EU Scholarship Scheme in Kosovo

The “EU Scholarships Scheme - Round VI” is an EU funded project for the implementation of the EU Scholarships Scheme for Kosovo. The Programme, named  “Young Cell Scheme” aims to support development within the Kosovo Civil Service, bringing in newly trained specialists in different sectors of EU integration. This year the YCS is in its 7th Round. The project is managed by ECLO (the European Commission Liaison Office to Kosovo) and implemented by SOFRECO SA.

The “Young Cell Scheme” aims to provide grants to Kosovo graduates to attend a postgraduate Master programme in a EU University. The grant covers all costs related to the studies abroad, and provides also for additional training in English language. The grantees once completed their programmes abroad engage themselves to come back to Kosovo and work for the Government (or for a public institution) for a period of 3 years.
The current project is running since 24 July 2009 and will finish in July 2011. The main activities of the project are two:
-    1) the management of the grants for those students selected in 2008 (Round V attending 2 years prorammes) and 2009 (Round VI) and currently studying abroad (44 students in total);
-    2) the organisation of the selections for Round VII, which has the target of awarding up to 44 grants. Those new grantees, Round VII, will then be managed by a further project.

This project takes over from a similar EU funded project that managed ROund V grants and Round VI Selections in 2008/2009, always managed by ECLO and implemented by SOFRECO SA.

The main beneficiary of the project is the Agency for Coordination of Development and European Integration, in the Office of the Prime Minister. The project team will also provide support and advise to the ACDEI and to ECLO in order to institutionalise the Young Cell Scheme within the OPM in the not so distant future.