

8 Jun 2017

Sony World Photography Awards 2018 Competition. USD30,000 Prize Money

Application Deadlines: 
Professional: 11th January, 2018 – 11:59pm GMT
Youth & Open: 4th January, 2018 – 11:59pm GMT
Student Focus: 4th December, 2017 – 11:59pm GMT
Eligible Countries: All
To be taken at (country): The hugely popular Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition, featuring a selection of winning, shortlisted and commended images, is curated at the prestigious Somerset House, London each Spring.
Fields of Competition:
  • Professional – 10 categories, judged on a body of work
  • Open – 10 categories, rewarding the best single images
    ○ National Awards – Entries submitted to the Open competition are automatically entered into the National Awards based on nationality (please check if your individual country is participating).
  • Youth – for all photographers aged 12-19, a single image responding to one brief
  • Student Focus – for those studying photography
About the Award: Open to all photographers, the Awards are an authoritative voice in the photographic industry that has the power to shape the careers of its winning and short-listed photographers. Each year the competition attracts both emerging talent and established artists and presents the world’s best photography from the last 12 months to a global audience.
Hosted by the World Photography Organisation, the Awards are open for work in four main competition categories: Professional, Open, Youth and Student Focus. The 2017 edition sees new categories introduced across all competitions challenging photographers to push their creative boundaries.
Last year, the Awards attracted 230,103 entries from 186 countries!
The World Photography Organisation is a global platform for photography initiatives. Working across more than 180 countries, their aim is to raise the level of conversation around photography by celebrating the best imagery and photographers on the planet.
Type: Competition
Eligibility: All submitted images must have been taken in 2016.
View individual eligibility, selection criteria and procedure for each competition on the Competition Webpage (Right-Hand Corner)
Value of Competition: Global exposure is given to not only to the overall winners, but also to shortlisted and commended photographers.
Recognised photographers can receive:
  • Exhibition at Somerset House, London
  • Potential to be included in international exhibitions
  • Inclusion in the annual Sony World Photography Awards book
  • Potential to work with Sony and other partners on a variety of projects
How to Apply:
Award Provider: World Photography Organisation

Andela Nigeria Paid Fellowship (Cycle XXV) for Nigerian Tech Students 2017

Application Deadline: 30th June, 2017
Eligible Countries: Nigeria
To be taken at (country): Nigeria
About the Award: The Andela Fellowship is a four-year paid technical leadership program designed to shape you into an exceptional software engineer. The program requires that you dedicate yourself to the broader Andela community and requires that you apply yourself and challenge yourself to constantly improve personally and professionally throughout the four years of the Fellowship.
Andela’s four-year Technical Leadership Program is a blend of personalized instruction, supported self-study and hands-on experience building real products. Instead of paying tuition, as you would for a traditional academic program, you’ll earn a competitive salary and benefits throughout your four years with Andela.
After successfully completing the initial training period, you’ll be fully prepared to start working with one of our clients as a full-time, distributed team member. During the remaining 3.5 years, you’ll apply your knowledge to client work, while receiving ongoing professional and technical development, coaching and mentorship.
Type: Fellowship
Eligibility: 
  • You must be 18 or older
  • Andela does not have any degree or diploma requirements. (Nigeria only: However, if you have completed university or have a Higher National Diploma from a Polytechnic, and have not been formally exempted, you must complete your one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) before applying to Andela)
  • Andela is a full-time, four-year commitment, so if you have any major commitment such as school or work, we recommend applying when you have graduated, stopped school or ended other commitments
  • Most importantly, you must embody Andela’s values: Excellence, Passion, Integrity and Collaboration
Number of Awardees: Not specified
Value of Fellowship: Through extensive training and work experience with top global technology companies, you’ll master the professional and technical skills needed to become a technology leader, both on the African continent and around the world.
We are training future leaders committed to helping others succeed. As you advance in the program, you’ll mentor and support the next generation of Andela fellows. The Technical Leadership Program prepares you for endless career paths, including founding your own company, moving into management positions at Andela, and taking leadership roles at local and global tech companies. Graduates become a part of an exclusive alumni network and have access to career support, advice and opportunities.
  • Competitive monthly salary
  • High speed fibre internet
  • Financing plans for accommodations and a Macbook Pro
  • Breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday
  • Healthcare coverage
  • Savings account ($5,000 USD upon completion of Fellowship)
  • A community of excellence
  • A chance to change the world
Duration of Fellowship: 4 years
How to Apply: Join the Andela movement by applying via Fellowship Webpage link below
It is important to go through the Application Procedure and FAQs before applying.
Award Provider: Andela

