information for scholarship holders

INFORMATION FOR

SCHOLARSHIP HOLDERS OF THE OEAD

2009/1 edition

1090 Wien Vienna | Alser Straße 4/1/14/1 | Austria T +43 1/4277 28188 | F +43 1 / 4277-28194 [email protected] | www.oead.at

Information for OeAD Scholarship Holders, 2009/01 edition

CONTENTS

1. The OeAD-GmbH ................................................................................................................ 2

2. The Scholarship Award and the Scholarship Acceptance ......................................................... 3

3. Travel costs ........................................................................................................................ 4

4. Arrival in Austria and beginning of scholarship ....................................................................... 4 4.1 Public and religious holidays...................................................................................... 4 4.2 Beginning of Scholarship/Delays ............................................................................... 5

5. Scholarship rates................................................................................................................. 5 5.1 Scholarship payments ............................................................................................... 6

6. Notification of address and name changes............................................................................. 6

7. Attendance requirements..................................................................................................... 6

8. Registration according to Registration Act ............................................................................. 6

9. Legalisations and translations............................................................................................... 7

10. Health insurance ................................................................................................................. 9 10.1 State health insurance .............................................................................................. 9 10.2 Private health insurance...........................................................................................10

11. Accommodation .................................................................................................................11

12. Support from other institutions............................................................................................12

13. Employment ......................................................................................................................12

14. Objectives of the scholarships .............................................................................................13 14.1 Academic course work .............................................................................................13 14.2 Independent research..............................................................................................13

15. Study matters ....................................................................................................................13 15.1 Admission at the University ......................................................................................14 15.2 Entrance examination for Universities of the Arts .......................................................15

16. Proof of successful course of study or research.....................................................................15

17. Language proficiency..........................................................................................................15

18. Interrupting scholarships/grants ..........................................................................................16

19. Revocation of scholarships ..................................................................................................16

20. Before returning home .......................................................................................................17

21. Electronic storage of personal data, data protection ..............................................................17

22. Scholarship holders’ feedback..............................................................................................18

23. OeAD Alumni/ Follow-up contact .........................................................................................18

24. Personal checklist...............................................................................................................19

25. Important links and addresses.............................................................................................20


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Additional information, modifications and additions as well as the up-to-date edition of this brochure and various application forms can be found

on the internet at

www.oead.at/stip

__________________________________ Acknowledgements: Copyright, edited and published by: OeAD–GmbH, Austrian Agency for International Cooperation in Education and Research; Academic Cooperation and Mobility Unit (ACM) A-1090 Vienna, Alser Straße 4/1/14/1, e-mail: [email protected] Sitz: Wien | FN 320219 k | Handelsgericht Wien | DVR 4000157 | ATU64808925 Responsible for the content: Dr. Lydia Skarits (OeAD/ACM) Editors: Dr. Lydia Skarits, DI Elke Stinnig, Dr. Peter Gaunerstorfer, Doris Zwettler, Katharina Engel, Mag. Daniela Böckle, Eva Neumayr Translation: Mag. Irmgard Schmoll May 2008, updated March 2009


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CONGRATULATIONS! You have been awarded a scholarship! With this brochure we warmly welcome you in Austr ia! We are

pleased that you have decided to come to Austr ia and that we

are able to support your study or research project with this

scholarship. This shows that you are wi l l ing to r ise to the

chal lenges of a stay abroad and to continue your professional

and personal educat ion and that you are “ internat ional ly

mobi le”. Al l th is is a great opportunity for you but may also confront you with new

and unfamil iar s ituat ions.

Our OeAD staff wi l l do everything we can to support you during these momentous

changes! So, i f you have any quest ions or problems, please do not hesitate to contact

us.

In order to inform you about the condit ions and to give you the possibi l i ty to prepare

your stay in Austr ia as wel l as poss ible we have compiled this guidebook for you which

is to help you to deal with al l the necessary formal it ies and to f ind your way about

your place of study. You wi l l f ind informat ion about a l l the necessary steps you have

to take at home to prepare your stay in Austr ia, about your f i rst few steps in Austr ia

as wel l as about the Austr ian universi t ies and the OeAD.

The Academic Cooperat ion and Mobi l i ty Unit (ACM) and the OeAD branch off ices wi l l

offer help and counsel l ing during your stay in Austr ia. We are happy to welcome you

as our guest and we wish you a pleasant and successful stay in Austr ia!

