Sunday, September 03, 2006

Research Assistant/PhD- Student International Economics

Research Assistant/PhD- Student International Economics
Leipzig University, Institute for Economic Policy (Germany)

The Institute for Economic Policy of the Department of Economics and Business Administration at Leipzig University is offering a position as Research Assistant/PhD- Student

The position will first be filled for two years. A prolongation is possible.

The Institute for Economic Policy has an expertise in international economic policy and international economic relations. The focus of the empirical research activities is on international finance, international trade, European integration and general economic policy issues. The geographical focus is on Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe.

The successful candidate will contribute to research and teaching in the fields of European integration or international finance. We offer an early participation in research and publication activities of the institute. Contributions to refereed academic journals will be encouraged and expected. The candidate should aim at a dissertation in the field of international economics.

Candidates ideally hold a master degree or equivalent in economics or a related discipline. He/she has completed his/her studies with an outstanding degree. The position requires profound knowledge in macroeconomics, international economics and econometrics. A strong command of English is a must.

Please send your CV (paper version including a picture) to Prof. Dr. Gunther Schnabl, Leipzig University, Institute for Economic Policy, Marschnerstr. 31, 04109 Leipzig
email: schnabl @ wifa.uni-leipzig. de

Application has to be received by 10. October 2006.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

MSc research studentship in Mechanics - University of Central Lancashire

Beasiswa di UK
Research Studentships
Department of Technology
University of Central Lancashire

A research studentshipa will be available in the above department
commencing 1 October 2006.

Reference No RS/06/12

An MSc (by Research) full-time studentship funded by Goodrich
Aerospace tenable for 1 year (subject to satisfactory progress). The studentship will cover the cost of tuition fees up to UK/EU rates and pay a maintenance grant of £12,300 per annum. Overseas applicants may apply, but will be required to pay the difference between home and overseas fee rates. Applicants should have a first or second class honours degree (or equivalent) in engineering or a relevant subject.

Project title Tribological evalution of bearing coatings This investigation is directed towards developing a better understanding of the tribological behaviour of a range of bearing coatings. Emphasis will be placed on developing an understanding of the frictional and wear history of a range of coatings operated with limited lubrication.

Informal inquiries for both studentships may be directed to Professor Ian Sherrington tel. 01772 893322 : email isherrington@uclan.ac.uk

Further particulars and application forms can be obtained (quoting the
appropriate reference number by contacting the Research Support
Office.
Tel +44 (0)1772 894287 or e-mail researchdegrees@uclan.ac.uk

Closing Date for both studentships 7 September 2006

Interviews for short-listed applicants will take place in the week commencing 18 September 2006

Friday, May 12, 2006

Japaneese Government Scholarships Monbukagakusho

To date, some 62,000 students from approximately 160 countries and regions around the world have studied in Japan under the Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) Scholarship program established in 1954. As of May 1, 2004, there were 9,804 foreign students studying in Japan as Japanese government scholarship students.

As can be seen in the chart below, there are seven types of Japanese government-sponsored scholarships available under the Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) Scholarship program: those for research students, teacher training students, undergraduate university students, Japanese studies students, college of technology students, special training students and YLP students.

Japanese Government Scholarships and Their Content
Those wishing to apply for a scholarship should meet one of the criteria listed below:

Recommended by a Japanese embassy or consulate general (Embassy Recommendation).
Recommended by the Japanese university which will accept you (University Recommendation).
Recommended by the Japanese university in which you are currently enrolled if you are a privately-financed student already studying in Japan (Domestic Selection).

1)Research students

You must be under 35 years of age and a college graduate (includes prospective graduates). If you would like to enroll in a master's program, you must be a college graduate and have completed 16 years of schooling.

2)Teacher training students

You must be under 35 years of age and, in principle, a graduate of a college or teacher training college. You must have at least five years of active experience as a teacher in a primary, secondary or teacher training college in your country. (Please note that college and university teachers currently in active service are not considered for this scholarship).

3)Undergraduate university students

You must be at least 17 and under 22 years of age and have completed 12 years of school education or have completed courses in a school comparable to a high school (includes prospective graduates).

4)Japanese studies students

Applicants must be from eighteen to twenty-nine years old. Applicants must be enrolled as undergraduate students in faculties or schools which major in Japanese language or Japanese culture in a university outside Japan at the time when they come to Japan and must be enrolled in the home institution at the time when they return to their home countries. Students majoring in the fields other than Japanese language or Japanese culture who wish to study various aspects of Japan( engineering, economy, agriculture, architecture, art, etc.)as part of their major studies should apply to the AIEJ for admission to the Short-term Student Exchange Promotion Program.

5)College of technology students

You must be at least 17 and under 22 years of age and have completed school education comparable to a high school (a minimum of 11 years beginning in primary school) education (includes prospective graduates).

6)Special training college students
You must be at least 18 and under 22 years of age and have completed 12 years of schooling or have completed school education comparable to a Japanese high school (includes prospective graduates).

7)Young Leaders' Program(YLP) students

Applicants must be young public administrators and so on, from Asian and other countries participating in the YLP who are expected to play active roles as future national leaders in their respective countries. The participants must be university or college graduates, who have at least 3-5 years' work experiences in public administration or enterprises and so on(*). The screening of the participants is based on recommendations of the recommending authorities.
(*)There are five different YLP Qualifications like work experience and affiliation, and the recommending authorities vary according to the program.

Japanese government scholarship students are recruited and selected in three ways:

i) Embassy recommendation For those outside of Japan
ii) University recommendation
iii) Domestic Selection For those already in Japan


1)Embassy recommendation

i)Scholarship recipients are recruited and initially screened by an embassy (or consulate general, depending on the country). There are two other types of recruitment and selection: university recommendation and domestic selection.

ii)Although the schedule differs according to the Japanese embassy, recruitment for the next fiscal year's undergraduate, research student and college of technology student scholarships are generally made between March and May. The initial screening (documentary examination, written test and interview) is made at the embassy between June and August. The embassy then recommends the selected candidates to the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the beginning of September.

iii)Recruitment for the current fiscal year's Japanese studies and teacher training student scholarships (for those arriving in Japan in October) is generally made between December of the previous year and the following February. Screening is conducted between March and April. Selected candidates are recommended to the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by around early May.

iv)Because the application process differs according to the country in which the Japanese embassy is located, please inquire at the Japanese embassy or consulate general in your country for details. http://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/mofaserv.html

More details for Indonesian applicant visit Japan Embassy in Jakarta

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Top Ten Tips for Winning Scholarship Applications

Top Ten Tips for Winning Scholarship Applications
-- by Kay Peterson, Ph.D. at FastWeb

Before you submit your scholarship application, check out these tips,

provided by scholarship sponsors nationwide.

