Newsletter september 2014

EURODESK BRUSSELS LINK BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 2014

Deadlines up to 15 November 2014 Deadline Reminder: http://www.eurodesk.eu/edesk/SearchDb.do?go=1 Reference number

Deadline

Programme Title

EU0010000028

15 September 2014

EU-Japan Training programmes

EU0010000578

15 September 2014

Model UN Workshop 2014

EU0010000641

15 September 2014

Kodu Kup Europe Competition

EU0010000177

16 September 2014

DG Interpretation bursaries

EU0010000585

16 September 2014

2014 Digital Woman of the Year Awards

EU0010000020

30 September 2014

EU0010000152

30 September 2014

EU0010000180

30 September 2014

EU0010000365

30 September 2014

EU0010000456

30 September 2014

Traineeships at the Committee of the Regions Traineeships at the Economic and Social Committee Traineeship at the Court of Justice European Investment Bank (EIB) - Universities Research Action MEDEA Awards

EU0010000478

30 September 2014

International Citizen Media Award 2014

EU0010000579

30 September 2014

EU0010000021

1 October 2014

EU0010000085

1 October 2014

EU0010000229

1 October 2014

EU0010000584

1 October 2014

EU0010000604

1 October 2014

EU0010000606

1 October 2014

EU0010000607

1 October 2014

EU0010000615

1 October 2014

EU0010000619

1 October 2014

EU0010000631

1 October 2014

EU0010000633

2 October 2014

EU0010000329

12 October 2014

Environment & Me - EEA photo competition Traineeship at the Council of the European Union European Youth Foundation - Grants for international youth activities International youth activities held in cooperation with the European Youth Centres OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Research Fellowship Mobility project for young people-European Voluntary Service with Erasmus+ Mobility project for young people-Youth Exchanges with Erasmus+ Mobility project for youth workers with Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships within Erasmus+ Structured Dialogue: meetings between young people and decision-makers in the field of youth within Erasmus+ Training placements at the European Parliament Support for policy reform - Prospective initiatives within Erasmus+ BEST courses for students of technology

EU0010000404

14 October 2014

EU0010000004

15 October 2014

European Youth Capital Traineeships and Study Visits at the European Parliament

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EURODESK BRUSSELS LINK BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 2014

EU0010000205 EU0010000345 EU0010000483 EU0010000210 EU0010000373

EU0010000150

EU0010000234 EU0010000263 EU0010000352 EU0010000590 EU0010000583 EU0010000178 EU0010000560

EU prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards Traineeships at the European Parliament for 15 October 2014 people with disabilities Roma Education Fund Scholarships 15 October 2014 Programme 2014-2015 Young European of the Year Award - Travel 20 October 2014 Fellowships & InterRail-Global-Passes Juvenes Translatores - translation contest for 20 October 2014 schools Internship programme at the Office of the 31 October 2014 United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Traineeships at the Office for Harmonisation in the 31 October 2014 Internal Market (Trade marks and Designs) 31 October 2014 Internships at the World Bank Traineeships at the North-South Centre of the 31 October 2014 Council of Europe European Human Rights Moot Court 3 November 2014 Competition 9 November 2014 InnoApps EU-China Hackathon Challenge Translation Traineeships at the European 15 November 2014 Parliament for university graduates Translation training placements at the 15 November 2014 European Parliament 15 October 2014

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EURODESK BRUSSELS LINK BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 2014

Documentation Annual Erasmus statistics 2012-2013 Almost 270 000 students benefitted from EU grants to study or train in 2012-2013, according to the latest Erasmus statistics published by the European Commission.