Dr. Lydia Skarits

(Head of the ACM)


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1. THE OEAD-GMBH

The “Austrian Agency for International Co-operation in Education and Research” association (OeAD-GmbH) is the biggest non-profit-making service organisation in the field of international academic mobility in Austria. The OeAD looks after both foreign students and academics coming to Austria from all over the world and Austrian students, lecturers and academics who are planning a stay abroad as part of a study programme within the exchange programmes on offer. The OeAD has been mandated by the Federal Ministry of Science and Research (BMWF) and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) as well as other financing bodies to provide support and counselling for numerous recipients of grants and scholarships in all Austrian university locations. The OeAD branch office at your place of study is your first point of call in Austria. After arri-val you should go to the local OeAD branch office to pick up your first scholarship instalment (for opening hours see below!). Please bring the letter confirming the award of your scholar-ship and an appropriate piece of identification (with photo) with you. The staff of the OeAD branch offices will endeavour to assist you with all questions concerning your stay in Austria. They also provide additional information about the university, the university city/town, the course of studies and further organisational questions. If there are any specific problems, the respective OeAD branch office will contact the ACM. All scholarship / grant recipients are provided with an identity card for scholarship holders by the OeAD branch office, which is to be used in conjunction with a certified ID with photo (e.g. passport, etc.) and which allows them to document their status as scholarship/grant recipients for the Austrian authori-ties.

OEAD BRANCH OFFICES

Graz A-8010 Graz, Steyrergasse 5 [email protected] Tel: +43 316/318782 Fax: 324758 Monday to Friday: 9:00 – 12:00 and Tuesday and Thursday: 14:00 – 16:00 Innsbruck A-6020 Innsbruck, Innrain 36 [email protected] Tel: +43 512/507-2495 Fax: 507-2937 Monday to Friday: 9:00 – 12:00 Klagenfurt A-9020 Klagenfurt, Universitätsstrasse 65-67 [email protected] Tel: +43 463/2700-9122 Fax: 2700-9197 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 9:00 – 12:00, Thursday 15:00 – 17:30


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Leoben A-8700 Leoben, Franz Josef Strasse 18 [email protected] Tel: +43 3842/402-7010 Fax: 402-7012 Monday to Wednesday: 9:00 – 13:00 Linz A-4040 Linz, Altenbergerstrasse 69 [email protected] Bankengebäude Zimmer 310 Tel: +43 732/2468-3267 Fax: 2468-9676 Monday to Thursday: 9:00 – 12:00 Salzburg A-5020 Salzburg, Akademiestrasse 20/2 [email protected] Tel: +43 662/8044-4900 Fax: 843651 Monday: 10.00 - 16.00, Tuesday: 13.00 - 16.00 Wednesday: 10.00 - 17.00, Thursday: 12.00 to 16.00

Vienna A -1090 Wien, Alser Strasse 4/1/1/2 [email protected] Tel: +43 1/4277-28159 Fax: 4277-28169 Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 9:00 – 12:00 Tuesday and Thursday: 10:00 – 12:00 and 14:00 – 16:00, July, August, September: Monday to Friday: 9:00 – 12:00 only

2. THE SCHOLARSHIP AWARD AND THE SCHOLARSHIP ACCEPTANCE

The scholarship award that you received comes into effect only after you complete the scholarship acceptance declaration that is enclosed with the scholarship award letter and sign it and send it (by e-mail or by post) to the OeAD branch office stated in the letter. By signing it you accept the terms and conditions stated in it and in this brochure and agree to abide by them. Please send/fax your scholarship acceptance to the OeAD branch office as soon as possible. If you need an entry and/or residence permit for entry to Austria please state in the scholarship acceptance at which Austrian representative authority (embassy, consulate-general) you are going to apply for the permit. Applying is normally only possible at the representative authority in the district of competence of which you currently live. A list of the Austrian representative authorities and their districts of competence can be found at www.bmeia.gv.at. The OeAD will send a letter confirming the award of your scholarship to the authority named by you. A copy of that e-mail will be sent to your e-mail address. Please also state your exact arrival date in Austria. Please bear in mind that issuing a residence permit for Austria may take up to three months. As far as accommodation is concerned please tick in the scholarship acceptance whether or not you would like accommodation arranged/reserved for you (student hall of residence or flat).


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As soon as you have sent back the undersigned acceptance letter you will receive by e-mail the link to the online housing application form. After having followed the link to the website of the ÖAD Housing office please complete the reservation form. You will then receive a confirmation of your reservation. ATTENTION: You have to stay in touch with the relevant branch office of the ÖAD Housing Office yourself and directly. Nationals of third countries have to enclose the confirmation of reservation with their application for a visa / entry and residence permit Detailed information is available in the information leaflet enclosed with your scholarship award (see also www.oead.at/stip). In case that you do not wish to make use of our service of arranging accommodation for you (in this case tick “no” on the scholarship acceptance) you have to find accommodation in Austria yourself; nationals of third countries have to produce written proof of accommodation in Austria (by presenting a tenancy contract or accommodation contract with a student hall of residence) when applying for an entry and residence permit. IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that in case that your arrival date changes you have to inform the ÖAD Housing Office at your place of study immediately! If you inform the ÖAD Housing Office too late you will have to pay the rent for the first month. Any delays in the arrival date must be reported to the ÖAD Housing Office at least 15 days before your original arrival date.

3. TRAVEL COSTS

TRAVEL COSTS are not met by Austria unless explicitly stated so in your scholarship award. If a travel costs subsidy is included in the scholarship, you have to submit your original travel documents (in-cluding flight ticket and boarding pass) after arrival in Austria. Failing this you will lose your claim to a travel costs subsidy.

