Erasmus+ Worldwide Internship
Description of the Mobility
A traineeship (work placement) abroad in an enterprise or any other relevant workplace. Traineeships abroad at a workplace are supported during short cycle, first, second and third cycle studies.
Students should work as an intern in a business enterprise or organization, which is directly related to their own educational field. The internship does not necessarily have to be a mandatory component of the student’s educational program although the economic sector the student works at should be closely related to it. An internship at a research center/laboratory, etc. is possible but only with an administrative role. Wherever possible, the traineeships should be an integrated part of the student’s study program.
Traineeship- Blended Mobility:
Blended learning activities are a combination of virtual/online learning activities and physical learning activities. Blended mobility, therefore, is a combination of physical mobility and a virtual activity (or component) before or after physical mobility. As a rule, any mobility that was previously exclusively physical mobility can now be organised as a combination of physical mobility abroad and a learning period online either before or after the physical part.
From the perspective of the participant, there are also two possible scenarios of blended mobility with different durations of physical mobility:
1) Blended traineeship mobility with a long-term physical presence abroad – minimum 2 months of physical presence abroad complemented by any volume of virtual learning before or after the physical mobility
2) Blended traineeship mobility with a short-term physical presence abroad – a minimum of 5 days and a maximum of 30 days abroad complemented by any volume of virtual learning before or after the physical mobility
Applicants have to specify their form of participation in the traineeship mobility program (i.e. physical, blended: short-term physical, blended: long-term physical) in the Acceptance/Invitation Letter received from the host company/institution. If the form of participation is not specified in the Acceptance/Invitation Letter, the mobility will be considered as “physical” participation.
Duration of the Mobility
This program enables you to spend a placement (traineeship) period between 2 months to 12 months in an enterprise or organization in one of the Partner Countries (Switzerland, Egypt and Russia); public or private organizations active in the labour market.
However, it should be noted that in order to help more students benefit from the Erasmus+ Grant, payments can be made for max. 2 months depending on the available budget and number of applicants.
IMPORTANT: If a student returns to the home country before the end of the traineeship period and/or before the min. required duration (min. 2 months), then sanctions regarding the Erasmus+ Worldwide grant will be implemented.
If there is a “Force Majeure” (mücbir sebep)**, the 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 “compelling”, then OIP will inform the student and the student will be able to return home before the end of the mobility period. Student will only receive the grant for valid days of mobility.
If a student returns home without getting in touch with OIP first, then the mobility will be considered as invalid and student will be asked to return the initial grant (70%) back to Koc University.
**Force Majeure (mücbir sebep): Family issues, Health problems, Natural disaster, etc.
Where to Intern?
- Students will have to find their work placements independently.
- Students can intern at companies, education institutions/centers, research centers/facilities or any type of organization that is classified as “business enterprise” by the Erasmus+ Program Guide.
- As part of Erasmus+ Worldwide Internship program, students can intern in the following countries:
- Egypt (Cairo)
- South Africa
- Lebanon (Beirut)
- As part of Erasmus+ Worldwide Internship program, students can intern at the administrative offices of the following partner Universities:
- American University of Cairo (Egypt)
- University of Cape Town
- University of Pretoria
- Stellenbosch University
- American University of Beirut
- The Erasmus placement period cannot be used to conduct research or analysis projects related to academic studies within a certain program. Research projects cannot be considered as training activities. Mobility cannot be a laboratory work or scientific research. Students need to practice professional activities and internship must be carried out as the economic provisions in the relevant sector. For example, working at a company’s R & D department for product development and working at a university’s research center for a company’s project on product development could be considered as internship. In summary,
- Host (receiving) organizations for student traineeships may be any public or private organization active in the labor market or in the fields of education, training and youth. Such organization can be:
- a public or private, a small, medium or large enterprise (including social enterprises);
- a public body at local, regional or national level;
- a social partner or other representative of working life, including chambers of commerce, craft/professional associations and trade unions;
- a research institute (as described above);
- a foundation;
- a school/institute/educational center (at any level, from pre-school to upper secondary education, and including vocational education and adult education);
- a non-profit organization, association, NGO;
- a body providing career guidance, professional counselling and information services
- Activities may not take place at European Union institutions and other EU bodies including specialized agencies, organizations managing EU programs, and national diplomatic representations (embassy and consulate) of the home country of the student.