Wells Fargo Accelerator Programme for FinTech Startups 2017

Application Deadline:  23rd June, 2017
Offered annually? Semi-annual (Twice in a year)
Eligible Countries: All
To be taken at (country): United States
About the Award: The Wells Fargo Startup Accelerator is a hands-on program focused on startups that create solutions for financial institutions and enterprise customers. The semiannual boot camp is for innovators who seek to shape the future of financial services. Companies join Wells Fargo’s accelerator to refine their potential breakthrough technologies for financial services and other applications.
Offered Since: 2014
Type: Entrepreneurship
Eligibility: All interested
Number of Awardees: 6 Investments in 5 Companies
Duration of Programme: 6 months
Value of Scholarship:  Up to $500,000 in investment along with support in the following areas
Accelerator: We aim to be a valued resource no matter where you are in your business cycle. Whether early in your company’s development or you are fully operational, we support our selected startups in a variety of ways.
Resources: More than money, our experienced team will lend you a hand. We’ll test your concept to help validate its technology and market direction. In addition, we will help make your product enterprise ready.
Network: Your participation in Wells Fargo Startup Accelerator opens up a world of diverse perspectives from industry experts, mentors, venture capitalists, and senior executives within Wells Fargo.
Application Process:
Apply: Interested startups should apply here
Review and Decision: The review process includes technical and executive reviews. First stage review results are typically emailed 5-10 days after an application period ends.
Programme Start:After a company is selected, one or more advisors will be assigned to collaborate on developing the partnering strategy with Wells Fargo and if applicable, assist in the execution of proof of concept projects.
Leverage Networking Opportunities: Let us connect you with industry leading experts, mentors, executives, and venture capitalists.
Award Provider: Wells Fargo

Alfred Friendly Press Partners Fellowship for Journalists from Developing Countries 2017

Application Deadline: 31st  August 2017
Eligible Countries: Developing Countries
To be taken at (country): Missouri School of Journalism and U.S. newsrooms, USA
About the Award: The Alfred Friendly Press Fellowships are aimed at providing fellows with experience in reporting, writing and editing that will enhance future professional performance; transferring knowledge gained during the program to colleagues at home; and fostering ties between journalists in the United States and other countries.
Type: Fellowship
Eligibility: To be eligible, candidates must be:
  • Early-career professional journalists from developing countries with proficiency in English
  • 25-35 years old
  • have at least three years of experience as a journalist at a print, online or broadcast media outlet.
  • Participants who work as staff reporters in their host newsrooms are required to develop training plans that they implement when they return to their home newsrooms. ​
Number of Awards: Not specified
Value of Program: Fellows receive travel, health insurance and basic living expenses.
Duration of Program: 6 months.The ​all-inclusive ​fellowship starts in mid-March and ends in early September.
How to Apply: Click here to apply
Award Provider: Alfred Friendly Press Partners

CIVICUS/REPAOC Fellows Program for Civil Society Leaders 2017

Application Deadline: 16th June, 2017.
Eligible Countries: African countries
To be taken at (country): Dakar, Senegal
About the Award: CIVICUS’ Fellows Programme is an exciting new venture in which key professionals are placed with CIVICUS national/regional member organisations for a period of 2 years. During this round, the fellow will be placed with Réseau des Plates-formes d’ONG d’Afrique de l’Ouest et du Centre (REPAOC), based in Dakar, Senegal.
REPAOC is a network of 14 national West and Central Africa NGO platforms, working together to address issues faced by highly marginalised populations. REPAOC strives to fight against poverty and promote human rights through collective South-South and North-South actions at the regional and international levels.
The primary aim of the programme is to promote knowledge exchange and learning, and build the capacity of both the host organisation and their members.
Type: Fellowship
Eligibility: 
  • At least 2-3 years of work experience in institutional capacity building, network development, and/or civil society strengthening
  • Demonstrated long term commitment to civil society and citizen action
  • Demonstrated or proven experience with capacity building/training/institutional strengthening
  • Written and verbal fluency in English and French
Number of Awards: Not specified
Value of Program: US$ 36 000 annual salary
Duration of Program: 24 months. Anticipated to be July or August, starting with a 2 weeks induction in Johannesburg, South Africa
How to Apply: To apply please submit (in English or French):
  • A motivational letter answering the below questions (200 words max for each question)
    o Please describe your experience working or living in a developing country or marginalized community, including where you were and what you did (professionally, academics or personally).
    o You just disembarked from a 12-hour bus trip to a rural village to meet with community leaders. However, the person you are to meet at the bus station is not there. What do you do?
    o How will you cope with working aboard for 2 years with limited visits to your friends and family?
  • A detailed CV
  • Contact details of three current references
    to fellows@civicus.org by 16th June, 2017.
Award Provider: CIVICUS
Important Notes: Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Should you not have heard from us within 2 weeks after your application, please consider your application as being unsuccessful.