4. ARRIVAL IN AUSTRIA AND BEGINNING OF SCHOLARSHIP

4.1 Public and religious holidays

When booking your train or flight ticket you are advised to choose travel times that allow you to arrive in Austria on a normal working day (Monday through Friday noon), so that you can immediately contact the OeAD branch office (addresses in appendix), which are closed on weekends and public holidays. Arrival on weekends or public holidays increases travel costs (e.g. hotel costs) that you must pay yourself.

2009 2010 1 January 2009 (New Year) 1 January 2010 (New Year)

6 January 2009 (Epiphany) 6 January 2010 (Epiphany)

13 April 2009 (Easter Monday) 5 April 2010 (Easter Monday)

1 May 2009 (State Holiday) 1 May 2010 (State Holiday)

21 May 2009 (Ascension) 13 May 2010 (Ascension)

1 June 2009 (Whit Monday) 24 May 2010 (Whit Monday)

11 June 2009 (Corpus Christi) 3 June 2010 (Corpus Christi)


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15 August 2009 (Assumption) 15 August 2010 (Assumption)

26 October 2009 (National Holiday) 26 October 2010 (National Holiday)

1 November 2009 (All Saints) 1 November 2010 (All Saints)

8 December 2009 (Immaculate Conception) 8 December 2010 (Immaculate Conception)

25 December 2009 (Christmas Day) 25 December 2010 (Christmas Day)

26 December 2009 (Boxing Day) 26 December 2010 (Boxing Day)

It is easy to reach the inner city using public buses from the airport (in Vienna also Schnellbahn [S-Bahn] trains, which are considerably cheaper than the City Airport Train [CAT]). Reduced-price tickets are avail-able in the public transport terminals and at newsagents where tobacco products are sold (“Trafik”).

4.2 Beginning of Scholarship/Delays

The scholarship/grant must be taken up during the time period stated in the scholarship award letter. Please also contact your Austrian academic supervisor in time and inform him/her of your exact arrival date in Austria! The date of arrival in Austria indicated on the scholarship acceptance must be observed! After your arrival you have to call on your academic supervisor within one week. If you do not show up in time, your scholarship may be revoked. If conflicts or other extenuating circumstances make it impossible for you to BEGIN YOUR SCHOLAR-SHIP/GRANT PERIOD on the prescribed date, you must contact the respective OeAD branch office immediately and inform them accordingly. If the OeAD branch office approves of an alteration of dates after examination of the necessary condi-tions, please contact your academic supervisor for a confirmation of supervisory consent for the new scholarship period! Without consent of your academic supervisor an amendment of the scholarship period is not possible! You are responsible yourself for applying for an amendment of your visa or residence permit. If you have reserved accommodation with the ÖAD Housing Office, you also have to inform the ÖAD Housing Office immediately about your late arrival (e-mail: [email protected] ). If you arrive more than 5 days after the indicated arrival date (beginning of the period booked) without having in-formed the ÖAD Housing Office, your reservation will be cancelled and your place will be given to some-body else. In this case you will have to pay a cancellation fee amounting to one month’s rent!

5. SCHOLARSHIP RATES

The rating of the recipients as far as the amount of the grant is concerned is directly dependent on the certificates, diplomas and other documents that have been submitted by the closing date for applications and on the regulations of the institution awarding the grant, respectively. The rating cannot subsequently be altered as a result of certificates or documents submitted at a later date. From the monthly grant accommodation and - if required - insurance also has to be paid. Monthly SCHOLARSHIP/GRANT INSTALMENTS cover living and study costs only. They are not sufficient to cover living costs for other


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persons. There is no accommodation available for families in student halls, so accommodation for a family in a flat entails high costs.

5.1 Scholarship payments

Scholarship/grant payments are made by the relevant OeAD branch office at your place of study (addresses see chapter 1) provided that no other arrangements (payment into a bank account, etc.) have been made. Students/scholars must pick up their scholarship/grant instalments in person at the OeAD branch offices every month. Students/scholars who are staying for a longer period are advised to open a bank account in Austria. Payment of grant instalments into an Austrian bank account is conditional on students/scholars reporting to the OeAD branch office once a month. In the case of grant recipients from EU countries the payments can also be made into a bank account of the home country of the student/scholar! The first scholarship payment will be made between the 1st and 15th of the month of arrival. If you arrive after the 15th of a month, you will only receive half of the scholarship instalment for that month. The last payment will only be made after submission of a final report.

6. NOTIFICATION OF ADDRESS AND NAME CHANGES

Please notify the ACM immediately and in writing of any change of your name, home address or e-mail address. If you move to a different accommodation within Austria you also have to notify the respective OeAD branch office immediately!

7. ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS

Scholarships/grants are only paid if you are at your place of study in Austria and pursue your intended course of studies or research there. You must report to the OeAD branch office once a month (further information about payment dates and reporting dates is available from the OeAD branch offices). If a student/scholar's programme of study or research necessitates their absence from the place of study/research, they are required to inform the respective OeAD branch office of their travel plans (date of departure, reasons for travel, destination, length of absence) beforehand and seek the OeAD’s per-mission. The written consent of the academic supervisor is also required.

8. REGISTRATION ACCORDING TO REGISTRATION ACT

All persons moving into private accommodation, student halls of residence or flats of the ÖAD Housing are required to register with the registration office (Meldeamt) in their district (Magistrat, Gemeindeamt, in Vienna with the municipal authorities (Magistratisches Bezirksamt)) within 3 days of establishing residence. For this you need a registration form (Meldezettel) which is available from every registra-tion office and from the Internet (http://www.wien.gv.at/verwaltung/meldeservice/index.html) and which must be completed by you and signed by your landlord/landlady and submitted to the appropriate au-thorities (Meldeamt) together with your passport or other travel document. If you move to a new address you must also register your new address with the same authority and with the OeAD branch office. Be-fore leaving Austria you should not forget to cancel your registration with the registration office.


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9. LEGALISATIONS AND TRANSLATIONS

Legalisations confirm the authenticity of documents and signatures, respectively. Foreign documents which are to be submitted to authorities and universities in Austria in most cases need to be legalised. Several countries have concluded agreements regarding legalisation with Austria, which are to simplify the procedure. There are three types: 1. No legalisation necessary. 2. Legalisation by means of an apostille necessary. 3. Full legalisation necessary. Translations of foreign documents have to be carried out in the respective country by officially regis-tered and legalised translators and interpreters and have to be fully legalised by the diplomatic authorities (see below ad. 3). This also applies to documents from countries original documents of which are ex-empted from the legalisation requirement (see below ad. 1). Documents from countries which are mem-bers of the Hague Legalisation Convention only require an apostille to legalise the translation (see below ad. 2) Ad. 1. No legalisation: Documents from the following countries require no legalisation or apostille due to inter-governmental agreements:

Europe: Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina*, Bulgaria*, Germany, Denmark (for documents proving the civil status of the bearer only), Finland (except interpreter’s apostille), France (except inter-preter’s apostille, RHE intermediate legalisation), Italy*, Yugoslavia* (former), Croatia*, Liechten-stein, Luxemburg (only for documents proving the civil status of the bearer), Macedonia*, Monte-negro, the Netherlands, Norway (except*and RHE apostille), Poland*, Romania*, Sweden (except interpreter’s and RHE intermediate legalisation), Switzerland (judicial documents only), Slovakia*, Slovenia*, Spain (only for court documents), Czech Republic, Turkey (only for judicial legalisa-tions and notaries), Hungary* (* except interpreters’ intermediate legalisations)

Ad. 2. Legalisation by apostille:

An apostille is a legalisation which is added to official documents in the form of a stamp. The following countries have joined the Hague Legalisation Agreement and thus their documents only need an apostille:


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Africa Botswana, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Swaziland America: Argentina, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Honduras, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, United States of America Asia: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Brunei, China (Hong Kong or Macao only), Georgia, India, Israel, Japan, Ka-zakhstan, Republic of Korea (South Korea), Turkey Australia and Oceania: Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji Islands, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, Tonga Europe: EU countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom others: Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Croatia, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, Russia, San Marino, Switzerland, Serbia, Ukraine, Bela-rus

Ad 3. Full legalisation: All other countries require full legalisation. This means that at first the internal legalisation procedure of the country of origin has to be completed, then the document must be legalised by the ministry for foreign affairs of that country and finally the Austrian representative authority has to legalise the docu-ment again.


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10. HEALTH INSURANCE

In Austria there are state health insurances and private health insurances. If you do not have a state health insurance in your country of if your home country has not concluded a national insurance agree-ment with Austria, you can take out either a state or a private insurance yourself. Please note that you also have to pay the insurance premiums for health insurance of any accompanying family members yourself (they are not covered by the scholarship).

10.1 State health insurance

A health insurance is as a rule taken out with a national health insurance provider (Gebietskrankenkasse) (there is one in each federal province). You will then get a national insurance number, which you will need to make use of health insurance services. More than half of all doctors in Austria have a contract with the Gebietskrankenkasse. The insurance with the Gebietskrankenkasse only covers costs for medical treatment by doctors and institutions which have a contract with the Gebietskrankenkasse. Treatment by a doctor who has a contract with the Gebietskrankenkasse is paid directly by the Gebietskrankenkasse upon presentation of your e-card. Necessary medicine can be bought in pharmacies against payment of the prescription fee of EUR 4.80 (as in 2008) per item. Spouses can be insured against payment of an additional fee, children can be insured free of charge with the Gebietskrankenkasse. Further information is available from the Gebietskrankenkasse in the Austrian federal province in which you live.

For EU / EEA and Swiss nationals

If you have a valid national health insurance in your home country you will need a European Health Insurance Card, which will be issued by your health insurance provider (or a provisional confirmation of your health insurance provider). With it you can benefit from all services of the national insurance.