While studying at another university continues to be the most popular choice, one in five students (55 000) opted for Erasmus job placements in companies. The three most popular destinations for Erasmus students in 2012-2013 were Spain, Germany and France. Countries sending the highest number of students as a proportion of their graduate population were Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Finland, Latvia and Spain. Social sciences, business studies and law were the most popular subject areas (41%), followed by humanities and arts (22%), then engineering, manufacturing and construction (16%). The statistics show that the average Erasmus grant, designed to cover part of the costs of living abroad and travel, was â‚Ź 272 per month, a 9% increase on the previous year (â‚Ź 250). The grant is topped up in some countries by national, regional or institutional funds. In 2012-2013 more than 52 600 academic and administrative staff also received funding from Erasmus to teach or train abroad. http://ec.europa.eu/education/tools/statistics_en.htm Quality Management in Youth Information and Counselling Published by ERYICA, in the frame of the Youth on the Move - InfoMobility project, the booklet intends to provide a self-assessment quality tool and good examples in quality management in a way that is accessible to all youth information workers in Europe. The report sets a theoretical approach to quality management, provides a template of reflection (assessment) tool for youth information services and showcases six examples of already functioning quality management systems in Europe. It also provides a Glossary with the main notions that are used in the text. http://eryica.org/sites/default/files/EURYICA_v2_page%20by%20page.pdf Mental Health Matters: The social inclusion of youth with mental health conditions Published by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the report analyses the social inclusion of young people with mental health issues. The report finds that mental health issues remain particularly prevalent amongst young people, and have a significant impact on youth development and social and economic integration. Furthermore, it underline that mental health conditions are still surrounded by stigma, and that stigma reduction represents a crucial next step in improving the overall wellbeing of young people. http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/documents/youth/IYD2014/reportsocialinclusionofyo uthwithmentalhealth.pdf Spring 2014 Standard Eurobarometer The survey outlines EU citizens' perception of the current economic situation, their main concerns and trust in political institutions. The report finds that the number of citizens who feel their voice counts in the EU has risen from 29% in November 2013 to 42%. This is the highest level since this question was first put into the Standard Eurobarometer a decade ago. In addition, 65% of Europeans feel like an EU citizen, up from 59% in the last Autumn Eurobarometer. For the first time since the beginning of the financial crisis, more Europeans think the economic situation will improve in the next 12 months and almost three out of four people do not expect a negative trend. And, for the first time, the percentage of Europeans who believe that the impact of the crisis on the job market has reached its peak is larger than that of those who think that the worst is still to come. Support for the Euro is also on the rise. Finally, people are more optimistic about the future of the EU: since last

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EURODESK BRUSSELS LINK BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 2014

November, there has been a rise of five percentage points in those saying they are optimistic while the number of those saying they are pessimistic has fallen by five percentage points. http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/eb/eb81/eb81_en.htm ErasmusIntern.org Launched by the Erasmus Student Network, the platform is the meeting place for trainees and traineeships. Here students that would like to do a traineeship abroad can have their profiles online, search for traineeships and apply for them. On the other hand, companies and organisations that are offering traineeships can post for free their vacancies, search for trainees and see if the applications they received are suitable for the position that they have opened. http://erasmusintern.org MapAbility: The Innovative Guide to European Universities’ Accessibility Launched by the Erasmus Student Network, the online map aims to inform disabled students about the accessibility level of European Higher Education Institutions. http://exchangeability.eu/mapability-map New EU-Council of Europe youth partnership website The website aims to inform about the partnership and how to get involved in youth projects. http://pjp-eu.coe.int/en/web/youth-partnership Graduateland The website offers jobs, internships, and graduate programmes for students and recent graduates in Europe. http://graduateland.com

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EURODESK BRUSSELS LINK BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 2014

Opportunities MOVE Congress Photo Contest The MOVE Congress 2014 organisers have launched a competition giving everybody the chance to be rewarded for their creativity and win free registration for the event in Rome, Italy, from 22nd to 25th October. The MOVE Congress aims to find innovative ways of engaging people in physical activity.

Entrants will have to send a photograph answering the following question: “What does sport for all mean to you?". Maximum three colour or black and white (or a mixture of both) photos per entrant can be submitted. Photo captions must accompany all submissions.

The photographer of the photo awarded first prize will win free registration to the MOVE Congress 2014 in Rome (value â‚Ź 250). Their photo and the work of nine runners up will be exhibited at the Open Market Fair, featured in the official Congress video and published on the MOVE Congress 2014 website.

Deadline: 26th September 2014, 12:00 PM (GMT + 1).

Find out more: http://bit.ly/1uc5dnR Visit Europe Travel Film Competition Organised by the European Travel Commission, the competition invites anyone who is travelling through Europe and are over 18 to submit a short film, no longer than 5 minutes that reflects a personal journey across at least three countries in Europe.

