Mobility opportunities for UNIL PhD students

Studies in Europe

SEMP (previously Erasmus) exchange agreements allow students to study in another institution for one to two semesters.

Conditions

• Agreement from thesis supervisor
• If on an assistant’s contract: agreement from the Faculty

Procedure

1. Check the exchange agreements database for information about agreements open to PhD students
2. Contact the mobility adviser for your faculty
3. Check that the host institution is in agreement, in conjunction with the mobility adviser

Financial support for PhD students

The financial support available is shown on the agreement details in the exchange agreements database. In principle, the amount is CHF 320 / month (check the database to confirm). This amount cannot be paid in addition to an assistant’s salary.

SEMP (previously Erasmus) agreements offer mobility opportunities to assistants studying for a PhD, for teaching activities lasting between two days and two weeks. The procedures are the same as for teaching staff; please check the information on mobility for teaching staff under SEMP agreements.

The Blended Intensives Programmes (BIPs) are a new mobility format available to all doctoral students registered at UNIL. Each BIP combines online teaching with a short five-day period of physical mobility (similar to a summer or winter school) at another CIVIS university with students from across the Alliance.

CIVIS BIPs are linked to one of the five Alliance themes.

CIVIS BIPs are published on the CIVIS portal .

Conditions

• Agreement of the thesis supervisor

How to proceed

1. If you are interested in a BIP, you should contact your thesis supervisor at UNIL to check that the project is feasible in terms of your research project. A learning agreement must be signed with your thesis supervisor.
2. They apply online via the CIVIS BIP registration platform  on the Alliance website. Doctoral students are selected in two stages:
   1. on the CIVIS side, by the BIP organisational team, depending on the motivation and background of the applicants.
   2. on the UNIL's International Relations (IR) department side, to check eligibility for the mobility grant. In principle, the results are sent no later than one month after the deadline for submitting BIP applications.
3. If selected, a scholarship contract must be signed between the doctoral student and UNIL International Relations (erasmus@unil.ch). The scholarship will be paid as soon as possible after receipt of all documents (scholarship contract, learning agreement, BIP programme, travel tickets).
4. The doctoral student can now take part in the online programme and the 5-day trip to the host university for physical mobility alongside professors and doctoral students from all over the Alliance. The duration and format of the online learning sessions, as well as the assessment of the knowledge acquired, depend on each CIVIS BIP.
5. For doctoral students who are required to acquire ECTS credits as part of their thesis, a transcript of record is issued by the BIP coordinating institution upon successful completion of the course. The credits (3 to 6 ECTS depending on the BIP) can be counted as agreed in the learning agreement.

Financial support for PhD students

For physical mobility during the BIP, the PhD student will receive the following financial support (travel, meals and accommodation):

• A lump sum of CHF 80 per day of the in-personne programme (max: 5 days) ;
• A lump sum of CHF 80 for one day of outward travel and CHF 80 for one day of return travel;
• A lump-sum contribution towards travel costs in accordance with Movetia's mileage scale below:
  
• If a sustainable mode of transport (bus or train) is chosen, the PhD student can count up to two days of outward travel and two days of return travel if justified, and receive an additional lump sum of CHF 100 on presentation of travel documents.

Contact

Mr. Gregor Jancik
International relations office
Château de Dorigny
Tel: +41 21 692 20 24

Bilateral exchange agreements allow stays of one to two semesters for study or research purposes.

Conditions

• Agreement from thesis supervisor
• If on an assistant’s contract: agreement from the Faculty
• Support from a researcher at the host university if you are planning to carry out research during your stay.

Procedure

1. Check the exchange agreements database for information about agreements open to PhD students
2. Contact the mobility adviser for your faculty
3. Check that the host institution is willing to have you (often on a case-by-case basis at PhD level)
4. Submit your application to your mobility adviser before the deadline (see the exchange agreements database for the forms and procedures to follow).

Financial support for PhD students

The financial support available is shown on the agreement details in the exchange agreements database. In principle, the amounts are as follows (check the database to confirm):

• Europe: CHF 3,500 / semester
• Outside Europe: CHF 4,000 / semester

These amounts cannot be paid in addition to an assistant’s salary.

It is possible, subject to the agreement of their thesis supervisor, for students to organise a placement in an institution that does not have an agreement with UNIL. In this case, the student makes their own arrangements, without any administrative or financial support from UNIL. 

External funding sources