For nationals of countries outside the EU / EEA area

If you have a valid state health insurance in a country that has concluded a national insurance agreement with Austria, you have to bring along the A3 form of your national health insurance carrier. This form has to be exchanged for so-called “health insurance cheques” at the Austrian Gebietskranken-kasse at your place of residence before using medical services. If your home country has no insurance agreement with Austria it is advisable to enquire at the health insurance provider in your home country about which services will be covered by it should you require medical treatment in Austria.


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Student insurance

Degree programme students at all Austrian universities and universities of applied sciences (Fach-hochschulen) as well as non-degree programme students at University Preparation Programmes can take out a health insurance with the Gebietskrankenkasse in their place of study at a reduced fee (“student self-insurance”). The costs for this insurance are EUR 23.26 per month (as in 2008). Income limits and the compliance with certain conditions (duration of studies, change of field of study) apply for this type of insurance. With the completed application form and a confirmation of admission or of continuation of your studies you have to personally conclude an insurance agreement with the Gebietskrankenkasse which is in charge of your place of study. By December 31st of each year you have to submit a confirmation of the continua-tion of your studies to the Gebietskrankenkasse, which serves as proof that you are a degree programme student at an Austrian university for the whole academic year and that you are entitled to continue your studies there. As a rule the insurance cover only begins after expiry of the general waiting period of 6 months. This waiting period, however, does not apply if the prerequisites for the self-insurance are met by the student. In the case of pregnancy, however, the occurrence of the event insured is considered having taken place in the 8th week before the due date, which means that the waiting period of 6 months must have expired at least 8 weeks before the estimated delivery date of the baby, otherwise you will have to pay the deliv-ery costs yourself!

Self-insurance

If you do not fulfil the requirements for the student self-insurance, you can take out a self-insurance with the Gebietskrankenkasse which is in charge of your place of study yourself. The monthly fee for this in-surance is EUR 333,59 (as in 2008) but it can be reduced. The insurance cover only begins after expiry of the general waiting period of 6 months. In the case of pregnancy, however, the occurrence of the event insured is considered having taken place in the 8th week before the due date, which means that the waiting period of 6 months must have expired at least 8 weeks before the estimated delivery date of the baby, otherwise you will have to pay the delivery costs yourself!

10.2 Private health insurance

If you do not have a health insurance that is valid in Austria, the ÖAD is obliged to take out a health and accident insurance (Uniqua insurance company) on your behalf and at your costs. The insurance mo-dalities will be completed by the OeAD branch office together with you at the beginning of your scholar-ship period. The costs of the insurance will be deducted from your scholarship (insurance premium per person approx. EUR 51.- per month). Moreover in case of private insurance the insurance cover is limited (an information leaflet is available in the OeAD branch offices). The insurance cover begins after expiry of a general waiting period of 3 months. If an event insured oc-curs before expiry of the waiting period, you have to prove that you fell ill after conclusion of the insur-


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ance contract. Medical costs associated with pregnancy will only be covered if you become pregnant after having concluded the insurance contract.

11. ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation for the duration of your stay in Austria can be reserved online, when you have filled in the letter of acceptance and after having received an e-mail with the link from the ÖAD Housing Office (ÖAD-WohnraumverwaltungsGmbH). Please follow the link and complete the reservation form of the ÖAD Housing office. You will then receive a written confirmation of your reservation plus detailed information about your future accommodation (e.g. amount of the rent) directly from the ÖAD Housing Office. You can cancel your reservation within 7 days of receipt of the confirmation of the reservation free of charge and without giving any reasons; after these 7 days your reservation will be binding and you will have to pay the rent for that month even if you do not use the room! Moving in as well as moving out is only possible on working days – Monday to Friday, except public and religious holidays; please bear in mind the opening hours of the ÖAD Housing Office and of the student halls of residence. If you do not arrive within 5 days of the arrival date stated in your booking (as in the confirmation of your reservation) and do not inform the ÖAD Housing Office of your late arrival you will lose your housing reservation and you will also have to pay a cancellation fee, which amounts to one month’s rent. For staying in student halls of residence and guesthouses and flats of the ÖAD Housing Office a monthly administration fee of Euro 15.- and, depending on the type of accommodation and the university city/town, the monthly rent, too, will be deducted from your scholarship. In some student halls of resi-dence and in the case of private accommodation you have to pay the rent directly to the administration of the hall or the landlord/landlady, respectively. If you wish to move out prematurely, please bear in mind the notice periods and contact your land-lord/landlady (in the case of private accommodation) or the ÖAD Housing Office, respectively, in time. Detailed information about further conditions for reservation as well as about the equipment of the ac-commodation can be found on the website of the ÖAD Housing Office: www.housing.oead.at

ÖAD Housing Offices

Vienna Alser Strasse 4/1/1/3, 1090 Wien Tel.: +43 1/4277-28148 [email protected] Graz Steyrergasse 3-5, 8010 Graz Tel.: +43 316/318784 [email protected]