Tip #1: Apply only if you are eligible.
Read all the scholarship requirements and directions carefully to make sure you're eligible before you send in your application.
--------------------------------------------------
Tip #2: Complete the application in full.
If a question doesn't apply, note that on the application. Don't just leave a blank. Supply all additional supporting material, such as transcripts, letters of recommendation and essays.

Tip #3: Follow directions.
Provide everything that's required, but don't supply things that aren't requested—you could be disqualified.

Tip #4: Neatness counts.
Always type your application, or if you must print, do so neatly and legibly. Make a couple of photocopies of all the forms before you fill them out. Use the copies as working drafts as you develop your application packet.

Tip #5: Write an essay that makes a strong impression.
The key to writing a strong essay is to be personal and specific.
Include concrete details to make your experience come alive: the who, what, where, and when of your topic. The simplest experience can be monumental if you present honestly how you were affected.

Tip #6: Watch all deadlines.
To help keep yourself on track, impose your own deadline that is at least two weeks prior to the official deadline. Use the buffer time to make sure everything is ready on time. Don't rely on extensions—very few scholarship providers allow them at all.

Tip #7: Make sure your application gets where it needs to go.
Put your name (and Social Security number, if applicable) on all pages of the application. Pieces of your application may get lost unless they are clearly identified.

Tip #8: Keep a back-up file in case anything goes wrong.
Before sending the application, make a copy of the entire packet. If your application goes astray, you'll be able to reproduce it quickly.

Tip #9: Give it a final "once-over."
Proofread the entire application carefully. Be on the lookout for misspelled words or grammatical errors. Ask a friend, teacher or parent to proof read it as well.

Tip #10: Ask for help if you need it.
If you have problems with the application, don't hesitate to call the funding organization.

How to get scholarship, step by step

This posting about how to get scholarships step by step, may useful for you.
How to get scholarship, step by step
Lay an eye to particular scholarship.

I usually look at scholarship advertisment. If I found it interested, then I will apply. Although it is possible to find the department where you want to study first then apply the scholarship, I don`t do that because usually the nominal of scholarship is small. I am only interested to fully funding scholarship. Some scholarship, however, request you to apply officially to university and get accepted before apply the scholarship (mostly European scholarship I think)


Get the scholarship form and read it carefully

Make sure that you are elligible to the scholarship, you are within the age range, the topic you want is included, your background is acceptable etc. Some scholarship is mainly for gov. employee, some are for age 35 and below, you fulfil the minimum language requirements etc.

Find the university you want to go
Make sure that you know where you want to go. Only very few scholarship that just want you to write down what subject you want to do and you can choose the university later. Again, check the requirements carefully


Collecting the requirement

Be very careful with the requirement. If it requires international TOEFL/IELTS, then do it. If it is not specified, better ask than sorry.

If it asked for 2 recommendations, get two, some even specifically asked for direct supervisor, make sure you get it as well. Some scholarship request you to develop contact with the department you want to study, then try to get it.

Make sure that your application is "selling"

Imagine yourself the person who need to select which application is acceptable, which is not. That person need to look hundreds and maybe thousands of application. Make sure that your application is neat, clear, concise, to the point and rich instead making it a flowery boring story that nobody want to finish reading it. Think, what is your strong point that makes you different from others, what is the founder agenda etc. Also make sure that when they say one page explanation, it`s one page. Try to put as much related information in the limited space

Pay attention to deadline
Things to consider:
Scholarship cost lots of money. Think that it is the founder investing the money on you. What can you give them in return. Therefore you must have a clear idea why you want to take the degree, why it is important for you to take that degree, what your future plan is, how the degree will support your plan, what is the benefit of your degree and knowledge for you, for your office, for your country and for the founder. Remember, no need to bluffing and saying things like "solving poverty problem in Indonesia" but be more specific and achievable such enhancing teaching language curriculum in University ABC, particularly in terms of develooping comprehensive student learning by doing approach. You must have the confidence that you need the degree, you can do it, and you can implement your knowledge in your work


Master and above degree is not a path to get a job. I was wrong and tought master is sellable to get a better job. To some extend yes, but it is actually wiser to think that master should be used to enhance your qualification at work. Therefore, make sure that your educational background, your work and your proposed study are matched, or at least try to matched them

Have confidence. Technically, passing the administration selection is the most difficult part. Possibility for a person to pass interview is much higher than passing the administration part. If you keep failing in the interview part, means that you are not really clear about your own proposed study (or you can`t express it well). During the interview, make sure that it is you that lead the interview, you should elaborate each question, and it is quite important to be original.

Sometimes it looks nice if you quote from other sources (to make you look smarter). I like to quote Confucius saying during interview.

During my interview for ASF, the major question was, "why do you want to this topic, and why you do it in South China? ." The answer:

"Majority of research in this issue discuss the problems that occur in North China. If I do it in the north like other scholars, what will be my additional value? The project will use new approach in looking at the China`s one child policy beyond the common pattern where instead of comparing single and non single child, I compare male and female single child. That is my scholarly contribution for the discourse. Later one of the professor said that he is very impress with that answer, because they looking for original approach. So, make sure that you have the confidence, you have the educational background in that issue, and you seems know what you are going to do,Get the requirements they wantMake sure that you can fulfil all the requirements. It is very useful if you have some additional things that you can offer. In my situation, I get involve with lots of social organisations dealing with HIV, drug abuse, community empowerment etc. Since I am doing social studies, these are very positive addition for my applications. Trainings, seminars, articles are important too.

Hope that the info are useful.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Tips Beasiswa Untuk Pemula

A. LANGKAH-LANGKAH TEKNIS:

1. Ada banyak sekali scheme scholarship untuk study abroad yang buka

pendaftaran tiap tahun. Beberapa scheme populer yang memberikan full

scholarship (komponen yang dibiayai sudah mencakup tuition fee, uang

saku, asuransi kesehatan dan 1x ticket bolak-balik) antara lain

Chevening dari British Council (tujuan studi ke UK)
Fulbright dari USAID (tujuan studi ke US)
ADS dari AusAid (tujuan studi ke Australia)
STUNED dan NFP dari Netherland Education Centre (tujuan studi ke

Belanda)
DAAD dari pem. Jerman (tujuan studi ke Jerman)
VLIR dari pem. Belgia (tujuan studi ke Belgia)
Kita harus mempelajari dulu scheme2 tersebut, apa saja persyaratannya,

dsb. Cara paling mudah dan efektif ya tinggal buka saja web-nya. Nggak

tau alamatnya? Search aja di google....