Up to 10 potential winners will be selected and given the chance to promote their film online. The shortlist will consist of the 3 films that receive the largest number of public votes. The winning film will be rewarded with a holiday for two in Europe, including flights and accommodation for two weeks. Additionally, the winner will receive first-class rail passes to get around Europe in the most comfortable way.

Deadline to submit videos: 1st October 2014.

Find out more: http://euroshorts-films.com OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Research Fellowship The aim of the Fellowship programme is to provide students with practical experience in the field of international affairs. The primary duty of Research Fellows is to conduct substantive research on various projects for the Assembly and to provide assistance to its officials and staff members. Applicants must be graduate students between the ages of 21 and 26 from universities in OSCE countries.

Deadline: 1st October 2014 (for intake in February/March).

Find out more: http://www.oscepa.org/about-osce-pa/international-secretariat/staff/researchfellowship Call for tenders EAC/24/2014 - Enhancing the attractiveness of European higher education in the world The service contract resulting from this call for tenders will provide a range of services and activities to promote Europe's higher education offer in the world.

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EURODESK BRUSSELS LINK BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 2014

This will include web and social media promotion, higher education fairs, and the networking of existing promotional channels to boost awareness of Europe as a study destination and partner for higher education cooperation.

Deadline: 10th October 2014.

Find out more: http://ec.europa.eu/education/calls/tender-24-2014_en.htm EU prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards The purpose of the annual prize is to give public recognition to exemplary initiatives and to skills of deserving individuals and/or organisations in the field of preservation and enhancement of cultural heritage (architecture and its related movable heritage, archaeology, cultural landscapes).

The Awards will be given to up to 30 remarkable heritage projects and initiatives in four categories: conservation, research and digitisation, dedicated service by individuals or organisations and education, training and awareness-raising.

Up to seven applicants will be selected as Grand Prix winners and receive â‚Ź 10,000 each. One will get the Public Choice Award.

Deadline: 15th October 2014.

Find out more: http://www.europanostra.org/apply-for-an-award-2015 Juvenes Translatores: translation contest for schools The competition is designed to give 17-year-olds (born in 1997) from schools throughout Europe first-hand experience of what it is like to be a translator. Young students will be given the opportunity to take part in a translation test that will take place on the same day in all EU countries: 27th November 2014.

Pupils will be able to decide which of the European Union's official languages they want to translate to and from.

Schools across Europe are invited to register on the contest website by 20th October 2014.

The awards ceremony will take place in Brussels, Belgium, in Spring 2015.

Find out more: http://ec.europa.eu/translatores/index_en.htm Travel Video Contest 2014 Young people from 18 years old, from around the world, already enrolled or planning to enrol in college or university outside their home country are invited to join this contest. All they have to do is make a short video of maximum five minutes, explaining their reasons to travel or study abroad. If entrants are already studying abroad, they could make a video about a trip they would like to take. The author of the best video will be awarded with $ 4,000. There will also be runner up prizes. The winner will have to maintain a blog documenting the trip. The blog will start immediately after the winner is announced and will continue through the trip until return to school.

Deadline to register and submit videos: 22nd October 2014, 11:59 PM, EST. Find out more: http://www.internationalstudent.com/contest Traineeships at the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe The North-South Centre of the Council of Europe offers unpaid traineeships twice a year for a period of three (minimum) to five (maximum) months. The duties to which trainees are assigned include research, the preparation of activities, draft reports and the drafting of minutes. They may also be required to assist with current work.

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EURODESK BRUSSELS LINK BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 2014

The traineeship programme is open for nationals of one of the Council of Europe's member states or Southern Countries with which the North-South Centre cooperates, who have completed their higher education or have successfully completed at least three years of university study (six semesters).

Deadline: 31st October 2014 (for the January-June 2015 session).

Find out more: http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/nscentre/traineeship_en.asp European Human Rights Moot Court Competition In order to provide law students with an opportunity to gain practical experience in the field, the European Law students' Association (ELSA) has launched the 3 rd edition of the European Human Rights Moot Court Competition in cooperation with the Council of Europe. The competition is open to all students from ELSA countries as well as from countries that are members of the Council of Europe. The simulation of a court trial is often divided into two phases: the written phase and the oral phase. In the written part students draft submissions or memorials on behalf of the applicant and the respondent. The written phase leads to the oral phase, which means simulations of court hearings where students represent the applicant and the respondent.

