Mgr. Svetlana Pînzari (Moldova) Matej Bel University in Banska Bystrica Academic Mobility Experience in Slovakia th 13 th of December 2010 Bratislava, Slovakia
Plan: 1. Introductory remarks. 2. Academic mobility of researchers and teachers in Slovakia for Moldovans. 3. Practical remarks on my academic mobility in Slovakia in January June 2009. 4. Concluding remarks.
Mobility is the state of being in motion. Academic Mobility - the possibility for students and teachers to move between different institutions.
Academic Mobility Possibilities in Slovakia for Moldovans: - National Scholarship Programme; - International Visegrad Fund Scholarship; - Scholarships of the Slovak Government for under-graduate or post-graduate study at the Slovak public universities (only for students).
Practical issues of academic mobility: 1) visas; 2) transport t to Slovakia; 3) health insurance; 4) residence permit; 5) living expenses.
Obtaining i a Slovak Visa by a Moldovan (1): 1) Where - in Ukraine or in Romania? 2) What kind of visa National or Schengen? 3) Which h documents to prepare? 4) How long to wait for the visa to be issued?
Obtaining a Slovak visa for a Moldovan (2): Chisinau Kiev: 476 km (50 EUR+200 EUR) Chisinau Bucuresti: 470 km (70 EUR+??? EUR)
Obtaining i a Slovak visa for a Moldovan (2): 1) National visas were issued; 2) It was necessary to wait for one-two weeks; 3) different documents were required, no uniformity in the cases of consular sections in Kiev and Bucuresti.
Obtaining i a Slovak visa for a Moldovan (3): Solution poposed by me earlier: to join the Common Application Center in Chisinau i (under the Hungarian Embassy in the Republic of Moldova) - www.cac.md GOOD NEWS: Slovakia has joined the Common Application Center and visas for Slovakia are issued in Chisinau i since 1 st of November 2010.
Transport to Slovakia: 1) Chisinau Bratislava: 1195 km; 2) Having a national visa no possibility to travel through Romania and Hungary, only Ukraine; 3) High prices for plane tickets: ex. One-way ticket Chisinau Prague (Bratislava) costs 437 EUR; turn-return ticket costs 746 EUR. Solution: Schengen visa and by bus through Romania and Hungary at 50-60 EUR.
Health insurance: to be bought in Moldova, no information how to use it in Slovakia; no possibility to buy in advance the insurance in Slovakia Residence permit: 1) approx. 100 EUR for the permit issuance; 2) medical certificate (112-250 EUR for three tests); t 3) translation ti of medical insurance (Romanian language); 4) lack of information in English,only l Slovak language.
Living i expenses: 1) it is difficult to take everything from home; 2) higher prices for public transport; 3) higher prices for food and goods of first necessity.
Conclusions: 1. My experience was positive due to persons from the MBU and host institution. 2. Changes are taking place in the sphere of academic mobility in Slovakia. 3. Proposal: to make a guide with uniformed valid information on academic mobility conditions for researchers and teachers.
Thank you for your attention.