Erasmus+ International Mobility Program (IM) (formerly known as ICM)/ Erasmus Worldwide extends beyond Europe, allowing for mobility from and to other parts of the world. Program Countries are those countries participating fully in the Erasmus program. Türkiye is one of the 33 Program Countries. Partner Countries cover the rest of the world outside the European Union. List of partner and program countries can be found here.

Koç University has successfully received funding to support students studying abroad in partner countries since 2016.

Students and staff from our partner universities have the opportunity to fund their exchanges at Koç University considering that they fulfil the requirements explained in the following sections.

The main goals of this program are:

• To offer research and study development opportunities to students and young researchers from partner country universities.
• To achieve sustained improvements in knowledge and research skills.
• To forge and deepen lasting links between KU and our partner universities, thus enhancing transnational academic cooperation.
• To improve participants’ language and cultural skills, promoting mutual enrichment and understanding.

In the framework of the Erasmus Program, all mobility activities are conditional upon the signature of an inter-institutional agreement between the sending and the receiving universities before the start of the mobility.

Mobility is conducted according to the minimum and maximum duration of time determined by the European Commission. The physical mobility period can last from 2 months (or one academic term) to 12 months, or from 5 to 30 days for short-term doctoral mobility. 

Koç University prefers to host partner university students for a semester. If you have doctoral students who are interested in short-term exchanges, we kindly request you to contact our office through email (incoming@ku.edu.tr) before nominating the student as a candidate.

• Partner universities are required to form a selection committee that has minimum 3 main members and minimum 2 substitute members. Partner universities are required to share a copy of the “letter of authorization of the selection committee” with KU OIP upon forming the committee. Selection Committee is responsible of reviewing all the applications and making the final selection.

• Partner universities are required to run separate application calls for each mobility type of Erasmus+ Worldwide/ICM. Partner universities are required to share the screen shots/copy of the “call for application” for all types of mobility (i.e. student, academic staff, and administrative staff) with KU OIP. 

• The announcement of each application call should be distributed through the university mass communication channels transparently and equally minimum 20 days before the applications begin. Applications should be collected at least for 15 days, allowing applicants to provide answers to predetermined criteria. The program announcement should include the following criteria:

 

• The number of exchange slots with/without Erasmus+ Grant at Koç University

• The academic departments that are open for application

• The selection criteria and required documents

• Erasmus Grant Amount (Individual/Travel Support)

• Lower priority will be given to those who have already participated in and Erasmus+ program

Selection criteria that would result in additional grant or deduction from the grant should be stated in the call for applications (the points below are suggested by KU, home university can implement a different pointing system):

• Disabled students should receive extra 5 points if substitutive documents are provided

• Students who want to participate in mobility programs in their birth country should receive -5 points

Partner universities are required to submit the“Appointment Letter and Selection Committee Report for Students and Staff” to KU OIP once every selection period is finalised at home university

Who is Eligible to Apply?

• Students must be registered in an Erasmus+ Worldwide (IM) partner university and enrolled in studies leading to a recognized degree or other recognized tertiary level qualification (up to and including the level of doctorate).
• The student must not have been on an Erasmus exchange for more than a total of 12 months per study cycle (Bachelor’s, Master’s and research studies are counted separately), including the time period applied for in this application.
• Undergraduate students must have completed at least two regular semesters (remedial and prep excluded) with a minimum GPA of 2.20. Graduate students must have completed at least one regular semester (remedial and prep excluded) with a minimum GPA of 2.50).

 

Selection

Suggested Evaluation criteria for Students (undergraduate and graduate degree):

• Outstanding academic record, according to the GPA (min. 2.2 for undergrads, min. 2.5 for grads in 4.0 scale required for application) in the students Transcripts of Records
• Master’s students who do not have master qualifications should provide the Transcripts of Records from their undergraduate studies.

 

Suggested Evaluation criteria for PhD students:

• Research Proposal feasibility and contribution to professional and academic development of the candidate.

• The student needs to get in contact with the related professor/research group to let them know that they are interested in joining their lab/research group for the internship.
• They should have a Motivation Letter and their CV attached.
• They must note in their email that their internship will be covered by the Erasmus+ grant.  