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Innsbruck Innrain 36, 6020 Innsbruck Tel.: +43 512/507-2497 [email protected] Salzburg Akademiestrasse 20/2, 5020 Salzburg Tel.: +43 662/8044-4901 [email protected] Leoben Franz Josef Strasse 18, 8700 Leoben Tel.: +43 3842/402-203 [email protected] Klagenfurt Universitätsstrasse 65-67, 9020 Klagenfurt Tel.: +43 463/2700-9234 [email protected] Linz Altenbergerstrasse 69, 4040 Linz Tel: +43 732/2468-9426 [email protected]

12. SUPPORT FROM OTHER INSTITUTIONS

Students/scholars may not receive any other scholarships/grants during the time period of their OeAD scholarships/grants. Scholarship holders have to inform the ACM immediately if they are awarded another scholarship or other financial support.

13. EMPLOYMENT

Students/scholars may not seek paid employment in Austria during the duration of their scholarship. Non-compliance with this regulation will lead to an immediate revocation of the scholarship and may also en-tail consequences in terms of the law relating to aliens (even expulsion from Austria and a ban on entry are possible).


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14. OBJECTIVES OF THE SCHOLARSHIPS

14.1 Academic course work

a) If you want to pursue academic course work towards a degree (meaning, completing exams in

individual courses that will be credited by your home university, completing course work that will be credited to your degree programme at your home institution, or if you want to complete a di-ploma programme in Austria) you must do so as degree programme student (ordentliche/r Studierende/r). You must be enrolled as such at an Austrian university, university of applied sci-ences (Fachhochschule) or university of the arts. Enrolment is dependent on admission (see chapter 16).

b) If you want to attend lectures at Austrian universities for a limited period of time (one or two

semesters) only you can also enrol at the university for the duration of your scholarship (see chapter 16)

14.2 Independent research

If you intend to pursue independent research under the supervision of an Austrian scientist or a research institution you must contact the respective scientist or institution before arrival in Austria. This also applies to library work in Austria. In this case please contact the library administration (Bibliotheksdirektion) before arrival directly.

15. STUDY MATTERS

All questions related to studying at an Austrian university (admission, waiver of tuition fees, academic recognition, language proficiency examinations for students whose mother tongue is not German, etc.) should be directed to the appropriate university office responsible for admissions (Studienabteilung), which also provide relevant information. An overview of all Austrian institutions of higher education can be found at www.wegweiser.ac.at and www.studyguide.at. Scholarships and grants are awarded exclusively for the purpose of pursuing the COURSES OF STUDY or RESEARCH stated in the scholarship award and are to be executed at the institution stated in that letter. Changing institutions or research plans is generally not permitted. In certain well-justified cases a change is possible upon approval of the ACM and the academic supervisor.


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15.1 Admission at the University

If you wish to attend courses at an Austrian university or university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule) and subsequently sit examinations you must apply for ADMISSION at the university or Fachhochschul-Studiengang concerned. You have to bring the documents required for this, already legalised, to Austria. (Exception: if you have already sent your study documents to the OeAD and have been admitted to study.) Some universities require a pre-registration for admission via Internet: see: www.wegweiser.ac.at or www.studyguide.at. In order to be admitted as a regular degree programme student (ordentlicher Studierender) or a non-degree programme student (außerordentlicher Studierender) at an Austrian university it is necessary to bring along the following documents (it is recommended that you contact the university before travelling to Austria in order to make sure that you have all the necessary documents with you):

scholarship award (scholarship details sheet) valid passport or other travel document proof of general university entrance qualification (“Universitätsreife”) (secondary school leaving

certificate) – legalised if necessary if necessary: special qualifications (“besondere Eignung”) (e.g. proof of knowledge of Latin for

studies of Medicine) certificates of courses or study programmes already completed – legalised if necessary3 application for admission (Antrag auf Zulassung)* completed application materials (Evidenzbogen)* student identification (Ausweis für Studierende)* with a passport-sized photograph attached statistics form (Statistikformular)*

Documents and/or forms marked with an asterisk (*) are available at the respective universities. All documents from abroad are to be submitted in the original or in legalised copy. Documents submitted in languages other than German or English are to be submitted together with legalised German transla-tions. Most OeAD scholarship recipients are exempted from paying tuition fees as long as they continue to re-ceive the scholarship! Some universities, however, require you to fill in an application for this exemption upon admission to study. Although most OeAD scholarship recipients are exempted from paying tuition fees they still have to pay the membership fee of the Austrian Student Union (Österreichische HochschülerInnenschaft - ÖH), the representative body of all students, as well as the contribution to the accident insurance (no health insurance!) of at present altogether EUR 15.36 at the beginning of each semester by means of a payment form, which will be given or sent to them by the university. Those OeAD scholarship recipients who have to pay tuition fees will find information about these in their scholarship award letter (scholarship details).


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Those recipients of scholarships/grants who do not have to pay tuition fees enjoy the same status as Austrian students in terms of closing dates for admission (end of November for the winter semester, end of April for the summer semester). The limitation of access to degree programmes for foreigners there-fore does not apply to these scholarship recipients.