The teams will examine a fictive case and draft written submissions for each party.

The teams will be evaluated based on their written admissions and the best 16 teams will compete in the European final at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France. For the teams that are qualified to the final, there will be a participation fee that covers accommodation and meals.

The winning team will be awarded with a traineeship at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and with cash prizes.

Deadline for sending questions: 15th October 2014.

Deadline for teams to register: 3rd November 2014.

Deadline for written submission: 23rd November 2014.

Find out more: http://www.humanrightsmootcourt.org

Please also look at the Opportunities folder within the Eurodesk intranet for news on European and international (funding) opportunities.

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EURODESK BRUSSELS LINK BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 2014

Highlights Plovdiv to be 2019 European Capital of Culture in Bulgaria The independent selection panel responsible for assessing the Bulgarian cities competing to be European Capital of Culture in 2019 has recommended that Plovdiv should be awarded the title. The other three cities short-listed after the initial selection round in December 2013 were Sofia, Varna and Veliko Turnovo.

The formal nomination of Plovdiv by the EU's Council of Ministers is expected to take place in May 2015. http://bit.ly/1AeTlRN

2014 European election turnout figures confirmed as lowest-ever, raising concerns over youth participation Despite initial estimates that suggested increased turnout, May’s European Parliament elections saw the lowest voter participation on record (42.54%), according to the figures released by the European Parliament.

It had been hoped that the #EP14 elections would finally reverse the long-term trend of declining turnout, both overall and at youth level.

However, confirmation that the overall figure fell yet again has cast some doubt on the youth participation rate, which is due to be confirmed in the Autumn.

The latest European Parliament elections were carried out under the slogan “This time it’s different” and included a number of high-profile initiatives designed to further engage voters.

These initiatives included the introduction of the “Spitzenkandidaten” - public candidates nominated by the major European political parties for the European Commission presidency, who participated in a series of public, TV and online debates. Despite initial estimates of a 43.09% turnout and a much-anticipated halt in the decline, the final figure was confirmed as 42.54% last week. http://bit.ly/TKW0Vv

EU-China cooperation for education, culture and women's rights The European Union and China plan to work more closely together in education, culture and youth policy as well as new areas including gender equality and efforts to address violence against women. These are among potential new priority areas for the 'High-Level-People-to-People Dialogue' (HPPD) between the EU and China which aims to build trust and understanding between the two regions' peoples. In a meeting with Chinese Vice-Premier Liu Yandong in Beijing on 6th September, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, Androulla Vassiliou, took stock of the HPPD's achievements since its launch two years ago. The two leaders also discussed other areas where the EU and China could expand cooperation, including greater participation of Chinese institutions in the U-Multirank university ranking and a new project to promote cultural festivals in China. http://bit.ly/1pw8yI1

Xavier Prats Monné, New Director-General of DG Education and Culture As of 1st August, the DirectorateGeneral for Education and Culture of the European Commission has a new Director-General – Xavier Prats Monné. After being DG EAC's Deputy Director-General responsible for EU policies and programmes in the field of education and training for the last three years, he will now also be responsible for EU policies in the field

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EURODESK BRUSSELS LINK BULLETIN SEPTEMBER 2014 of culture, youth and sports, and for the Creative Europe programme. http://bit.ly/1rVASud

Lithuania to adopt the euro on 1 st January 2015 On 23rd July 2014, the European Union General Affairs Council of Ministers has adopted the final decision on Lithuania’s participation in the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) from 1st January 2015. From this date Lithuania will become the 19th full-fledged member of the Eurozone and will start using the Euro as the single currency of the European Union. http://bit.ly/WUpL7Q

Commissioner Vassiliou urges Education Ministers to help kids to develop basic computer coding skills European Commissioner Vassiliou has written a letter to EU Education Ministers urging them to ensure that children have the opportunity to develop basic computer coding skills in school. The letter, jointly signed with Neelie Kroes, Vice-President for the Digital Agenda, states that coding skills are part of the solution to youth unemployment and a growing skills gap in the ICT sector, which is expected to see a shortage of 900 000 ICT practitioners by the end of 2020. http://bit.ly/1rKHA6U

Please also look at the News folder within the Eurodesk intranet for other European news from the network.