Important Notes & Suggestions to Partner Universities

• The first part of the selection process will be undertaken at the students’ and staff members’ home universities and these selection processes will be organized by these institutions according to their own regulations, but always taking into account the evaluation criteria and the following Erasmus Charter principles: “Respect in full the principles of non-discrimination and to promote and ensure equal access and opportunities to mobile participants from all backgrounds, in particular disadvantaged or vulnerable groups. Apply a selection process that is fair, transparent and documented, ensuring equal opportunities to participants eligible for mobility.”          
• Partner universities are advised to implement the following when running a selection process:

◦ In addition to academic achievement and language score, if the applicant has benefited from another Lifelong Learning Program or Erasmus mobility scheme while pursuing the same level of academic degree, 10 points will be subtracted for each and every activity utilised (regardless of whether internship or education) when calculating academic achievement and language score averages.

◦ Disabled students receive extra 5 points if substitutive documents are provided.

◦ Students who want to participate in mobility programs in their birth country receive -5 points.

 

Nomination & Application

Partner HEIs should send the Appointment Letter and Selection Committee Report for Students and Staff to the Office of International Programs at Koç University. Partner university should also nominate their selected students via KU OIP’s online nomination & application system via https://kuapp.ku.edu.tr Partner universities will receive the login credentials to log into the system by KU OIP before the start of the Nomination & Application period.

Once the students are nominated by the home university, the students will receive an automatic notification from KU OIP to complete their application via the online application system: https://kuapp.ku.edu.tr/ 

In case some grants are not exhausted after the first round of application, a second round of application will be announced to partner university students by the International Office of the Partner University.

 

Application Documents

The following documents should be submitted by the partner university student to KU via https://kuapp.ku.edu.tr 

 

Document Type	Mandatory/ If applicable
Complete and Most Up-to-Date Transcript of Records Received by the Home University	Mandatory
A valid English Language Proficiency Certificate (taken within the last two years and minimum B2 level)	Mandatory
Identification Card Copy or Passport’s ID Page Copy	Mandatory
Home University Confirmation of Application	Mandatory
Special Needs Statement & Proving documents	If applicable

 If you are participating in the program for one semester you are obliged to take 30 ECTS credits (15 KU credits).

• If you are participating in the program for two semesters you are obliged to take 60 ECTS credits.
• After your mobility you have to transfer the courses taken at Koç university with their notes and credits (Full Recognition).

Erasmus+ Worldwide Study program provides monthly stipend as well as travel grant to selected participants. Students coming from partner universities receive 800€ per month.

Selected participants also receive travel grant. The calculation is done based on the distance between Koç University and the host city. Calculation is done by Distance Calculator (https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/resources/distance-calculator_en )

Grant Amounts by 2022 Project Year and afterwards 

Travel Distance	Standard Travel Grant Amount	Green Travel Grant Amount
10 – 99 km	23 Euro	–
100 – 499 km	180 Euro	210 Euro
500 – 1999 km	275 Euro	320 Euro
2000 – 2999 km	360 Euro	410 Euro
3000 – 3999 km	530 Euro	610 Euro
4000 – 7999 km	820 Euro	–
8000 km or more	1500 Euro	–

Short-term Mobility Grant for PhD Students (daily)

5 days- up to day 14	Daily grant amount: 70 €
14-30 days	Daily grant amount: 50 €

Important: These unit costs represent the linear distance between the city where the university of origin and the city where the host university are located. This is calculated automatically by a website indicated by the European Commission and cannot be subject to any change. The financial support allocated to the “travel distance” is the maximum allowed by the Erasmus Program and is intended to contribute to the round trip back between the home and host institutions. In the event that the assigned value is insufficient to pay for the desired trip, the scholarship holder must find other sources of funding. An initial payment will represent 70% of the estimated total amount of the grant. The initial grant is paid in EUR to the students’ name in Yapi Kredi bank at Koç University campus and the student is able to withdraw the amount with his/her passport during the week of arrival. The remaining 30% is paid at the end of the mobility, once the student submits all the required documents to OIP at KU and fills in the online evaluation (EU Survey) sent by the Erasmus Mobility Tool.

Green Travel Support for Students 

For students, who prefer green travel may receive individual support grants for up to 4 days in addition to the grant amount specified in the table above. 

Important Note: If the student plans to travel and receive Green Travel Support the student has to inform the Incoming Team as soon as possible. 

With the new Erasmus+ Program students are encouraged to use low-emissions means of transport for the main part of the travel, such as bus, train or car-pooling.