2. Dapatkan score TOEFL minimal 550 (kalau mau aman 580) atau IELTS

minimal 6.0 (kalu bisa dapat 6.5 lebih OK). Setahu saya semua full

scholarship diatas mempersyaratkan nilai TOEFL/IELTS dengan nilai

minimal spt diatas (fulbright malah 580), kecuali Chevening cuma

require pengisian 2 lembar form aplikasi (that's all!).

3. Siapkan dokumen2 standar yang diperlukan such as: transkrip & ijazah

S1 (dilegalisir dan di-translate, jasa translation-nya biasanya

tersedia di kampus masing2), surat referensi dari employer dan mantan

dosen pembimbing S1, sertifikat skor TOEFL/IELTS, dan Curriculum Vitae.

Ada juga scheme yang require paspor, akte kelahiran, surat jaminan dari

employer, surat penerimaan dari universitas yang akan dituju, dsb.

4. Langganan milis beasiswa@yahoogroups.com. Di milis ini ada banyak

sekali info2 mengenai beasiswa dari berbagai negara, lengkap dengan

tips, trik, pengalaman sucessful awardees and much more other related

topics.

B. TIPS2 UNTUK MEMPERBESAR PELUANG

1. Supaya peluang diterima lebih besar, carilah scheme scholarship yang

paling sesuai dengan background kita. Misalnya, kalau Anda seorang

jurnalis/wartawan/reporter, maka peluang Anda cukup besar kalau Anda

apply Chevening (Ira Koesno dan Arief Suditomo adalah salah dua dari

alumni Chevening). Kalau Anda calon politisi, pintu Fulbright terbuka

lebar untuk Anda (contoh alumni fulbright: Amien Rais dan Mallarangeng

bersaudara).

2. Perlu diantisipasi juga bahwa peluang setiap orang untuk memperoleh

beasiswa tidaklah sama. Hampir semua sponsor full scholarship akan

memberikan prioritas utama kepada PNS, dosen, staf LSM lokal, orang2

dari Kawasan Timur Indonesia (or at least luar Jawa lahh....), wartawan

dan... wanita (gender equity, banyak sponsor yang men-set proporsi

penerima / pemenang beasiswa mereka harus imbang pria dan wanita = 50%

vs 50%, sementara biasanya jumlah pelamar pria jauh lebih banyak dari

jumlah pelamar wanita, otomatis wanita punya peluang lebih besar).

Jadi misalnya, peluang seorang dosen wanita dari Universitas

Cendrawasih adalah sangat2 besar untuk dapat beasiswa (terutama

AusAid), walaupun die kagak pinter-pinter banget. Sementara peluang

seorang pria eksekutif muda dari sebuah profit company terkemuka di

Jakarta sangatlah kecil, kecuali kalau dia punya track record

extraordinary...hehehe...

Tapiii.... hal ini jangan membuat teman2 di private sector patah

semangat ya... peluang itu tetap ada koq (contohnya teman2 saya yang

memperoleh beasiswa STUNED tahun ini, ada yang berasal dari Indofood,

Merpati airlines, dll), cuma berapa besarnya peluang tersebut, Only

Heaven Knows...hehehe.....(Rick Price, 1992).

3. Cari scheme scholarship yang persyaratannya paling ribet. Kenapa?

Karena makin banyak persyaratan, maka peminat akan makin sedikit,

otomatis peluang kita akan makin besar. Sebagai ilustrasi, Chevening

scholarship tiap tahun kebanjiran beribu-ribu pelamar dari seluruh

pelosok Indonesia karena persyaratannya cuma mengisi 2 lembar formulir

aplikasi dan kirim ke British Council.

That's it! Jika dipukul rata bahwa semua pelamar punya peluang sama, it

means scr statistik tiap pelamar cuma punya peluang kurang dari 0.1%.

Tapi, mengacu point 2 diatas, peluang kita-kita yang kerja di

jabotabek, sektor swasta pula, tentu akan semakin kecillllllll

pula......

4. Cari jurusan/program yang akan berguna bagi "hajat hidup orang

banyak". Or lebih konkrit-nya, ambil jurusan yang berbau-bau

Development, Social, Policy, Rural, Public, Environment, Conservation

dan sejenisnya. Sebisa mungkin hindari jurusan yang terlalu spesifik

(tahun lalu saya apply untuk program Biometrics, gak lolos

tuh....hehehe....). Tapi tentunya program yang akan kita ambil tetap

harus relevan dengan background S1 dan atau pekerjaan kita.

5. Banyak-banyak berdoa dan perpanjang tali silaturrahmi




SELAMAT BERJUANG di ARENA PERBURUAN BEASISWA!!!

USA: Ford Foundation

Grants and Program-Related Investments to Organizations

Before a request is made for a grant or program-related investment, a brief letter of inquiry is advisable to determine whether the foundation’s present interests and funds permit consideration of the request.

Beasiswa Indonesia Scholarship sekolah S1 S2 S3 Post-doctoral dalam negeri dan luar negeri.
--------------------------------------------------
The letter should include:

The purpose of the project for which funds are being requested
Problems and issues the proposed project will address
Information about the organization conducting the project
Estimated overall budget for the project
Period of time for which funds are requested
Qualifications of those who will be engaged in the project
After receiving the letter, foundation staff members may ask the grant seeker to submit a formal proposal. There is no grant application form. The proposal should include:

The organization’s current budget
A description of the proposed work and how it will be conducted
The names and curricula vitae of those engaged in the project
A detailed project budget
Present means of support and status of applications to other funding sources
Legal and tax status
In some instances, the foundation requires the grantee organization to match the foundation’s grant with funds from other sources.

The foundation supports pluralism and equal opportunity in its grant making and in its internal policies. The opportunities that prospective grantee organizations provide for women and other disadvantaged groups are considered in evaluating proposals.

Applications are considered throughout the year. Normally applicants may expect to receive within six weeks an indication of whether their proposals are within the foundation’s program interests and budget limitations. If the proposal is being considered for a grant, the approval process is generally completed within three months. Activities supported by grants and program-related investments must be charitable, educational or scientific, as defined under the appropriate provisions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code and Treasury Regulations. The foundation monitors grants through regular financial and narrative reports submitted by the grantee.

The foundation’s funds are limited in relation to the great number of worthwhile proposals received. For example, in 2004 the foundation received about 41,000 grant requests and made 2,091 grants. The foundation directs its support to activities that are within its current interests and are likely to have wide effect. Support is not normally given for routine operating costs of institutions or for religious activities. Except in rare cases, funding is not available for the construction or maintenance of buildings.

