Selection Criteria

• University degree in economics or applied economics, preferably at MPhil level
• Strong analytic and technical capabilities in modern economic methods
• Proficiency in statistical and econometric methods
• Interest in developing collaborative research within the research project
• A GRE test will be required for admission
• Fluency in spoken and written English (a TOEFL or IELTS test will be required for non-native speakers)

About LICOS

LICOS is a research centre of Excellence at the Faculty of Business and Economics that focuses on theoretical and empirical research of macro- and micro-economic aspects of transition, institutional changes and economic performance. LICOS belongs to the 12 “Centres of Excellence” of K.U. Leuven. Research at LICOS is organized around four main research themes, each under the auspices of a Research Director:

• Development and Food Policy (Prof. J. Swinnen)
• Labour Markets and Industrial Restructuring (Prof. J. Konings)
• Market Structure and Performance (Prof. P. Van Cayseele)
• International Trade and Fiscal Policy (Prof. Hylke Vandenbussche)

for more info

www.econ.kuleuven.be/licos/

PhD Program at the Faculty

The research project will allow the student to simultaneously pursue a PhD in (Applied) Economics. The University of Leuven (KUL) has an extensive Ph.D. program: about 160 researchers are currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Applied Economics/Business studies or PhD in Economics. Usually, a PhD program takes 4 years, with the first year including important course work in advanced economics. for more info:

www.econ.kuleuven.be/lsbe

How to Apply

Candidates must send their curriculum vitae, together with a statement outlining expression of interest in the position, to

There is no application form. Applications must reach us no later than 15 April 2009.

In the second year the participants first follow common core courses (Advanced and Applied Molecular Biology; Advanced Microbial Genetics and Virology; Physical Chemistry and Structural Analysis of Macromolecules; Social and Economical Aspects of Biotechnology) and one of three specialisation core courses: (i) Plant Production (Phytopathology; Bio-Control of Plant Diseases and Biofertilisation; Plant Biodiversity); (ii) Animal Production (Prophylaxis of Infectious Diseases of Farm Animals; Applied Biotechnology in Livestock Production; Livestock Genetics); (iii) human health (Human infectious diseases; Control and Prevention of Human Diseases; Human Genetics and Diseases). Furthermore, students prepare a dissertation which is a very important part of the programme; half of the study credits of the second year are allocated to it. The master dissertation consists of an original research work that is to be submitted in writing and defended before a jury and an audience. Preferentially, participants should choose a topic that is relevant to the further development of their research activities in their home country.

Admission requirements

• Holders of a four-year university degree or a three-year university degree (provided the candidate has relevant research experience) are eligible;
• Priority is given to candidates of developing countries holding the degree of Medical Doctor, Veterinary Doctor or Agricultural Engineer;
• Candidates holding degrees in Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry and other scientific disciplines related to life sciences are also eligible;
• A good knowledge of English is a prerequisite. Proof of proficiency in English (TOEFL minimal score 213; computer test=550 paper) or IELTS, minimal score 6.5) has to be provided if previous studies were in a different language.

You can apply for this scholarship here:

http://www.scholarships.vliruos.be/index.php?navid=479&scholarship_id=20&actionchoice=applyform

Application for this scholarship is possible from 01/10/2008 until 01/02/2009

If you apply through this link (you have to fill in all fields), VLIR-UOS will prescreen your file. When the evaluation is negative you will receive an e-mail with the reason why. When the evaluation is positive you will receive an e-mail with a link to the application form from the host university where the programme is organised. More detailed information and some documents are asked through this form for the second evaluation. YOU WILL RECEVE THE E-MAIL WITHIN TWO WEEKS AFTER YOU FILLED IN THIS PRESCREEN FORM. Notice that YOU CAN APPLY FOR ONLY ONE ITP OR ONE ICP FOR THE COMING ACADEMIC YEAR, so choose carefully! You cannot increase your chances by trying to apply for more than one programme, as the system will not allow you to apply for more than one programme. Should you try to apply for more than one programme, your data will appear more than once in our central database and all your applications will be inadmissible.

Period: September 2009 – September 2011
Language: English
Number of VLIR-UOS Scholarships: 13

Promoter:
Prof. P. De Baetselier (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)
Prof. B. Goddeeris (K.U.Leuven)
Prof. E. Van Marck (University of Antwerp)

Contact:
Mr R. Willems
Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
T +32 (0)2 629 19 56
F +32 (0)2 629 18 60
ipmb@vub.ac.be,rwillems@vub.ac.be
edvandri@vub.ac.be
http://ipmb.vub.ac.be

For further information open the webpage below:

http://www.scholarships.vliruos.be/index.php?navid=479&actionchoice=detailscholarship&scholarship_id=20&returnlink=1

In the first year of the MSc Programme (60 credits) in depth knowledge in food science, engineering and food engineering is obtained, in order to achieve a common knowledge base between students with different backgrounds. The first year is common to all students. The courses of the first semester are organized at UGent, while the courses of the second semester are taught at K.U.Leuven.

The second year of the MSc Programme (60 credits) provides broader knowledge in food technology in general and an in depth understanding in either ‘Postharvest and Food Preservation Engineering’ or ‘Food Science and Technology’, depending on the major chosen. The second year of the programme therefore consists of specific courses on each major (18 credits), optional courses (12 credits) and thesis research (30 credits). The major, the optional courses and the thesis topic are chosen after completing the first year. For the optional courses, the student may choose among the courses of the other major and the additional optional courses offered. This enables the student to compile a tailor-made study curriculum according to  his/her individual needs and interests.