Students who will use these means of transport will receive a single contribution of 50 EUR as a top-up amount to the individual support and up to 4 days of extra grant to cover travel days for a return trip, if relevant.

At the end of the mobility, students are obliged to present documents (bus ticket, train ticket etc.) proving that the green travel has taken place.

Zero-grant students are not eligible for green travel grant.

Erasmus Disability Grant

• Additional grants are available for students with disabilities and health conditions wishing to participate in an Erasmus placement and where participation would not be possible without extra financial support.
• The allowance is offered when disabilities or health conditions lead to additional mobility costs, which exceed the maximum grant allocations allowed, and which cannot be recovered from other sources. The grant covers approved actual costs.
• Applications for the Erasmus Disability Grant must be submitted to OIP prior to the start of the mobility.
• Student’s application must include a statement from a doctor or other authority confirming the disability or health condition, its severity, the impact on the Erasmus mobility, additional requirements and additional costs to be met. A detailed estimate of costs is required.
• The application should provide information on any other sources of financial support that the student receives and why this is insufficient to cover extra costs.
• If you have any questions please send an e-mail to incoming@ku.edu.tr
• Roadmap for Students with Special Needs

Additional Grant Support for Incoming Students with Disabilities

Higher education institutions may provide grant support to the National Agency in order to cover the supplementary costs for the students with disabilities on the condition that disability is documented. 

The following amounts of Additional Grant Support can be provided to students with disabilities, upon their request and on the condition that they document their situation:

Mobility Type	Additional Grant Amount
2-12 months student mobility	Monthly € 250
5-14 days short term student mobility*	In addition to total grant: € 100
15-30 days short term student mobility*	In addition to total grant: € 150

Grant Deduction and Repayment

Deductions and/or repayment may apply to students who do not fulfil their responsibilities and/or are unsuccessful. Grant deduction and/or repayment may take place in case of the following:

• It is ensured by higher education institutions that students can participate in the compulsory language exam before mobility. In the case of failure to fulfill this obligation without a valid reason, the institutional support grant provided by the Higher Education Institution may be subject to a deduction ranging from 5% in accordance with the provisions of the Grant Agreement Annex ‘Contractual and Financial Provisions – Deduction of Grant in Case of Insufficient, Partial or Delayed Implementation
• When participant completed the 19-11 ECTS course load successfully, 30% of the grant based on total duration of mobility shall be deducted. When participant completed the 10-0 ECTS course load successfully, the grant that has been paid before the mobility shall be refunded by the student.
• If the participant does not complete the required after mobility documents in line with the terms of the agreement, 30% of the grant based on total duration of mobility shall be deducted.
• If the participant does not complete the online final report after mobility, 5% of the grant based on total duration of mobility shall be deducted.
• If a participant fails to submit and complete all the required paperwork to Koc University on time, the participant will be obliged to pay the grant received (70%) back to Koc University.
• If a student leaves the host organization/country for more than 7 days (including weekends, excluding official holidays and breaks), student is not paid for that duration. If the student was paid for those days, then he/she is asked to return that amount to Koc University.
• If a student returns home country before the end of the mobility period and/or before the min. required duration (min. 3 months), then sanctions regarding the Erasmus Worldwide grant will be implemented. If there is a “Force Majeure” situation, student should immediately get in touch with OIP and OIP will seek Turkish National Agency’s advice and approval on the matter. If Turkish National Agency approves the situation as “Force Majeure”, then OIP will inform the student and the student will be able to return home before the end of the mobility period. The student will only receive the grant for valid days of mobility. If the student returns home without getting in touch with OIP first, then the mobility will be considered as invalid and the student will be asked to return the initial grant (70%) back to Koc University.

 

Zero Grant Students

Students are able to participate in Erasmus Worldwide Study program without receiving a grant. However, it should be noted that the students have to go through the same application & selection procedures and also submit the required documents (before-during-after mobility) to OIP.

 Pre-Arrival Webinars

In order to provide you with more information and more support prior to your arrival to Koc University, we also organize pre-arrival webinars.

 

Those webinars include the following topics:

• Visa, Residence Permit Application, Health Insurance

• Arrival to KU

• Housing

• Studying at KU (academic information on the semester calendar, courses and course enrollment, early finals, etc.)

• Mentorship Program

• Living Costs

• Weather

 

The webinars are based on the Incoming Exchange Student Guide. Therefore, you may have a look at the guide for further information.