Requests in the United States should be e-mailed to: office-secretary@fordfound.org
or mailed to:

Secretary
The Ford Foundation
320 East 43 Street
New York, N.Y. 10017
Requests in foreign countries should be directed to the nearest foundation office. See Addresses and E-mail links for locations of field offices.

Grants to Individuals

Most of the foundation’s grant funds are given to organizations. Although it also makes grants to individuals, they are few in number relative to demand and are limited to research, training and other activities related to its program interests.

The foundation does not award undergraduate scholarships or make grants for purely personal needs. Support for graduate fellowships is generally provided through grants to universities and other organizations, which are responsible for the selection of recipients. Most foundation grants to individuals are awarded either through publicly announced competitions or on the basis of nominations from universities and other nonprofit institutions. In all cases, recipients are selected on the merits of their proposals and on their potential contribution to advancing the foundation’s program objectives.

How does the foundation decide what to support?
Ford’s trustees and staff try to advance human welfare by making grants to develop new ideas or strengthen key organizations that address poverty and injustice, and also promote democratic values, international cooperation and human achievement. Within these broad aims, we focus our grants on fields within Asset Building & Community Development, Peace & Social Justice and Knowledge, Creativity & Freedom. We believe that if we scatter our funds over too many types of work, we will not be able to help the number and variety of people necessary to create lasting change in any one area. Working in these selected fields also enables us to link grantees in one part of the world with those working elsewhere for their mutual benefit, knowledge and inspiration. Since each overseas office of the foundation does not have enough money to make grants in all fields, staff and trustees select from the 12 fields, guided by national and community leaders’ sense of funding needs and opportunities for innovation.

Once the board approves work in a substantive or geographic area, program staff consult broadly with practitioners, researchers, policy makers and others to identify foundation initiatives that might contribute to progress, specific work grantees would undertake, benchmarks for change, and costs. When the program officer has completed this analysis, he or she presents the ideas in a memorandum reviewed by peers, a supervisor and at least two foundation officers. When approved, the program officer begins to make grants within the broad parameters of the approved memorandum and a two-year budget allocation. Grant-making staff are encouraged to make tentative plans for about 65 percent of their budget allocation and to leave 35 percent free for unanticipated proposals. Staff regularly provide reports to the board about grants made and ongoing lines of work.

How is a grant selected and made?
Proposals are accepted and reviewed in the office located closest to the beneficiaries of the work being proposed. Grant recommendations originate in those offices and grants for under $200,000 may be approved locally. Grant recommendations for $200,000 or more are considered in New York, generally at biweekly meetings of staff and foundation officers.

Ford receives about 40,000 proposals each year and makes about 2,500 grants. Ford considers requests for grants, recoverable grants, loans and loan guarantees. Requests range from a few thousand dollars to millions of dollars and are accepted in categories such as planning grants, project support, general support and endowments.

Upon receipt, each proposal is numbered and a letter is sent to the applicant suggesting that the foundation be notified if a substantive response to the request has not arrived within 45 business days. If a grant request falls within program interests, it is reviewed by a grant maker—called a program officer—who has been hired for his or her expertise in a field in which the foundation is working. The program officer looks for fresh ideas and effective organizations that can help advance work in a particular area, as well as for evidence that the people and organizations are likely to succeed in the project they propose and work well with others.

If the proposal is being considered for a grant, meetings, site visits, grant negotiations, administrative and legal review and presentation of the grant for approval are generally completed within three months. The first check from the foundation or bank notification should arrive a few weeks after a grant has been approved.

How does Ford monitor grants?
During the course of a grant, the program officer usually visits with the grantee on site or at a foundation office, reviews periodic financial and narrative reports, shares them with a grants administrator, and occasionally with a lawyer, for review. The grantee may be asked to attend meetings the foundation convenes to discuss current and future program strategy. Often, Ford hires consultants to help monitor groups of grants or a single grantee’s work.

Monitoring is designed to ensure that the funds are used for approved and lawful purposes, and to see whether the grant is contributing to progress toward the larger goal—for example, reducing poverty or injustice. Ford staff members understand that the work the foundation and its grantees undertake together is difficult, that success often results from multiple efforts over a long period, and that setbacks are likely. The monitoring process encourages candid exchanges about how things are going and whether the strategy might be adjusted to get better results over the long term.

In the course of its work, the foundation regularly convenes program officers and grantees working on similar problems around the world in order to compare strategies and advance learning. Ford also helps with the creation of Web sites for the exchange of ideas, and grantees’ travel to observe each other’s work. These various supports for comparative analysis help identify global principles of success, as well as local variations that must be taken into account.

Grant renewals are frequent since the foundation supports long-term strategies. After the completion of a grant, the program officer and administrator approve final reports, and the grant is closed. The grant file is then moved to Ford’s archive in the United States. Ten years after grant completion, these archived documents may be opened for research by scholars.

***

About Ford Foundation Jakarta, Indonesia Office Profile

The Ford Foundation began working in Indonesia in 1953, and since 1954 has provided over 125 million dollars in grants in selected fields. The Foundation has had resident representation for the past forty-five years, except for a brief period during the mid-1960s.

The substantive focus of the Foundation has evolved over the years in response to changing needs and priorities in Indonesia. The Foundation has made major commitments in the areas of education, agriculture and rural development, health and population, rights and governance, and culture. Grants in these fields have been designed to strengthen individual and institutional capabilities, support innovative projects, and disseminate information on successful approaches.

In its early years the Foundation in Jakarta maintained a large staff that provided technical assistance and implemented some projects directly. The Jakarta Office now has a small international program staff. This team of professionals, headed by a Representative, seeks out promising opportunities in the program areas in which the Foundation is currently concentrating its efforts. Grant applications are carefully evaluated by the program staff, who work with prospective grantees to develop projects and who recommend grants for funding to the Foundation's offices in New York

The Foundation’s goals are to:


Strengthen democratic values
Reduce poverty and injustice
Promote international cooperation
Advance human achievement.
The Foundation pursues these goals mainly by making grants or loans that build knowledge and strengthen organizations and networks. Since the Foundation’s financial resources are modest in comparison to societal needs, we focus on a limited number of problem areas and program strategies within our broad goals, in ways that are sensitive and relevant to the national and local contexts where we work.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Contact Info:

Ford Foundation
P.O. Box 2030
Jakarta 10020, Indonesia

tel. 62-21-252-4073
fax 62-21-252-4078
ffjakarta@fordfound.org
Meiwita Budiharsana
Representative
Ujjwal Pradhan
Program Officer

Philip Yampolsky
Program Officer

Beasiswa dan kalender akademik bisnis manajemen ITB 2006/2007

Beasiswa dan kalender akademik bisnis manajemen ITB 2006/2007

Sekolah Bisnis dan Manajemen ITB tahun akademik 2006/2007 membuka Program Studi Magister Manajemen Berbasis Riset.

