The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (MEYS) offers scholarships to students or graduates of Italian universities who wish to undertake study or research visits to one of the Czech public institutions of higher education.

SELECTING THE HOST FACULTY/ UNIVERSITY, STUDY PROGRAMME AND FIELD OF STUDY:

• Applicants are required to choose a study programme and field of study, offered by a constituent part of a public institution of higher education in the Czech Republic, which is related to the field they are studying or studied in the past at their home university/college. They usually attend courses that do not lead to the award of a degree (non-degree study courses) or pursue an independent research activity, depending on their academic qualifications and preferences.
• Enrolment in standard degree study programmes, especially Ph.D. courses, for the period of scholarship, is also possible. The feasibility of this option depends on the host university/faculty.
• The terms and conditions of admission and requirements concerning the language of tuition are stipulated autonomously by the host faculties/universities which take independent decisions whether or not each applicant can be accepted within the framework of the MEYS’ scholarship programme.
• Access to the art academies can be somewhat limited because the applicants must meet demanding requirements and demonstrate their talent. Samples of their artistic work, e.g. photographs, video/audio recording of a musical performance, etc., must be attached to the application forms of fine/performing arts students/graduates.

LANGUAGE OF TUITION:

• The primary language of tuition is Czech.

Scholarship-holders can also be admitted to some courses taught in English. Admission to courses and programmes with tuition in the English language is possible only on condition that the host faculty concerned decides, of its own volition, to provide a full tuition fee waiver to the prospective scholarship-holder for the period of scholarship. A substantial part of the scholarship consists of a subsidy provided by the MEYS directly to the host faculty to cover tuition.

HOW TO APPLY:

1. Find a Czech public institution of higher education and its appropriate faculty offering courses that correspond to your study/research plan.
   • Before applying, please check the requirements of your preferred faculty, or university, if it is not divided into faculties, stipulated for exchange students (e.g. which study programme you can enrol in as an exchange student, which documents the faculty/university requires, whether you need to register in the university's internal system, whether you can apply for dormitory accommodation, etc.).
   • At the same time, we recommend that you contact the relevant department/institute or another part of the higher education institution concerned and request a letter of invitation/pre-liminary acceptance to be attached to your scholarship application. This document does not represent an obligatory attachment to your application, but it significantly expedites and simplifies the admission procedure and increases your chances of being accepted.
   • Be sure to inform the host faculty/university that you intend to apply for the MEYS’ scholarship.
2. Fill out the scholarship application form in this online system. The application form must be filled out in Czech or in English.
3. Upload all the required attachments (in Czech or in English). Check the requirements for each document well in advance – some documents require a third-party signature.
4. Submit your application by the deadline for the call.
5. Keep track of the status of your application. You will be notified by email of any status changes. Always check your application to see if you are required to provide additional information, etc.

HOW THE APPLICATION IS EVALUATED:

1. The application will be assessed by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Rome, which may return it to the applicant for completion if any information is missing. It will also propose the scholarship quota distribution among the applicants. The result of this first assessment is a list of candidates recommended for the scholarship award and a list of substitutes. Ineligible and/or poor-quality applications will be rejected.
2. In the next step, the MEYS evaluates the applications, and may, in justified cases, propose a change of the scholarship period or of the host faculty/university (e.g. if admission to the study programme preferred by the applicant is not possible).
3. Applications are then sent to the prospective host faculties/universities for consideration according to the applicants' preferences and/or the MEYS’ recommendations.
4. The faculty/university concerned will assess the relevance and quality of the application and decide whether to accept or reject the applicant. Please note that the host faculties/universities take autonomous decisions, and it is not possible to lodge an appeal against their decisions on admission to study. The faculty/university concerned may contact the applicant directly to request more detailed information or additional documentation. For accepted applicants, the faculty/university will confirm:
   • the date of commencement and completion of the study/research stay,
   • the study programme in which the applicant will enrol for the period of the scholarship,
   • the language of tuition,
   • whether dormitory accommodation can be provided.
5. The result of the evaluation process  is:
   • The scholarship award decision, which is issued by the MEYS. The decision determines the scholarship amount, confirms the host faculty/university and sets out the rights and obligations of the scholarship holder
   • or
6. Rejection of the application, based on the decision of an autonomous faculty/university. There is no legal claim to a scholarship award, and there is no right of appeal if the application is rejected.