The following types of organizations are not eligible as receiving organizations for student traineeships:- EU institutions and other EU bodies including specialized agencies Organizations managing
- EU programs such as national agencies
Internship Quota
Erasmus+ Worldwide program offers the following countries as internship destinations, and quotas are pre-set for countries listed in the table.
| Program Countries | Quota |
| Egypt | 1 |
| Lebanon | 1 |
| South Africa | 1 |
Students can plan their internships starting as of 10th of June, 2021. Internships must be finalized until July 2022.
While students can find internships at any suitable organization, as part of Erasmus+ Worldwide Internship program, students can also intern at the administrative offices of the following partner Universities:
- American University of Cairo (Egypt)
- University of Cape Town (South Africa)
- University of Pretoria (South Africa)
- Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
- American University of Beirut (Lebanon)
Application & Selection
Application Date & Method
The application for Erasmus+ Worldwide Internship Program takes place between 27/01/2020- 21/02/2020. For details please refer to OIP’s Application and Selection Calendar. Each call for application published by the University may stipulate different dates of start and/or end; in any case all mobility programs must be concluded by July 30th, of the relevant Academic Year.
Application is done via OIP’s online application system: https://kuapp.ku.edu.tr/ If you have not applied to any of the Mobility Programs offered by OIP via kuapp.ku.edu.tr during your studies at KU before, please first create a “Preliminary Application” for yourself as shown below:
**Please select the Reference Type at the Application Information section as “Internship”
Who is Eligible to Apply?
- Students must be registered in a higher education institution and enrolled in studies leading to a recognized degree or other recognized tertiary level qualification (up to and including the level of doctorate).
- The applicants must have not participated in the Erasmus+ & Erasmus+ Worldwide program (study and internship) for more than 10 months in their current cycle (Bachelor/ Masters/PhD). A student may receive Erasmus mobility grants for a maximum of 12 months in any cycle. A student may receive funding within the Erasmus+ program for student mobility (studies and traineeships together) for a maximum of 12 months.
- 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.
Application Requirements
- Minimum required CGPA 2.20 for undergraduate, 2.50 for graduate and postgraduate students
- Language Requirement: Koç University Institutional TOEFL*(550 PBT), TOEFL (550 PBT/ 80 IBT) or IELTS Score Card (min. 6.5), KUEPE** (Min 60) Students can apply using their expired language scores as well.
*Students can get their Koc TOEFL scorecards from the Registrar’s Office. Please keep in mind that it will take a couple of days for Registrar’s Office to issue your TOEFL or IELTS scorecards. You are asked to upload your English Proficiency Proof on the online application form (https://kuapp.ku.edu.tr ).
**Students who wish to apply using their KUEPE scores will need to take a screenshot of their KUSIS homepage, where KUEPE scores are shown. If students have any technical issues with screening their KUEPE results on their KUSIS homepage, they must contact the IT department to solve the issue. Students can also contact the Registrar’s Office and English Language Center to get their KUEPE results as well.
If you do not have an official TOEFL, IELTS or KUEPE scorecard, you have to take a new test. Please note that you need to plan your application accordingly as it takes time to get the result of English Proficiency tests.
Exceptions to the English proficiency tests (TOEFL, IELTS) include only lifetime residents of Australia, Canada (other than Quebec), New Zealand, United Kingdom or the United States (other than Puerto Rico). Students who have recently and successfully completed at least 4 years of rigorous academic studies in one of the countries listed might also be exempted. Their English proficiency score calculated on KUAPP will be the min. English Language admission requirement of the program at KU they are admitted. Students English Language Score will be automatically calculated as the equivalent of 80 TOEFL IBT unless the student submits an IELTS or TOEFL score, Placement will be based on 50% GPA and 50 % TOEFL, so the higher scores students have, the better chance of placement students will have.