Dengan konsentrasi di bidang:
1. Manajemen Insani dan Pengetahuan (People and Knowledge Management)
2. Manajemen Operasi dan Kinerja (Operations and Performance Management)
3. Strategi Bisnis dan Pemasaran (Business Strategy and Marketing)
4. Risiko Bisnis dan Keuangan (Business Risk and Finance)
5. Kewirausahaan dan Manajemen Teknologi (Entrepreneurship and Technology Management)
6. Pengambilan Keputusan dan Negosiasi Stratejik (Decision Making and Strategic Negotiation)

Informasi beasiswa Indonesia dalam negeri & luar negeri S1 S2 S3 & post-doctorate
-----------------------------------
Sekolah Bisnis dan Manajemen ITB menyediakan 15 beasiswa untuk calon mahasiwa terbaik yang lulus proses seleksi.

Kalender kegiatan :
Pengambilan Formulir s/d 23 Juni 2006
Pengembalian Formulir 23 Juni 2006
Pendaftaran TPA Paling Lambat 28 Juni 2006
Seleksi TPA 8 Juli 2006
Hasil Seleksi Pertengahan Juli 2006
Test Penempatan Program Matrikulasi 19 Juli 2006
Program Matrikulasi 21 Juli - 4 Agustus 2006
Pendaftaran Ulang 7 - 9 Agustus 2006
Awal Kuliah Agustus 2006

Informasi lebih lanjut bisa di peroleh di: www.mm.sbm.itb.ac.id

SWISS GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMM

SWISS GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMM
Deadline: Before October 31

The Swiss Government through the Federal Commission for Scholarships

for Foreign Students (FCS) grants a limited number of scholarships to

developing countries, among which Indonesia is included. These

scholarships are offered to Indonesian POSTGRADUATE students wishing to

study at a Swiss university. The aim of the scholarship is to enable

grantees either to further their education or to undertake research

work in the fields in which the universities are particularly active.

The intended study should be useful for the development in Indonesia.

In principle, the scholarship holders can study at any national Swiss

university or Federal Institute of Technology. The candidates should

take into account the possibilities offered by Swiss universities.



Following programs are not included in this scholarship:
1. Fine arts and music
2. Undergraduate studies
3. Hotel management studies
4. Student exchange programs
5. Part-time studies
6. On-the-job studies
7. Correspondence studies

The duration of grant is for nine-month academic year. Under certain

conditions, which are justified by FCS and the related university, the

scholarship may be renewed.

CONDITIONS
Indonesian citizen


University degree ( min. Sarjana Strata-1 or equivalent)


Candidates must be under 35 years old when applying


Sufficient knowledge of one of the official languages in Switzerland

(i.e. German, French or Italian), depending on the location of chosen

university, and English for some courses. Each candidates will have to

undergo a language test at the Swiss Embassy in Jakarta in order to

determine the oral and written language ability. Note: It is a general

requirement that applicants must have proficient knowledge of one of

the official languages spoken in Switzerland. In principle this

requirement still applies to applicants with good English abilities and

also if the intended study program will be held in English. The

applicant should fully benefit from the offered scholarship. Without

knowledge of one of the national languages it will be difficult to

handle daily situations (foreign police, post office, bank, university

life, etc). A qualified applicant whose language proficiency is

considered inadequate may still be granted a scholarship. This,

however, will be subject to the applicant’s attendance of a special

three months’ intensive language course at the University of Fribourg.

The FCS will also cover the expenses for these courses, which usually

start in mid-July.


Acceptance letter from the chosen university. Before applying the

candidates need to contact the professor or director of the

postgraduate program at the chosen educational institution in order to

get a written confirmation of acceptance which must be submitted when

filing the application. The request of the acceptance letter must be

completed with a detailed and precise plan of the intended postgraduate

study program, curriculum vitae and certified copies of the university

diplomas (including transcripts). A certified translation is required

if the originals are not issued in English, German, French or Italian.


Detailed study/research plan describing clearly and precisely the aim

of study. The possibilities offered by the Swiss universities should be

taken into account, also the possibilities of professional

reintegration when returning to Indonesia
APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Please note that only applicants who fulfil the above mentioned

requirements can obtain scholarship application forms. The application

forms are available in June/July of the application year and will be

sent only by post. To obtain the forms, the applicants should send a

brief request letter which includes this following data and document:
Complete name
Date of birth
Language. Please mention one the official languages in Switzerland

which you speak fluently (German, French or Italian, depending on the

location of the chosen university).
Written confirmation from professor/university in Switzerland (by

e-mail or fax) stating that your study plan is accepted and that you

meet requirements and own a suitable academic background to be accepted

as a student. In order to obtain this confirmation please contact

directly the university (please take a look at the list of Swiss

universities on the web site).
Intended study field and university in Switzerland
Complete correspondence address
Please send the request by post or e-mail to the address below:

Embassy of Switzerland
Cultural Section
Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said, Kav. X 3/2
Kuningan, Jakarta 12950
E-mail: vertretung@jak.rep.admin.ch
Homepage: www.eda.admin.ch/jakarta_emb

SWISS GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMM

SWISS GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMM
Deadline: Before October 31

The Swiss Government through the Federal Commission for Scholarships

for Foreign Students (FCS) grants a limited number of scholarships to

developing countries, among which Indonesia is included. These

scholarships are offered to Indonesian POSTGRADUATE students wishing to

study at a Swiss university. The aim of the scholarship is to enable

grantees either to further their education or to undertake research

work in the fields in which the universities are particularly active.

The intended study should be useful for the development in Indonesia.

In principle, the scholarship holders can study at any national Swiss

university or Federal Institute of Technology. The candidates should

take into account the possibilities offered by Swiss universities.



Following programs are not included in this scholarship:
1. Fine arts and music
2. Undergraduate studies
3. Hotel management studies
4. Student exchange programs
5. Part-time studies
6. On-the-job studies
7. Correspondence studies

The duration of grant is for nine-month academic year. Under certain

conditions, which are justified by FCS and the related university, the

scholarship may be renewed.