15.2 Entrance examination for Universities of the Arts

The award of a grant/scholarship for students at a university of the arts is conditional on the candidate successfully passing the obligatory university ENTRANCE EXAMINATION. Only afterwards will the award come into effect. Therefore you must contact the rector's office of the institution at which you intend to enrol and make an appointment for this examination. Students must prove that they have passed the entrance examination before they receive their scholarships.

16. PROOF OF SUCCESSFUL COURSE OF STUDY OR RESEARCH

Scholarship/grant instalment payments only can be made if their recipients are conscientiously and suc-cessfully pursuing their studies or research. If the scholarship stay is for longer than six months, scholarship/grant recipients must, within one month after the end of each semester, document the progress they have made in terms of study or re-search by submitting a letter of confirmation signed by their respective study or research supervisor to the branch office of the Austrian Exchange Service. Research supervisors or the heads of university insti-tutes / departments or clinics are responsible for drafting and signing this letter of confirmation. For scholarship recipients enrolled in degree programmes the submission of grades for course work com-pleted and/or examinations taken suffices.

17. LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

At Austrian universities courses are offered mostly in German. In order to be admitted to a regular course of study (bachelor, master’s, or diploma degree programme) in most cases students must have adequate command of German. Proficiency in German must be docu-mented before being admitted to study (either on the basis of previous course work in German docu-mented in the school leaving certificate or based on a German proficiency diploma (Sprachdiplom) or a supplementary examination). Doctoral studies can also be carried out in English provided this has been approved in writing by the Aus-trian academic supervisor and by the university. The same applies to independent academic research. If, however, not enough courses taught in English are offered by the university, attendance of a German language course may become necessary.


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German language courses In all university locations in Austria there are many institutions and organisations that offer German lan-guage courses for foreigners. These courses are – unless expressly stated so in the scholarship award letter or in the conditions of the scholarship programme – not part of the scholarship and have to be fi-nanced by the grant recipients themselves. The OeAD branch offices will gladly advise students in finding an appropriate course. Also see the brochure “Deutsch lernen in Österreich”, published by:

Campus Austria c/o WIHOK Universitätscampus AAKH, Hof 1 Alser Strasse 4, 1090 Wien Tel: +43 1/4051254 - 0, Fax: +43 1/4051254 - 10 E-Mail: [email protected] www.campus-austria.at/

18. INTERRUPTING SCHOLARSHIPS/GRANTS

The interruption or discontinuation of a scholarship/grant (premature departure) must immedi-ately be reported to the appropriate OeAD branch office in writing, together with reasons.

19. REVOCATION OF SCHOLARSHIPS

During the duration of your scholarship you are expected to observe Austrian laws and to fulfil your course of study and/or research conscientiously. In case of grave violations of Austrian laws or the schol-arship/grant award or false statements made in the scholarship application scholarships (e.g. language proficiency) and grants can be revoked and may have to be paid back to the OeAD. Any violation of the regulations governing the rights and status of aliens (Fremdenrecht) (e.g. illegal take-up of employment) can lead to fines and prison sentences and to expulsion from Austria (with subsequent ban on entry for several years). If no progress can be seen in your academic achievements or your studies, the scholarship payments can be stopped!


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20. BEFORE RETURNING HOME

The last scholarship instalment will only be paid after submission of a final report („Stipendienbericht“) which has to be signed by your academic supervisor (the necessary form for this report is available from the OeAD branch office).

- Legalisation of degree documents acquired in Austria

We recommend the following steps for the legalisation of your university degree certificates before leav-ing Austria:

1. Legalisation of the degree certificate by the Federal Ministry of Science and Research (BMWF) 2. Legalisation of the degree certificate by the Federal Ministry for European and International Af-

fairs (BMEIA), Legalisation Office, 1014 Wien, Minoritenplatz 8, entrance Leopold-Figl-Gasse, e-mail: [email protected]

3. Further legalisation (Überbeglaubigung) of the degree certificate by the embassy of your home

country in Austria. Attention: Legalisation of documents incurs costs! Whether or not a legalisation in the manner described above is necessary for your home country can be enquired about at your embassy in Austria or the ap-propriate ministry in your home country. Further information can be found in the Information leaflet „Before returning home“: www.oead.at/stip

21. ELECTRONIC STORAGE OF PERSONAL DATA, DATA PROTECTION

Personal data of the recipients of scholarships/grants is stored electroni-cally by the OeAD for the administration of scholarships and follow-up programmes, insofar as this is compatible with the prevailing privacy of information laws (Datenschutzgesetz) in Austria. Data will only be passed on to the institution financing your scholarship (e.g. federal ministry) and its controlling bodies (e.g. audit court of the Republic of Austria) as well as to the ÖAD Housing Office in case of a booking of accommodation. Data of scholarship holders from non-European developing countries will be reported to the ÖFSE (Österreichische Forschungsstiftung für Internationale Entwicklung) for statistical reasons. Any other insti-tutions to whom data may be passed on will be named explicitly in the scholarship award letter. When accepting your grant/scholarship you expressly agree that your name, nationality, home institution as well as project-related data (such as topic of the study project, duration, amount of the grant) may be pub-lished both in OeAD publications and on the website of the OeAD.