Application Documents:
- A 2-month-period acceptance from the host organization: Students are required find their internship and receive an acceptance letter from the host organization in one of the partner countries: Switzerland, Egypt, Russia.
- Most recent transcript
- A valid English Language Proficiency Certificate (TOEFL IBT, KOÇ TOEFL or IELTS)
- Resume (CV)
- Special Needs Statement & Proving documents (if applicable)
- Substitutive documents for children of martyr and veteran people (if applicable)
- Substitutive documents for students who are covered by the 2828 numbered Social Services Law (if applicable)
Selection
- Erasmus students are selected by their sending higher education institution in a fair and transparent way
- Selection is done based on 50% Academic achievement + 50% Language score.
- 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 utilized (regardless of whether internship or education) when calculating academic achievement and language score averages.
- Disabled students receive +5 points if proving documents are provided in the application.
- Children of martyr and veteran people receive +5 points if proving documents are provided in the application
- Students who are covered by the 2828 numbered Social Services Law receive +5 points if proving documents are provided in the application.
- Students who want to participate in mobility programs in their birth country receive -5 points
- The OIP calculates and lists the average score of each applicant based on the calculation explained above
- All applicants are ranked from the highest to the lowest score by faculty, and the top scoring students are selected depending on faculty quotas, by the selection committee.
- Results are notified to all applicants in written format via e-mail and OIP website, and are also announced on OIP’s Bulletin Board.
IMPORTANT: Special Cases
If an application and selection round for Erasmus+ Worldwide Study and Internship program takes place at the same time, and if a student applies to both programs at the same time, then the following applies:
- If a student has not participated in an Erasmus+ Worldwide program before: 10 points are deducted from the student’s overall score for one of the programs (either study or internship), and the student selects the program for deduction to be implemented. The student informs OIP about this decision via a written petition.
- If a student has participated in an Erasmus+ Worldwide program before: 10 points are deducted for the program that the student has participated before and 20 points are deducted for the other program that the student applies.
Before Mobility Procedure & Documents
After you are selected please note that you will be expected to submit below documents to OIP:
Erasmus+ Worldwide Internship Commitment Letter: This letter should be read by the student carefully and signed version should be submitted to OIP.
- Learning agreement for traineeship: Students have to fill in all the parts on the Learning Agreement electronically. Hand-written Learning Agreement is not accepted by OIP. Students are asked to fill in the Learning Agreement and sign it. Students should also get the signature of the host company/university’s representative and Koc University Erasmus Institutional Coordinator (Dr. Bilgen Bilgin). Electronically filled out and fully signed LA should be submitted to OIP office.
- Letter of acceptance: You are asked to submit the “Letter of Acceptance” when you apply. However, if you make any changes in dates, then you should submit the revised version to OIP.
- Insurance Coverage: Student are required to have an international insurance coverage for the duration of their traineeship. The following coverage is required:
- Health insurance coverage: Usually basic coverage is provided by the national health insurance of the participant as well during his/her stay in another EU country through the European Health Insurance Card. However, the coverage of the European Health Insurance Card or private insurance may not be sufficient, especially in case of repatriation and specific medical intervention. In that case, a complementary private insurance might be useful. It is the responsibility of the sending institution of the student to ensure that the participant is aware of health insurance issues.
- insurance coverage: Covering damages caused by the student at the workplace A liability insurance covers damages caused by the student during his/her stay abroad (independently whether he/she is at work or not). Varying arrangements with respect to liability insurance are in place in different countries engaged in transnational learning mobility for traineeships. Trainees therefore run the risk of not being covered.