CONDITIONS
Indonesian citizen


University degree ( min. Sarjana Strata-1 or equivalent)


Candidates must be under 35 years old when applying


Sufficient knowledge of one of the official languages in Switzerland

(i.e. German, French or Italian), depending on the location of chosen

university, and English for some courses. Each candidates will have to

undergo a language test at the Swiss Embassy in Jakarta in order to

determine the oral and written language ability. Note: It is a general

requirement that applicants must have proficient knowledge of one of

the official languages spoken in Switzerland. In principle this

requirement still applies to applicants with good English abilities and

also if the intended study program will be held in English. The

applicant should fully benefit from the offered scholarship. Without

knowledge of one of the national languages it will be difficult to

handle daily situations (foreign police, post office, bank, university

life, etc). A qualified applicant whose language proficiency is

considered inadequate may still be granted a scholarship. This,

however, will be subject to the applicant’s attendance of a special

three months’ intensive language course at the University of Fribourg.

The FCS will also cover the expenses for these courses, which usually

start in mid-July.


Acceptance letter from the chosen university. Before applying the

candidates need to contact the professor or director of the

postgraduate program at the chosen educational institution in order to

get a written confirmation of acceptance which must be submitted when

filing the application. The request of the acceptance letter must be

completed with a detailed and precise plan of the intended postgraduate

study program, curriculum vitae and certified copies of the university

diplomas (including transcripts). A certified translation is required

if the originals are not issued in English, German, French or Italian.


Detailed study/research plan describing clearly and precisely the aim

of study. The possibilities offered by the Swiss universities should be

taken into account, also the possibilities of professional

reintegration when returning to Indonesia
APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Please note that only applicants who fulfil the above mentioned

requirements can obtain scholarship application forms. The application

forms are available in June/July of the application year and will be

sent only by post. To obtain the forms, the applicants should send a

brief request letter which includes this following data and document:
Complete name
Date of birth
Language. Please mention one the official languages in Switzerland

which you speak fluently (German, French or Italian, depending on the

location of the chosen university).
Written confirmation from professor/university in Switzerland (by

e-mail or fax) stating that your study plan is accepted and that you

meet requirements and own a suitable academic background to be accepted

as a student. In order to obtain this confirmation please contact

directly the university (please take a look at the list of Swiss

universities on the web site).
Intended study field and university in Switzerland
Complete correspondence address
Please send the request by post or e-mail to the address below:

Embassy of Switzerland
Cultural Section
Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said, Kav. X 3/2
Kuningan, Jakarta 12950
E-mail: vertretung@jak.rep.admin.ch
Homepage: www.eda.admin.ch/jakarta_emb

TIPS CARI PROFESOR JEPANG

TIPS CARI PROFESOR JEPANG
Ini adalah kerjaan awal yang mesti dilakukan sebelum apply beasiswa

manapun. Pemberi beasiswa banyak yang mengharapkan pelamar sudah

mempunyai professor pembimbing, bahkan ada yang mengharuskan punya

professor pembimbing sebelum melamar beasiswa. Cara mencari professor

pembimbing mesti di sesuaikan dengan bidang saudara. Carilah di web URL

universitas - universitas Jepang, meskipun banyak URL Universitas

Jepang yang di tulis dengan tulisan Jepang, tetapi ada banyak juga URL

Universitas Jepang yang di tulis dengan bahasa Inggris.


Untuk list alamat URL Universitas Jepang, liat di www.kamalindo.com

Selanjutnya setelah mendapatkan URL dan masuk ke web universitas,

silahkan mencari daftar department yang ada di universitas tersebut dan

carilah lab-lab yang ada di department tersebut. Di Jepang, nama

laboratory adalah nama Professornya, seperti Tanaka Laboratory, Suzuki

Laboratory, Kobayashi Laboratory dll. masing-masing laboratory

mempunyai topik research macam macam. Dan disitulah saudara bisa

menyesuaikan dengan minat riset dan bidang riset yang saudara ingin

kerjakan nantinya. Jika saudara sudah merasa cocok dengan riset yang

dilakukan di laboratory tersebut, saudara bisa menulis surat baik lewat

e-mail, surat pos maupun fax ke Professor di lab tersebut.

Pekerjaan berat selanjutnya adalah, saudara mesti harus mempersiapkan

bener bener bahasa yang baik, sopan santun dan grammar yang tepat untuk

surat perkenalan pertama dengan Professor Jepang. Surat perkenalan ini

bisa di tulis dengan bahasa Inggris, jika saudara belum menguasai

bahasa Jepang. Perlu diingat bahwa orang Jepang adalah orang Timur yang

masih memegang adat dan budaya sopan santun yang tinggi. Hal ini sangat

berbeda sekali dengan orang orang Barat, yang "to the point". Saudara

mesti hati-hati dalam bersopan santun untuk menulis surat perkenalan

ini.

Dalam surat perkenalan pertama, tulislah introduction tentang saudara,

background saudara (seperti layaknya CV, tetapi lebih mengarah ke

history of education, research yang pernah saudara lakukan, apa yang

telah saudara raih dalam research tersebut, dan research apa yang

saudara ingin kerjakan nantinya (yang menjadi impian saudara)).

Selanjutnya utarakanlah niat saudara untuk bergabung dengan laboratory

tersebut, saudara berminat untuk mempelajari ini itu (mesti saudara

kemukakan). Bikinlah upaya sang professor tertarik dengan research yang

saudara ingin kerjakan nantinya. Hal ini tidaklah mudah, bagi orang -

orang yang belum terbiasa melakukan riset. Tetapi bukankah kita semua

pernah melakukan riset sewaktu pengerjaan skripsi / thesis.

E-mail selanjutnya terserah saudara, bagaimana saudara bisa meyakinkan

professor Jepang, supaya beliau bersedia menerima. Pada dasarnya

Professor Jepang tidaklah keberatan untuk menerima saudara, hanya

apakah ada dana atau sponsor jika saudara bergabung ke labnya, itulah

yang sering di tanyakan oleh Professor Jepang, jika anda mengungkapkan

keinginan saudara untuk bergabung dengannya.

Untuk yang sedang akan apply beasiswa - beasiswa yang disediakan oleh

foundation / organisasi, company swasta, pemda dll,(seperti beasiswa

Panasonic/matsushita, hitachi, Okazaki, JICA, Inpex dll, lihat di

(www.kamalindo.com) maka saudara bisa mengutarakannya dengan mudah,

bahwa saudara akan test untuk mendapatkan beasiswa untuk melanjutkan

kuliah di Jepang.