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Upcoming Events EURES Job Fairs Thinking about finding a job in another EU country?

EURES, the European Job Mobility Portal, organises job fairs all over Europe.

Find out more: http://bit.ly/EUREScalendar 16th-22nd September 2014 – European Mobility Week 2014 During the European Mobility Week European cities and towns will have the opportunity to participate to the most widespread event on sustainable mobility.

This year’s theme is “Our streets, our choice”, encouraging people across Europe to create the type of city that they want to live in.

Find out more: http://www.mobilityweek.eu 26th September 2014: European Researchers' Night The European Researchers' Night is an event taking place every year on a single September night in about 200 cities all over Europe and aiming to promote careers in science and research. Whether with family, school, friends or on their own, everybody is invited to explore science in different engaging ways.

Find out how to get involved here: http://ec.europa.eu/research/researchersnight/events_en.htm 23rd-24th September 2014: European Business Forum on Vocational Training, Brussels, Belgium The forum will focus on how VET providers and businesses can work in partnership to provide the skills needed to spur growth and competitiveness in Europe.

Find out more: http://ec.europa.eu/education/events/2014/20140923-business-vet_en.htm 29th September-5th October 2014: European SME Week The week will provide information on what the EU and national, regional and local authorities are offering as support to micro, small and medium-sized businesses. It will also provide an opportunity for entrepreneurs, young people, business organisations, business support providers, public authorities, educational institutions to organise an event under the umbrella of the European SME Week.

The main event will take place together with the SME Assembly and the European Enterprise Promotion Awards Ceremony on 1st-3rd October 2014 in Naples, Italy.

Find out more: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/initiatives/sme-week 26th September 2014: European Day of Languages Organised jointly by the EU and the Council of Europe, the European day of languages aims to raise public awareness of the languages used in Europe, to promote cultural and linguistic diversity and to encourage people, schoolchildren and adults, to learn languages.

Find out more: http://edl.ecml.at/Home/tabid/1455/language/en-GB/Default.aspx

2nd-3rd October 2014: Universities, businesses & co. Together we can, Rome, Italy The thematic University-Business Forum on "Strategic Inter-sectorial Partnerships for Economic & Social Change & Growth" is organised by the European Commission and Italian Rector's Conference as part of the Italian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The event will bring together a group of multi-disciplinary representatives from both academia and the business sector and will be structured around the following themes: Rethinking and opening up education, Business creation and employability, Strategic alliances and the creation of ecosystems.

Deadline to register: 15th September 2014.

Find out more: http://www.ubcforum-italy.com 20th-24th October 2014: Training and knowledge-sharing course “Skills Needs Anticipation and Matching” Turin, Italy Organised by CEDEFOP, the course aims to help participants understand the central importance of identifying current and future skill needs and labour market imbalances in a broader policy framework, and to acquire basic knowledge.

The course is addressed to policymakers and technical advisors of Ministries of Employment/Labour, Ministries of Education, as well as other Ministries working in the area of skills development and TVET; members of skills councils, national TVET authorities or similar institutions; representatives of workers’ and employers’ organisations experts and technical staff, public employment services staff, staff from international cooperation agencies working in the area of TVET and Skills Development.

There are tuition fees.

Deadline to apply: 15th September 2014.

Find out more: http://bit.ly/1kyHbMq 5th-15th February 2015: ISFiT – International Student Festival, Trondheim, Norway ISFit is the world’s largest student festival with a thematic focus and has been organised every second year since 1990. About 450 students from all over the world will have the chance to attend and join one in 18 different workshops in order to discuss this year's theme: corruption. The festival is addressed to students who are at least 18 years old.

Deadline for applying is 30th September 2014.

Find out more: http://www.isfit.org Salto-Youth: Training Calendar The European Training Calendar contains current training offers of different institutions and organisations, such as SALTO, the National Agencies for the YOUTH IN ACTION Programme, non-governmental youth organisations, the European Youth Centres of the Council of Europe and the Partnership Programme on European Youth Worker Training. They are addressed to young people, group leaders, mentors, trainers and other specialists.

Find out more: http://www.salto-youth.net/tools/european-training-calendar

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