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22. SCHOLARSHIP HOLDERS’ FEEDBACK

Your feedback is important to us! At the end of your stay in Austria we ask you to fill in to participate in an Online survey to appraise your stay in Austria. Your suggestions are to help us to get ideas for a further improvement of our services and to facilitate future scholarship recipients’ stays in Austria.

23. OEAD ALUMNI/ FOLLOW-UP CONTACT

It is a concern of the OeAD to keep in touch with former scholarship holders after the end of their schol-arship and their return home. With our ALUMNI activities we want to make use of the potential of our former scholarship recipients and maintain their contacts with Austria. For this reason we have established an ALUMNI portal. In the framework of this our ALUMNI News are published at least once a year as well as in irregular intervals. You can find information about our ALUMNI activities on our OeAD homepage: http://www.oead.at/alumninews/index.html We would be happy if you acted as our contact persons after your return home and maybe also would like to contribute to our ALUMNI News.


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24. PERSONAL CHECKLIST

before travelling to Austria

Fill in scholarship acceptance (arrival date, if necessary registration for reservation of accommo-

dation), sign it and send it to the OeAD branch office and register online in Stiponline (you re-

ceive the link with the scholarship documents)

After having received the link to the online housing application form follow the link to the website

of the ÖAD Housing Office and complete the reservation form (if arrangement of accommodation

is wanted)

Notify academic supervisor of your arrival date

Check validity of your travel document and have it renewed if necessary

if applicable request form(s) for health insurance or European Health Insurance Card, respectively

- see chapter 10 of the brochure

Apply for visa or residence permit in time at the Austrian representative authority (not applicable

to EU/EEA nationals) – see information leaflet

If applicable, pre-registration for admission at the university by internet

Bring along documents for admission to study at the Austrian university, have them legalised if

necessary – see chapter 9 of the brochure

after arrival in Austria

Report to the OeAD branch office in person and collect first scholarship/grant instalment

Registration according to Registration Act – see chapter 8 of the brochure

Personal appointment with your academic supervisor

Apply for admission at the university – see chapter 15 of the brochure

Report to the OeAD branch office once every month

EU/EEA nationals: register with the authority in charge of the registration of foreign nationals at

the latest after having stayed in Austria for 3 months (confirmation of registration - “Anmelde-

bescheinigung”) Please notify us of any changes of your name, home address or e-mail address. If you cannot come to Austria on the scheduled arrival date, please notify the OeAD branch office at your university location and the ÖAD Housing Office immediately.

For further questions, please do not hesitate to contact your OeAD branch office


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25. IMPORTANT LINKS AND ADDRESSES

Österreichische Hochschülerschaft (ÖH) (Austrian Student Union) ............................... www.oeh.ac.at 1040 Wien, Taubstummengasse 7-9, 4th floor, Tel: +43 1/310 88 80 - 27 or 49 E-Mail: [email protected] Afro-Asiatisches Institut Wien (African-Asian Institute Vienna)...................................www.aai-wien.at 1090 Wien, Türkenstrasse 3, Tel: +43 1/310 51 45-311 E-Mail: [email protected] Afro-Asiatisches Institut Salzburg (African-Asian Institute Salzburg) ..................... www.aai-salzburg.at

5020 Salzburg, Wiener-Philharmoniker-Gasse 2, Tel: +43 662/84 14 13 E-Mail: [email protected]

Afro-Asiatisches Institut Graz (African-Asian Institute Graz)....................................... www.aai-graz.at

8010 Graz, Leechgasse 22, Tel: +43 316/32 44 34 E-Mail: [email protected]

Österreichisches Lateinamerika-Institut (LAI) (Austrian Latin America Institute)...................www.lai.at

1090 Wien, Schlickgasse 1, Tel: +43 1/310 74 65 E-Mail: [email protected]

Österreichische Orient-Gesellschaft Hammer Purgstall (ÖOG) .....................www.orient-gesellschaft.at 1010 Wien, Dominikanerbastei 6/6, Tel: +43 1/512 89 36 E-Mail: [email protected]

Austrian Tourist Information: .................................................................................www.austria.info Austrian Federal Railways ...........................................................................................www.oebb.at Austrian Telephone Directory ....................................................................................www.herold.at Vienna Airport.............................................................................................www.viennaairport.com Vienna...................................................................................................................www.wien.gv.at Graz...........................................................................................................................www.graz.at Innsbruck ...........................................................................................................www.innsbruck.at Klagenfurt ......................................................................................................... www.klagenfurt.at Leoben................................................................................................................... www.leoben.at Linz............................................................................................................................. www.linz.at Salzburg .......................................................................................................www.stadt-salzburg.at