Admission requirements

International applicants must have obtained an academic Bachelor of Science degree (in developing countries typically a 4-year programme) in a discipline related to the content of the programme from a recognized University, College or Institute. Candidates are expected to have basic science training (demonstrable in the transcripts) in at least three out of four of the following fields: (i) mathematics, statistics and physics, (ii) chemistry and biochemistry, (iii) biology and microbiology and (iv) engineering, with an end result of at least second class upper or equivalent. Each application will be evaluated by the Educational Committee for admission.

Language knowledge

The applicant must be proficient in the language of the course or training programme, i.e. English. Command of the English language is a very important criterion for admission. Applicants must be able to prove their proficiency in English. There are 4 possibilities to supply this proof:

1. TOEFL certificate (the UGent TOEFL code is 2643) with:
   • a minimum total score of 550 on the paper based test, or
   • a minimum total score of 79 on an internet based test.

   The test validity is max. 2 years;

2. IELTS with a minimum overall band score of 6. The test validity is max. 2 years;
3. Proof of at least 1 year of comprehensive English-based instruction at a university or recognized equivalent;
4. Proof of a successful “Intermediate Academic English” test at the Ghent University Language Center.

Application

You can apply for this scholar by clicking here:

http://www.scholarships.vliruos.be/index.php?navid=479&scholarship_id=18&actionchoice=applyform

Application for this scholarship is possible from 01/10/2008 until 01/02/2009

If you apply through the link above (you have to fill in all fields), VLIR-UOS will prescreen your file. When the evaluation is negative you will receive an e-mail with the reason why. When the evaluation is positive you will receive an e-mail with a link to the application form from the host university where the programme is organised. More detailed information and some documents are asked through this form for the second evaluation. YOU WILL RECEVE THE E-MAIL WITHIN TWO WEEKS AFTER YOU FILLED IN THIS PRESCREEN FORM. Notice that YOU CAN APPLY FOR ONLY ONE ITP OR ONE ICP FOR THE COMING ACADEMIC YEAR, so choose carefully! You cannot increase your chances by trying to apply for more than one programme, as the system will not allow you to apply for more than one programme. Should you try to apply for more than one programme, your data will appear more than once in our central database and all your applications will be inadmissible.

Period: September 2009 – September 2011
Language: English
Number of VLIR-UOS Scholarships: 13
Promoter: Prof. M. Hendrickx (K.U.Leuven)
Prof. K. Dewettinck (UGent)

Contact:
Mrs C. Smout
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
T +32 (0)16 32 14 09
F +32 (0)16 32 19 60
iupfood.postharvest@biw.kuleuven.be
http://www.iupfood.be

Ms K. Anthierens
Ghent University, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering
Department of Food Safety and Food Quality
T +32 (0)9 264 62 10
F +32 (0)9 264 62 22
iupfood.technology@ugent.be
http://www.iupfood.be

For further information about this scholarship, open the webpage below:

http://www.scholarships.vliruos.be/index.php?navid=479&actionchoice=detailscholarship&scholarship_id=18&returnlink=1

This study’s aim is to develop micro-economic models of organisational behaviour explicitly taking the presence of volunteers into consideration. Therefore, the researcher will be selected on the basis of the assessment of her/his thorough knowledge of (and preferably experience in) theoretical micro-economics.

The models to be developed fit into the aforementioned principal-agent framework (see Bénabou and Tirole (2003) as an example of the approach to be taken), and will depart from the confrontation of organisational and individual utility functions. Important arguments in the individual utility functions will be the effort of the volunteer, her attachment to the organisational goals and her attachment to the clients’ goals (for the introduction of this distinction, see our previous work in Caers et al. (2006b)), her inclination to shirk, and the possibility of alternative activities. The impact on organisational performance will be analytically assessed. Given the expected amount of analytical difficulties to be met due to the complexity of the utility functions involved (see also Caers et al., 2005, 2006a), the modelling effort is planned to gradually evolve from simpler cases to more realistic ones, as is traditional for this kind of work. In the next paragraphs we describe a preliminary structure of this work.

The first year, after having reviewed the literature, the ‘simpler’ models will be constructed. We will model organisations with only operational volunteers (the other categories of persons involved being professionals), then with only managerial volunteers, and then with only voluntary board members. These first models will concentrate on the agency costs without bonding and monitoring, which will be introduced later on. Volunteers will be modelled as utility maximisers, therefore not necessarily exclusively pursuing organisational goals. Agency costs then are the differences between the performance levels obtained, and the ‘first best’ levels. Clearly, performance based reward schemes, which play an important role in the governance literature on profit organisations, are not relevant here.

In the second year, we will first introduce bonding and monitoring in the models developed in the first year, monitoring reflecting essential aspects of organisational governance. Furthermore, we will also consider volunteers still to be present at only one level in the organisation, but now together with paid staff members. Also, models with only volunteers at two of the three levels described above will be conceived.

In year three the most comprehensive models will be derived: volunteers at all levels, together with professionals at all levels, leading to a set of empirically testable hypotheses, to be verified in the fourth year, at least within one large organisation grouping both paid staff members and volunteers at all levels.

For further information:

Marc Jegers,
VUB,
Pleinlaan 2,
B-1050 Brussel,
Belgium
Phone (+32) 2 629 21 13
marc.jegers@vub.ac.be
website: www.vub.ac.be/MICE