Selanjutnya saudara butuh rekomendasi dari Professor jepang. Kebanyakan

Professor tidak keberatan pula untuk menuliskan rekomendasi dan

mengirimkannya ke saudara. (surat rekomendasi berisi bahwa Professor

tersebut bersedia menjadi pembimbing, dan professor tsb interest dengan

riset yang saudara ajukan dll), isi dari surat rekomendasi ini

tergantung professor, tidak ada format khusus yang mensyaratkannya.

Professor Jepang, lebih sering menulis surat rekomendasi ini dalam

tulisan tangan (tulisan kanji, yang kita hampir tidak bisa membacanya,

kecuali orang jepang asli). Surat rekomendasi yang telah saudara

dapatkan, bisa saudara lampirkan dalam melamar berbagai beasiswa yang

saudara ingin ikuti.

Jika hubungan saudara dengan Professor sudah sedemikian eratnya,

saudara bisa meminta supaya beliau merekomendasikan saudara ke Monbusho

= Depdikbud jepang, (lewat universitas Professor tersebut).

Informasi tambahan :
Masih banyak Professor Jepang yang tidak lancar berbahasa inggris

sehingga ada kemungkinan surat - surat saudara tidak di balas.

Sebenarnya bisa tetapi untuk membalasnya mereka butuh waktu, sehingga

surat saudara tidak di tanggapi sama sekali.


Untuk Professor yang sangat sibuk sekali, surat surat saudara yang

masuk kadang tidak di tanggapi/tidak di balas. Kalaupun di balas, entah

berapa bulan kemudian. Untuk itu, jikalau belum ada balasan dari

Professor, jangan kuatir, saudara bisa mencoba menulis ke Professor

yang lain. Masih banyak Professor Jepang yang lainnya.


Rajin - rajinlah membuka web web universitas Jepang.


Usahakan dalam mencari professor pembimbing adalah dari Universitas

negeri.

Tips for Writing Letters of Recommendation

From Tara Kuther, Ph.D.

As a college professor, many students approach me for letters of

recommendation. Writing these letters is one of the most challenging

aspects of my job. How do you fit a comprehensive profile and

assessment of a student into a 1-2 page letter? How do you ensure that

students provide you with all the relevant information that will help

you to write the best letter than you can? How do you protect yourself

from liability in writing letters of recommendation? This article takes

a closer look at tips to help you in writing letters of recommendation.

Inform Students
Students tend to be uninformed about their needs and responsibilities

in seeking letters of recommendation. Guide students by providing them

with a detailed list of what will assist you in writing a letter on

their behalf.

Many professors create a handout or web page listing the desired

information. Here are some suggestions:
Explain the purpose of the letter
Desired focus of the letter (e.g., discuss my research skills and

experiences in your lab, or discuss my responsibilities as a teaching

assistant in your class)
Useful skills (e.g., computer, statistical, or interpersonal skills)
Related experiences (extracurricular, work experience, clubs, volunteer

work)
Courses taken with the faculty member, with grades and sample work

(e.g., term paper)
Reasons for pursing graduate study
Resume
Transcript
Think About It
Do not immediately agree to write a letter on behalf of a student.

Instead, take a little bit of time to think about it and reflect on

your experiences with the student.

Be Honest
If you don`t know a student well or cannot write a positive letter on

his or her behalf, explain your reservations to inform the applicant.

If he or she insists, you can either refuse, write a neutral letter, or

include negative evaluations with supporting behavioral examples.

Get Permission
Obtain the student`s written permission (the signed recommendation form

included in admissions packets for most graduate programs is suitable)

Be Specific
Use specific examples to support your statements. Specific examples

will enhance the value of positive comments and will protect you from

legal action. If you choose to include unfavorable information, you

must include specific examples to illustrate your point.

Organize the Letter
An effective letter of recommendation is structured. Begin your letter

by indicating for whom you are writing, what they are applying to, and

an overview of the tone of the letter. Indicate to what extent and

length of time you have known the student. Your next step should be to

review grades and your records regarding the student.

Next, provide specific examples that illustrate the student`s

intellectual ability, capacity for independent and original thought,

knowledge of the field, or attitude and motivation. Close by

reiterating your overall recommendation and its strength.

Beware of Ambiguity
Letters of recommendation tend to be overwhelmingly positive. Because

most letters are inflated, readers examine them as if they were written

in code. Recommendation letters thus become a projective test wherein

any ambiguity is questioned. Any equivocal information might be

interpreted in a negative light, even if you did not intend so.
===========================================================
TIPS Interview
Before The Interview

Prepare in advance.
Ahead of time, consider the purpose of the interview. Review your UC

application for admission as it may be brought up during your

interview. Create mock questions you think might be asked. When

formulating your answers, remember to emphasize your strengths.

Practice your interview skills with a friend.
Review your interview skills aloud with someone and brainstorm

hypothetical situations the interview may encompass. Ask your friend to

count the number of times you say "like" and "you know" to make sure

you aren`t overusing such filler phrases.

Consider bringing letters of recommendation.
Letters of recommendation are optional. Submit them to your interviewer

at the time of your interview. (Letters of recommendation sent to the

office may not be considered.)

The Interview

Dress appropriately.
Dress comfortably for your interview, but not too casually. Rule of

thumb: wear business casual and no more than two colors. If you are

interviewing on the UC Berkeley campus, wear walking shoes.

Arrive on time.
Create a positive first impression by arriving on time.

Monitor your body language.
Good posture gives a confident impression. Keep your hands in your lap

or on the table to seem calm rather than touching your hair and face.

Monitor your speech.
Answer in complete sentences when possible, avoiding interjections of

"uhm", "like", and "you know". When asked a yes/no question, follow up

with a brief, interesting detail that the interviewer might remember.

If you don`t understand a question, it`s perfectly acceptable to ask

the interviewer to rephrase or repeat the question.

Make eye contact.
Make eye contact throughout the interview. Avoid looking at the floor

or ceiling while listening and speaking.

Volunteer information.
When offering information during an interview, remember that it`s the

interviewer`s job to decide what`s pertinent and what`s not. It`s your

job to "flesh out" your application with details that will convince the

interviewer of your strengths. Prepare answers to questions you think

might highlight desirable qualities or accomplishments. Phrase what you

say about yourself positively. If you are asked why you performed

poorly in the sciences, emphasize your talent in creative writing, for

example, instead of enumerating excuses.

Be prepared with a good close. At the end of the interview, you may be

asked whether you have questions or something to add. You can ask a

question, add information that you prepared before the interview, or

follow up on a topic covered during the interview itself. Good closure

shows that you have been engaged in the exchange. Thank the interviewer

for giving you the opportunity to meet and make a timely exit, i.e.

avoid running out, but also refrain from lingering.