- Accident insurance coverage: Related to the student’s tasks covering at least damages caused to the student at the workplace. This insurance covers damages to employees resulting from accidents at work. In many countries employees are covered against such accidents at work. However, the extent to which transnational trainees are covered within the same insurance may vary across the countries engaged in transnational learning mobility programs. If the receiving organization does not provide such a coverage (which cannot be imposed if not made compulsory by the national regulation of the receiving country), the sending institution shall ensure that the student is covered by such an insurance (taken either by the sending institution (on a voluntary basis as part of its quality management) or by the participant herself or himself).
- Grant Agreement: Once the student completes and submits all the documents to OIP office, a draft version of the Grant Agreement is shared with the student by OIP. The student is obliged to fill in necessary places (i.e. bank account details, etc.), sign each page of the agreement and sign the signatory part of two copies of the agreement. Student is then asked to submit 2 signed copies to OIP office.
- Roadmap for Students with Special Needs: Students with special needs should follow the steps described in the roadmap.
During & After Mobility Procedure & Documents
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During Mobility
Documents to be submitted by student upon arrival at the host university:
- If the student wants to make a change on the Learning Agreement, “During” part of the LA should be filled out electronically. The changed agreement should be approved and signed by the Erasmus+ (Academic) Departmental Exchange Coordinator of Student’s college, student and the representative of the host organization. This copy should be submitted to OIP via e-mail.
After Mobility
Following the completion of the program, the student has to take the following steps:
- Submit the Certificate of participation to OIP
- Submit ‘Evaluation of the trainee’ part of the learning agreement to OIP
- Submit “After Mobility” part of LA after getting the required signatures
- Copy of the passport pages that show the entrance and exit dates to the host country
- Fill online EU Survey: EU Survey is needed to be filled out online. OIP will be sending you the link of the survey through the Mobility Tool.
Recognition of Erasmus+ Worldwide Internship
IF YOUR INTERNSHIP WILL BE TRANSFERRED AS AN COMPULSORY INTERNSHIP :
• You are advised to get in touch with your faculty before you start your internship in order to register for an internship course at KU before your departure. Please inform OIP if your internship is accepted as “compulsory” by your faculty before starting your internship abroad.
IF YOUR INTERNSHIP WILL BE A VOLUNTARY INTERNSHIP :
• According to the rules of Erasmus+ Program, your mobility must be recognized by Koç University even though it is not a compulsory internship. For that reason, once you finish your internship abroad, OIP will inform the Registrar’s Office about the successful completion of your internship. Registrar’s Office will then take actions to state your Erasmus+ Internship in your Diploma Supplement. Please also check-in with the Registrar’s Office 2-3 months after your return.
Erasmus+ Worldwide Internship Grant
Overview
The number of grantees is determined by the National Agency in accordance with the grant allocated to the country for the year.
Grants are paid to students in two instalments. 70% of the grant is paid before departure in 45 days following the submission of documents to OIP, and the remaining 30% is paid after the student submits all required documents, depending on the mobility duration as verified by the Certificate of Attendance and passport entry/exit dates, and taking into account the student’s level of success and fulfilling their responsibilities. Payments are made in Euros, which requires a Euro bank account in Yapi Kredi Bank.
Grant Amount
Erasmus+ Worldwide Traineeship program provides monthly stipend as well as travel grant to selected participants. Koç University student going to a partner country receives 700€ 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.
| Distance | Travel Grant |
| 20-99 km | 20 € |
| 100-499 km | 180 € |
| 500-1999 km | 275 € |
| 2000- 2999 km | 360 € |
| 3000-3999 km | 530 € |
| 4000- 7999 km | 820 € |
| 8000 km an above | 1.500 € |
Grant Deduction and Repayment
Deductions may apply to students who do not fulfil their responsibilities and/or are unsuccessful. Grant deduction may take place in case of the following
- If a student does not stay and work at the host country as a trainee for min. 2 months, then the mobility is considered invalid and the student has to return the initial grant (70%) to Koç University.
- If a student leaves the host organization/country for more than 7 days (including weekends), 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 Koç University.
- If student does not submit the “Certificate of Participation”, then the mobility is considered invalid and student has to return the initial grant (70%) to Koç University.