Sir Richard Trainor PhD Scholarships for International Students 2017/2018 – Kings College, London

Application Deadline: 18th June 2017
Offered annually? Yes
Eligible Countries: UK, EU and International countries
To be taken at (country): UK
Eligible Field of Study: For the academic year 2017-18, one scholarship each has been made available to each of the following projects:
  • Making the modern racehorse in Britain, c1920-2020
  • Beyond the Madness of King George: Health and Healing at the Hanoverian Court
  • Understanding Citizen Engagement with Parliamentary Debates: A computational approach using the Online Hansard Report
  • Robotic Singulation of Tangled Plants
  • Mental health justice and the capability to live in the community
About the Award: Professor Sir Richard Trainor Scholarship scheme has been developed in response to an anonymous donation in acknowledgement of the Principal who left the College in 2014 after ten years, and will fund up to 31 PhD scholarships over a 3 year period.
Type: MPhil and PhD
Eligibility: 
  • Prospective students who wish to undertake a full-time MPhil/PhD programme with one of the above advertised projects commencing in 2016-17 are eligible to apply
  • Current MPhil/PhD students are NOT eligible to apply
  • These scholarships are open to home, EU and international students who can demonstrate academic excellence and research potential
  • If selected, the scholarship will be offered subject to you being offered a place on the PhD programme and meeting the relevant programme entry requirements.
Number of Awardees: 1 scholarship for each of the eligible projects
Value of Scholarship: £15,000. Each scholarship will cover tuition fees and/or living costs, plus, where relevant, any additional contribution, financial or in-kind, provided by a partner organisation, details of which can be found by clicking on the individual project details links above.
Duration of Scholarship: 3 year period
How to Apply: Visit Studentship webpage to apply
Award Provider: Kings College, London

Ashoka/American Express Leadership Academy Emerging Innovators Bootcamps for Entrepreneurs 2017

Application Deadline: 30th June 2017
Eligible Countries:  Eligible countries include Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Cyprus, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Kenya, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Luxembourg, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Netherlands, Niger, Norway Portugal, Rwanda, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom and the United States.
To be taken at (countries): 
  • Mexico City, Mexico
  • New York, USA
  • Nairobi, Kenya
  • Berlin, Germany
  • Dakar, Senegal
About the Award: The American Express Leadership Academy Emerging Innovators Bootcamps gather 100 changemakers around the globe who are positively transforming communities and revolutionizing healthcare, education, food security and more.
The American Express Leadership Academy Emerging Innovators Bootcamps are 2-3 day intensive trainings for social entrepreneurs and changemakers who can benefit from expert guidance, peer support and a safe space to reflect on inner growth and wellbeing.
We find incredible leaders and then we train and support them powerfully through the 3,000+ member strong American Express Leadership Academy. As a result, our graduates go on to win some of the most prestigious awards around, including our Ashoka Fellowship, and honors from organizations like Echoing Green, Skoll, StartingBloc and Unreasonable Institute. Our grads even make the Forbes “30 Under 30” list.
Type: Entrepreneurship
Eligibility: 
  • Bootcamp applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 35. The entrepreneurial (or intrapreneurial) project for which they are applying should have launched within the last 5 years and demonstrate potential for significant impact in their communities.
  • Applications to the 2017 Bootcamps are open to all individuals (not-for-profit founders, social entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, etc.) in the North American, European, Francophone West African, and East African regions. Eligible countries include Belgium, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Chad, Cyprus, Denmark, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guinea, Kenya, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Ivory Coast, Luxembourg, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Netherlands, Niger, Norway Portugal, Rwanda, Senegal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, United Kingdom and the United States.
  • Entries must be written in English, French or Spanish.
  • Participants must be available and able to travel to these events in October 2017, which may require having a valid passport.
Selection Criteria: Successful applicants will score top marks in each of the following areas:
  • Innovation. Applicants should describe how their solutions are driven by original, ground-breaking ideas or approaches. The strongest applicants will apply out-of-the-box thinking to critical social problems in their region.
  • Social Impact. Applicants should have launched their initiative already and achieved some level of impact or uptake in their communities—no untested ideas will be considered. Top applicants will also be able to explain how they can grow their impact on a national or international scale.
  • Sustainability. Applicants should have a clear and feasible plan for their projects to become sustainable. They should describe not only how they currently fund their work, but also how they plan to maintain financial support for the work in the future.
  • Ethical Fiber. Applicants should demonstrate courage, ethical fiber, resilience and empathy towards others.
Value of Program: The top 100 applicants will receive:
  • An invitation to an American Express Leadership Academy Emerging Innovator Bootcamp happening in a location near you—New York City, Mexico City, Berlin, Dakar or Nairobi. There will be 20 participants per location for a combined total of five cohorts. Each cohort of innovators will be supported by thought leaders, Ashoka Fellows and alumni who can help increase the impact of their work. The cost of meals, lodging and activities during the Bootcamp will be covered by us, and a partial travel award will be issued to participants who live outside city limits.
  • Selected Emerging Innovators will also be featured in social media campaigns on Ashoka and American Express’ social media platforms.
Duration of Program2-3 days
Mexico City Bootcamp: October 10-12, 2017
New York City Bootcamp: October 11-13, 2017
Nairobi Bootcamp: October 17-19, 2017
Berlin Bootcamp: October 18-20, 2017
Dakar Bootcamp:October 25-27, 2017
How to Apply: Apply for one of 100 spots at our leadership Bootcamps, which will be held in five locations around the world this fall. As an Emerging Innovator, you’ll receive industry insights, personalized feedback, direct connections to sector leaders and ongoing support from a network of peers who are rising stars in the social enterprise world. Tell us why you deserve a spot.
Award Provider: Ashoka,  American Express

Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) Medicine Postgraduate Scholarship for Developing Countries 2018

Application Timeline: 31st August 2017
Offered Annually? Yes
Eligible Countries: Developing countries
To be taken at (country): Indonesia
Eligible Field of Study: Courses relevant to a career in implementation science. Implementation science is a growing field that supports the identification of health system bottlenecks and approaches to address them, and is particularly useful in low- and middleincome countries where many health interventions do not reach those who need them.
About the Award: The scheme, which is provided by TDR, the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases based at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, provides full scholarship. Only applicants from low- and middle-income countries of WHO South-East Asia and West Pacific regions are eligible.
The training will be focused on courses relevant to a career in implementation research on infectious disease of poverty. Implementation research is a growing field that supports the identification of health system bottlenecks and approaches to address them, and is particularly useful in low- and middle- income countries where many health interventions do not research those who need them the most.
The goal of this scheme is to enhance postgraduate training capacity and boost the number of researchers in low and middle- income countries.
Type: MSc
Eligibility:
  • Nationals and residences from low- and middle income countries of WHO South-East Asia and West Pacific regions.
  • Applicants should normally be under 35 years old for the Master programme.
  • Meet the standard University requirements for international postgraduate students
Number of Awardees: Limited
Value of Scholarship: The scholarship covers the following:
  • Return economy airfare between the home country of the student and Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
  • Tuition fees and a basic medical and accident insurance.
  • Support for research project/thesis expenses, including travel and sustenance during data collection in home country.
  • Indonesian language course to improve integration in the university’s environment.
  • Monthly stipend to cover living expenses equivalent to local living cost.
Duration of Scholarship: 2 years
How to Apply: To apply this programme, you must send your application in 2 (two) step :
1. See information bellow:
  1. For International applicants please login at http://um.ugm.ac.id/v.2015.2/foreign/idx.php and choose “Master of Public Health” for Master Programme
  2. For Indonesian applicants, please login at http://um.ugm.ac.id and choose “Ilmu Kesehatan Masyarakat” (Public Health) for Master Programme
  3. Please send the online form and all documents with good quality to graduate.fk@ugm.ac.id
2. Applicants must also complete the TDR international postgraduate scholarship application form (attached) and email this form to: graduate.fk@ugm.ac.id.
Only completed forms will be further processed.
Award Provider: University of Witwatersrand

Austrian Govenment Scholarships for International Students 2017/2018 (Undergraduate, Masters & PhD Research Grant)

