The European Union Office in Kosovo and the Office of the Prime Minister of the Government of Kosovo announce the opening of the Round XIII of Applications to the Young Cell Scheme, the EU post-graduate scholarship programme for Kosovo citizens, which is currently implemented by the Consortium of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, and the Institut National du Service Public, France. Applications are open from Friday 2^nd December 2022 until Tuesday 27^th December 2022 at 1800. Successful applicants will be offered the opportunity to study in one- or two-year Master programme at universities in the EU Member States. The Scholarship Programme’s working language is in English, and will offer up to 45 full grants (the actual number of scholarships awarded may also be less depending on suitability of candidates and availability of funding). This call is open to general public and to civil servants who are graduates in Law, Public Administration, Human Resources Management, Economics, Finance, Management, Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Transport, Applied Science and Social Science  and other academic backgrounds (as specified in the Rules of Procedures available on the official website of the programme at https://ycskosovo.org) in line with the following sectors:

This call is open to the general public and to civil servants in the following areas:

• Law (including EU Law) up to 11 scholarships available
• Public Administration and Good Governance (including Human Resources Management) up to 8 scholarships available
• Economics, Finance, Management (including Public Health Management) up to 11 scholarships available
• Energy, Environment and Climate Change, Transport up to 11 scholarships available
• International Relations and Diplomacy (including Defence and Security) up to 4 scholarships available

Eligible applicants are:

• Kosovo citizens with a valid Kosovo passport or ID card issued by Kosovo institutions or with valid proofs of birth and residency in Kosovo (NB: both birth certificate and residence certificate are required where any form of Kosovo ID cannot be provided).
• University graduates holding a bachelor degree in one of the areas of study pertaining to the sectors
• Fluent in English and Albanian or Serbian.
• Born on 1^st January 1988 or later.

Scholarships will cover the following costs:

• application costs and tuition fees
• living allowances
• visa costs & health insurance
• one return flight ticket
• English preparatory language training for- and cost of IELTS English test (in case the studies are to be under in another EU language, other required language tests could also be reimbursed)

Selected participants will commit to:

• Be available to undergo training/internship from February 2023 onwards and to move abroad from August 2023 until the end of the estimated completion of studies. 
• Work for the Kosovo Public Administration as an intern for 4 months before departure (with the exception of civil servants already employed in the public administration of Kosovo).
• Follow the YCS language training programme (where needed).
• Attend and complete their chosen post-graduate studies.
• Complete three (3) consecutive years of employment or re-employment (if civil servants) in the public administration of Kosovo (including employment in municipalities and local government) upon their return.

Selections will be carried out in three stages and they include:

• Pre-selection based on the administrative and eligibility criteria.
• Written tests (English knowledge, EU General Knowledge and Verbal & Numerical Reasoning).
• Interviews by a panel composed of academics from selected EU universities. EUO and GoK representatives will sit the panel as observers. 

The whole selection procedure will be implemented in accordance with the Regulation (MPA) No.01/2019 on the Beneficiaries of the Scholarship Schemes. 

Representatives of non-majority or diverse communities and women are strongly encouraged to apply. Application forms, Rules of Procedure and the full set of accompanying documents will be sent by email to all interested applicants upon registration at the following website: https://ycskosovo.org until Tuesday, 27^th December 2022. 

YCS Round XII Scholarships’ Rules of procedure, including selections criteria and related procedures must be carefully read and understood before submitting an application. Round XIII Rules of Procedure are available at https://ycskosovo.org .

Applicants must complete in English the Europass CV format, the YCS RXIII Application Form and they must accompany their application with a signed and dated Letter of Motivation (explaining why they wish to take part in the scheme) and Self-declaration to prove that all documents submitted are valid. All applicants must also enclose with their application copies of diplomas or degrees and original (or certified copies of) transcripts and copies of valid Passport/ID card issued by Kosovo authorities or other proofs of birth and of residency in Kosovo. 

In case of undergraduate applicants, they must enclose with their applications up to date original (or certified copy of) transcripts with the exams and a self-declaration regarding the expected date of graduation.

Make sure to include a VALID e-mail address and phone number both in the YCS RXIII Application Form and in the Europass CV of your application. All communications to applicants will be sent only through emails. The Europass CV format, the YCS RXIII Application Form and the YCS RXIII Rules of Procedure will be received by email by registering on the YCS official website and filling the application form.

NOTE: Missing documents, incomplete applications (such as missing the CV, the application form, the letter of motivation), applications not in English, and applications including CVs not in the Europass format will not be reviewed and will be automatically excluded from the selection procedure.

Applications deadline: Tuesday, 27^th December 2022, at 18:00 h

Applications received after this deadline will not be considered under any circumstance.

DELIVER OF APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED ONLINE in compressed folder (all documents in PDF format in zip folder), through this link:   

https://ycskosovo.org/index.php/en/apply 

or in case of technical difficulties, applications can be submitted also in hard copies in a sealed envelope at the following address:  

Young Cell Scheme – Round XIII Application, Str. Behije Dashi, No.14, 6^th floor, Aktash, Prishtina 10000 Kosovo, Tel. +38349444357

Please do not make direct inquiries regarding your application. 

Applicants who have not been contacted by Friday 30^th December 2022 have not passed the pre-selection phase and have not been short-listed to sit written exams.

For further information you can consult https://ycskosovo.org or write at [email protected]