- If a student does not complete the EU Survey after mobility, 5% deduction on total grant amount is implemented
- If a student returns home country before the end of the traineeship period and/or before the min. required duration (min. 2 months), then sanctions regarding the Erasmus+ Worldwide grant will be implemented. If there is a “Force Majeure” (mücbir sebep)**, 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 “compelling”, then OIP will inform student and student will be able to return home before the end of the mobility period. Student will only receive the grant for valid days of mobility. If a student returns home without getting in touch with OIP first, then the mobility will be considered invalid and student will be asked to return the initial grant (70%) back to Koc University. (**Force Majeure (mücbir sebep): Family issues, Health problems, Natural disaster, etc.)
Zero Grant Students
Students are able to participate in Erasmus+ Worldwide Traineeship program without receiving a grant. However, it should be noted that the student has to go through the same application & selection procedures and also submit the required documents (before-during-after mobility) to OIP.
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 kuapp@ku.edu.tr kuapp@ku.edu.tr
- Roadmap for Students with Special Needs
- Special Need Support Request Form
Cancellation
To cancel your application after submitting the Student Commitment Letter, you need to submit the cancellation petition to OIP.
It should be noted that students, who cancel their exchange after the “notice period” provided by OIP right after the announcement of placement results, would lose -10 points if they apply for Erasmus+ Program again in the future.
Important Notes & Reminders
- If student has utilized other Erasmus+ activities while pursuing the same degree, total duration of all activities cannot exceed 12 months.
- Students who are selected but not placed in an internship program due to insufficient funds or other reasons do not acquire a “vested right” to be sent the next year. Students are independently reviewed, assessed and selected every time they apply.
- Students may not be selected for an Erasmus+ Worldwide internship if no host organization is available.
- When a student leaves his/her host institution before the end date and returns with a valid reason, the student will be asked to pay back the amount for the duration between the planned end date and actual return date. The student needs to get in touch with OIP first and the reason will only be considered valid after Turkish National Agency’s approval. In case a student returns before the end date of the program without any valid reason, the student will be asked to pay back the entire amount.
- Students should consult to their academic coordinators if it is possible to substitute the internship with their compulsory internship at Koç. If the internship is recognized as compulsory internship, students should consult to their faculties if they need to select any internship course and get approval from their faculties beforehand.
- If the internship is on voluntary basis, OIP will notify the registrar office about the successfully completion of internship therefore the internship will be stated on the diploma supplement of the student.
- Students are required to obtain Health Insurance, Liability Insurance and Accident Insurance prior to internship
- Students are responsible for passport and visa applications, other procedures for traveling abroad, and finding accommodation.
- Student should apply to Faculty Academic and Administrative Assistants in order to request early final in case exam dates clashes with the internship dates.
How To Find A Position?
- It should be noted that students are expected to find their work placements independently. However, you can get help from KuCareerlink.Click here ,check and see the opportunities by using your KUcareerlink username and password.Going Global is a provider of country specific career and employment information. Going Global database features 33 Country Career Guides, corporate profiles and more than 600,000 internship and job listings around the world. Going Global Country Career Guides provide professional advice and tips on topics such as:
- Job search tools, online and face-to-face resources
- Employment trends in major industries – learn more about growing industry areas and focus your job or internship search
- Executive recruiters and staffing agency contacts – great contacts for students and alumni/professional job seekers
- Work permit regulations – clearly explains the important details for international students and professional job seekers
- Salary ranges and cost of living data – take the guesswork out of planning for career moves and relocations
- Professional and social networking groups – get a head start on making connections for career development
- Resume/CV writing guidelines
- Interviewing and cultural advice
Vault Career Insider is among the world’s leading sources about the career issues. Vault enables you to research and be informed easily and quickly about companies, industries, and career. Whether you just want to have information about the career paths, or you have completed your interview preparation, the resources that Vault provides will support you in different ways. If you are unsure what your username and password are to KUcareerlink please send an email to career@ku.edu.tr
In order to get your CV ready for internship applications, you may get help via www.europass.gov.tr
Selection Results