Application Deadline: 1st September 2017
Offered annually? Yes
Eligible Countries: All (except Austria)
To be taken at (country): Austria
Fields of Study: Natural Sciences, Technical Sciences, Human Medicine, Health Sciences, Agricultural Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, Arts
About Scholarship: Foundation of the Republic of Austria is offering scholarships for international students (except Austrians). Applicants who are descendants of forced laborers (regardless of their country of origin) or people coming from countries that have suffered exceptionally from the Nazi regime, especially from the recruitment of forced laborers. Scholarships are awarded to pursue research on their diploma or master thesis or their dissertation at scientific research institutions in Austria.
Type: grants, research, undergraduates, graduates, postgraduates
Eligibility: Eligible for application are
  • descendents of forced labourers (regardless of their country of origin)
  • or people coming from countries that have suffered exceptionally from the Nazi regime, especially from the recruitment of forced labourers.
Selection Criteria: Students meeting the above mentioned criteria can apply to pursue research
  • on their bachelor thesis
  • on their diploma or master thesis
  • or their dissertation.
No scholarships are awarded for Bachelor, Master or Doctoral/PhD studies pursued in Austria, summer courses, language courses, clinical traineeships or internships. The scholarship grant is for research.
Applicants must not have studied/pursued research/pursued academic work in Austria in the last six months before taking up the grant.
Age limit:
Doctoral students: 40 years (born on or after March 1, 1977)
for other students: 35 years (born on or after March 1, 1982)
Number of Scholarships: not specified
Value of Scholarship:
  1. monthly scholarship installment: 1050 EUR
  2. Accident and health insurance: if necessary, the OeAD (Austrian Agency for International Cooperation in Education and Research) will effect an accident and health insurance. The costs for the insurance have to be covered from the scholarship.
  3. The OeAD provides scholarship holders with accommodation (student dormitory or apartment). Monthly costs: 220 to 470 EUR (depending on the level of comfort requested by the scholarship holder). The scholarship holder has to pay an administrative fee of 18 EUR/month to the OeAD for the provision of accommodation. The costs for the accommodation have to be covered from the scholarship.
  4. Applicants from countries which are neither members of the EU nor members of EFTA, EEA or OECD can be granted a travel allowance. The lump sum depends on the country of origin.
Duration of Scholarship: 1 – 4 months
How to Apply
The following documents have to be uploaded for the Online Application on www.scholarships.at/:
  • fully completed Online Application form “Application for a Scholarship of the Scholarship Foundation of the Republic of Austria” including a CV and a project plan, describing the plans and completed preparatory work for the research stay in Austria
  • two letters of recommendation from university lecturers. For these letters of recommendation no specific form is required; they have to contain the letterhead, date and signature of the person recommending the applicant and the stamp of the university / department and must be no older than six months at the time of application
  • confirmation of supervision by a supervisor at the chosen Austrian university, university of applied sciences or research institution
  • scanned passport (showing the name and picture of the applicant)
  • university graduation certificate of your diploma, master, PhD or doctoral studies at a university outside Austria resp. proof of enrollment at a study programme at a university outside Austria
  • confirmation, that proves your participation in a study programme (Bachelor, Master/Diploma or PhD) at your home university
  • for descendants of forced labourers: processing number or photocopy of the letter of information or other relevant proofs
Visit scholarship webpage for details to apply
Sponsors: OeAD-GmbH on behalf of and financed by the Scholarship Foundation of the Republic of Austria