What to avoid.

Don`t ...
chew gum
tell sob stories
yawn
look at your watch
appear bored
fidget

How to get scholarship, step by step

How to get scholarship, step by step
Lay an eye to particular scholarship.

I usually look at scholarship advertisment. If I found it interested,

then I will apply. Although it is possible to find the department where

you want to study first then apply the scholarship, I don`t do that

because usually the nominal of scholarship is small. I am only

interested to fully funding scholarship. Some scholarship, however,

request you to apply officially to university and get accepted before

apply the scholarship (mostly European scholarship I think)


Get the scholarship form and read it carefully

Make sure that you are elligible to the scholarship, you are within the

age range, the topic you want is included, your background is

acceptable etc. Some scholarship is mainly for gov. employee, some are

for age 35 and below, you fulfil the minimum language requirements etc.

Find the university you want to go

Make sure that you know where you want to go. Only very few scholarship

that just want you to write down what subject you want to do and you

can choose the university later. Again, check the requirements

carefully


Collecting the requirement

Be very careful with the requirement. If it requires international

TOEFL/IELTS, then do it. If it is not specified, better ask than sorry.

If it asked for 2 recommendations, get two, some even specifically

asked for direct supervisor, make sure you get it as well. Some

scholarship request you to develop contact with the department you want

to study, then try to get it.


Make sure that your application is "selling"

Imagine yourself the person who need to select which application is

acceptable, which is not. That person need to look hundreds and maybe

thousands of application. Make sure that your application is neat,

clear, concise, to the point and rich instead making it a flowery

boring story that nobody want to finish reading it. Think, what is your

strong point that makes you different from others, what is the founder

agenda etc. Also make sure that when they say one page explanation,

it`s one page. Try to put as much related information in the limited

space


Pay attention to deadline
Things to consider:
Scholarship cost lots of money. Think that it is the founder investing

the money on you. What can you give them in return. Therefore you must

have a clear idea why you want to take the degree, why it is important

for you to take that degree, what your future plan is, how the degree

will support your plan, what is the benefit of your degree and

knowledge for you, for your office, for your country and for the

founder. Remember, no need to bluffing and saying things like "solving

poverty problem in Indonesia" but be more specific and achievable such

enhancing teaching language curriculum in University ABC, particularly

in terms of develooping comprehensive student learning by doing

approach. You must have the confidence that you need the degree, you

can do it, and you can implement your knowledge in your work


Master and above degree is not a path to get a job. I was wrong and

tought master is sellable to get a better job. To some extend yes, but

it is actually wiser to think that master should be used to enhance

your qualification at work. Therefore, make sure that your educational

background, your work and your proposed study are matched, or at least

try to matched them


Have confidence. Technically, passing the administration selection is

the most difficult part. Possibility for a person to pass interview is

much higher than passing the administration part. If you keep failing

in the interview part, means that you are not really clear about your

own proposed study (or you can`t express it well). During the

interview, make sure that it is you that lead the interview, you should

elaborate each question, and it is quite important to be original.

Sometimes it looks nice if you quote from other sources (to make you

look smarter). I like to quote Confucius saying during interview.

During my interview for ASF, the major question was, "why do you want

to this topic, and why you do it in South China? ." The answer:

"Majority of research in this issue discuss the problems that occur in

North China. If I do it in the north like other scholars, what will be

my additional value? The project will use new approach in looking at

the China`s one child policy beyond the common pattern where instead of

comparing single and non single child, I compare male and female single

child. That is my scholarly contribution for the discourse. Later one

of the professor said that he is very impress with that answer, because

they looking for original approach. So, make sure that you have the

confidence, you have the educational background in that issue, and you

seems know what you are going to do,


Get the requirements they want

Make sure that you can fulfil all the requirements. It is very useful

if you have some additional things that you can offer. In my situation,

I get involve with lots of social organisations dealing with HIV, drug

abuse, community empowerment etc. Since I am doing social studies,

these are very positive addition for my applications. Trainings,

seminars, articles are important too.
Hope that the info are useful.

Scholarships Interview Tips

Before The Interview

Prepare in advance.
Ahead of time, consider the purpose of the interview. Review your UC application for admission as it may be brought up during your interview. Create mock questions you think might be asked. When formulating your answers, remember to emphasize your strengths.

Practice your interview skills with a friend.
Review your interview skills aloud with someone and brainstorm hypothetical situations the interview may encompass. Ask your friend to count the number of times you say "like" and "you know" to make sure you aren`t overusing such filler phrases.

Consider bringing letters of recommendation.
Letters of recommendation are optional. Submit them to your interviewer at the time of your interview. (Letters of recommendation sent to the office may not be considered.)

The Interview

Dress appropriately.
Dress comfortably for your interview, but not too casually. Rule of thumb: wear business casual and no more than two colors. If you are interviewing on the UC Berkeley campus, wear walking shoes.

Arrive on time.
Create a positive first impression by arriving on time.

Monitor your body language.
Good posture gives a confident impression. Keep your hands in your lap or on the table to seem calm rather than touching your hair and face.

Monitor your speech.
Answer in complete sentences when possible, avoiding interjections of "uhm", "like", and "you know". When asked a yes/no question, follow up with a brief, interesting detail that the interviewer might remember. If you don`t understand a question, it`s perfectly acceptable to ask the interviewer to rephrase or repeat the question.

Make eye contact.
Make eye contact throughout the interview. Avoid looking at the floor or ceiling while listening and speaking.

Volunteer information.
When offering information during an interview, remember that it`s the interviewer`s job to decide what`s pertinent and what`s not. It`s your job to "flesh out" your application with details that will convince the interviewer of your strengths. Prepare answers to questions you think might highlight desirable qualities or accomplishments. Phrase what you say about yourself positively. If you are asked why you performed poorly in the sciences, emphasize your talent in creative writing, for example, instead of enumerating excuses.

Be prepared with a good close. At the end of the interview, you may be asked whether you have questions or something to add. You can ask a question, add information that you prepared before the interview, or follow up on a topic covered during the interview itself. Good closure shows that you have been engaged in the exchange. Thank the interviewer for giving you the opportunity to meet and make a timely exit, i.e. avoid running out, but also refrain from lingering.

What to avoid.

Don`t ...
chew gum
tell sob stories
yawn
look at your watch
appear bored
fidget

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Free scholarship information blog

This is my scholarship blog, I tried to collect to many informations about it. And now I want to share with you. I hope It can help us.
Best Regards

Scholarship Fan