The Siege of Raqqa

Patrick Cockburn 

“I do not think the siege of Raqqa will be as long as Mosul,” says Awad, an Arab fighter in the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), who belongs to a military unit attacking Raqqa, the de facto capital of Isis in Syria. In an exclusive interview with The Independent, he says that “we are advancing quickly and the geographical nature of Raqqa is different from Mosul”.
The SDF has launched the crucial battle for Raqqa, a city with a population of 300,000 on the north bank of the Euphrates, after a long delay imposed by threats of military intervention by Turkey, which denounces the 45,000-strong SDF as “terrorists” dominated by the Syrian Kurds. The Turkish priority is to prevent the consolidation of a quasi-independent Kurdish statelet in northern Syria. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim today hinted strongly at Turkish military intervention, saying that “we will immediately give the necessary response if we come across a situation in Raqqa … that threatens our security”.
Awad, 32, comes from Raqqa but fled to Tabqa to the west of the city last year before it was captured by the SDF and four months ago joined the SDF, which the US says has 13,000 Arab fighters in its ranks. In a phone interview, he gives a vivid description of conditions on the front line, which the SDF Raqqa Operations Room says is 3km away from Raqqa to the west and north and 1km away to the east. The US estimates that there are between 3,000 and 4,000 Isis fighters in Raqqa, who are isolated there because US coalition air strikes on 3 February destroyed the last two bridges linking it to the south bank of the Euphrates. The fighters can only cross the river by boats, but they would then be vulnerable to air attack.
“They [Isis] are mostly withdrawing [into Raqqa], though some are fighting fiercely and do not leave their positions until they are killed,” says Awad. “We killed dozens when we liberated al-Mansoura [west of Raqqa] and Baath Dam [on the Euphrates, renamed Freedom Dam by the SDF]. In addition, we repelled many counter-attacks by Isis since the Tabqa battle until now.”
The SDF captured the Tabqa Dam, the largest in Syria at the southern end of Lake Assad, and the nearby town of Tabqa, 25 miles west of Raqqa, on 10 May, ending a stalemate that had lasted for several weeks. The US decided in May to give the SDF additional military assistance including armoured cars, anti-tanks weapons, mortars and heavy machine guns, despite strong opposition from Turkey. The Turkish government had claimed that its proxy forces inside Syria, backed by the Turkish army, could replace the SDF as the main US military ally in Syria against Isis, but the US did not consider this a realistic option.
Though Isis units have been retreating in the face of SDF advances and US-led air strikes, the jihadis are still resisting strongly. Awad says that “last week, Isis fighters attacked us from behind in a village called Abu Qebab, east of Raqqa. They were hiding in a tunnel that had not been checked yet by our comrades. In that attack, we surrounded them from two sides and killed about 10 of them.”
It should become clear in the next few days if Isis will try to defend Raqqa strongly and risk losing many of its experienced fighters. In Mosul, Isis has fought skillfully using an innovative mix of urban guerrilla tactics that has withstood Iraqi government forces for seven months. When Isis was previously fighting for two other big cities, Ramadi and Fallujah, in Anbar province west of Baghdad, it resisted most strongly in the villages and countryside around them, but not in the built-up areas in the city centres.
But in Mosul, where the siege began on 17 October last year, Isis fighters have reversed this approach, holding the periphery of the city lightly and concentrating its fighters in the centre. It tries to avoid its positions being identified from the air and destroyed, by using a mixture of mobile sniper teams, swiftly changing their positions by means of holes cut in the walls of houses, along with suicide bombers in vehicles, mines, booby traps and mortars. This has succeeded in slowing down and inflicting heavy casualties on the advancing Iraqi security forces.
Isis may use the same tactics in Raqqa and seek to draw out the siege, but the city is a geographically smaller and less populous than Mosul which had a population of 1.3 million before the siege. Awad does not believe that the siege of Raqqa will be as prolonged as in Mosul and suspects that the determination of the Isis defenders may not be as high as in Iraq. He says that “the SDF made two calls last month for Isis to surrender, but those that did so were locals. No foreigners have surrendered so far.”
Some of the Isis units are composed of foreigners who cannot blend into the local population, or expect much mercy, if they surrender. “I have been told by our officers that all the Isis snipers killed by our forces are foreigners,” says Awad. “We lost some of our commanders because of these snipers and a few days ago one of our snipers killed an Isis sniper when we fought in Mansoura, west of Raqqa.”
The firepower and military expertise of the SDF is much enhanced by US support: “The US-led coalition air strikes and forces are working efficiently with us, we have many American experts who train our commanders and officers and instruct them in using new technical devices. We also have heavy weapons and armoured vehicles. Every week we receive many weapons on the three fronts around Raqqa.” This supply of modern weapons, and expertise on how to use them, will determine not only the fate of Raqqa but the future ability of the Syrian Kurds to stand up to Turkish military intervention or action by President Bashar al-Assad’s forces, which are advancing into Isis-held eastern Syria.
The offensive by the SDF, whose military punching power comes primarily from the combat experienced YPG Kurdish militia backed by US air strikes, will determine who in the long term holds northern Syria. If Turkish troops cross the border into Kurdish held territory in Syria, then the Kurds have made clear that the attack on Raqqa would cease. An alternative strategy for Turkey would be wait before intervening in the hope that the SDF will become entangled in a long struggle for Raqqa in which it suffers serious casualties. The Turks may also calculate that once the SDF and the Syrian Kurds have defeated Isis, the US will have no more use for them and will return to its traditional alliance with Turkey.