*** Please note the deadline for application has passed. ***

Ever dreamt of attending a Slovene language summer school in the beautiful city of Ljubljana?

By the generosity of the Office of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia for Slovenians Abroad, the Slovenian Australian Academic Association (SAAA) will be awarding one student 2,000 EUR travel grant to attend a 2-week course of the Slovene language in the capital city of Slovenia, Ljubljana.

The 37th Summer School of Slovene Language 2018 offers students a short course in Slovene Language whilst enjoying an unforgettable summer holiday. The awarded winner will be able to choose one of the two courses being either between 2nd to 13th July or 16th to 27th July 2018. The course will be held at the University of Ljubljana Faculty of Arts located in the very heart of Ljubljana – or as it is now known, one of Europe’s greenest and most livable cities. Having roots from the Middle Ages, the European Commission awarded Ljubljana with the coveted Green Capital of Europe title for 2016, as it is a perfect example of German, Mediterranean and Slovene Culture.

Though this 2-week course focuses on the Slovene language, this experience will no doubt enrich many thoughts and introduce a variety of concepts to ones personal views of our Slovene heritage, history, traditions and culture.

The awarded winner can spend the grant money on course fee, return flights to and from Australia and Slovenia, as well as transport to and from the relevant airport and location of stay within Ljubljana, accommodation, and meals.

Upon returning from their time in our lovely Ljubljana, Slovenia, the award winner will be interviewed, and will write a short description of their experience which will be published on saaa.si in November 2018 hoping to encourage many more to visit and enjoy this wonderful green country and all it has to offer.

COURSE INFORMATION

The winner will have an option of selecting between either of the following 2 courses, both held in the peak summer month of July:

Option 1:      02 July – 13 July 2018; or
Option 2:      16 July – 27 July 2018.

For more information about the summer school, please visit the official site of the 37th Summer School of Slovene Language 2018.

You may want to apply for one of the scholarships provided by the summer school organisers and avoid to pay the tuition fees. Due dates for their scholarships are 1 May/15 May 2018. More info here.

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible for this grant, applicant must be enrolled as a student at on Australia’s educational institutions during the time of submitting their grant application to SAAA. It is not necessary for the applicant to be of Slovene citizenship. It is not necessary to be of Slovene descent, however it is desirable. Applicant must be 18 years or over.

HOW TO APPLY 

1. Become a member of SAAA (free) by filling out the form available here.

2. Send your application via email to mateya.slobodnik@saaa.si (see instructions below).

In the email subject please write: RE: ‘SAAA Student Travel Grant Slovenia 2018 APPLICATION – [insert your name]’. To help us understand why you believe you should be the award winner of this opportunity, in your email please provide us with the following documents:

• Motivation letter: a short description (maximum of 1000 words) of why you are the appropriate applicant to receive this award. Include why is Slovenia important to you, why you want to learn Slovenian and how you will use the new knowledge and experiences acquired in Slovenia on your life path.
• Resume including name and surname, date and country of birth, home address, personal and educational/professional background (maximum of 2 pages)
• Proof of study enrolment
• Other attachments proving connections and/or activities related to Slovenia (see ‘Selection process’ for more info)

4. Keep the email confirmation of your submission for your reference.

SELECTION PROCESS

The winner will be selected by the SAAA Student Travel Grant Slovenia 2018 Commission (SAAA Board members excluding SAAA Student Travel Grant Manager) and announced via email and on saaa.si. Priority will be given to candidates who can prove they are descendants of the Slovenians and/or they are active in the Slovenian community in Australia or promote Slovenia through other activities.

WINNER’S DUTIES

The awarded winner is required to sign (parents/legal custodians if under 18 years) a Travel Grant Acceptance Agreement in order to receive the granted money of 2000 EUR. The awarded winner must provide SAAA with receipts of bookings made for their travel, accommodation, course booking and any other associated arrangements with the Travel Grant award. SAAA will support the winner with information but it does not take any responsibility for the arrangements related to travel and stay in Slovenia. The winner may want to arrange their accommodation via the Summer school official website. Winner must attend one of the offered Courses, write a report about his/her experiences in Slovenia (word limit: 2,000 – 2,500 word, number of high-quality images sent as separate .jpg files: 8-10) by the due date to be published on saaa.si and be available for a video/audio/live interview upon invitation. Please see the ‘Important dates’ section for more information about the deadlines.

IMPORTANT DATES

Applications due: 15 April 2018
Winner announced via email: 30 April 2018
Travel grant acceptance contract signed by the winner and SAAA: 7 May 2018
Winner announced on saaa.si: 7 May 2018
Travel grant payment to the winner: 10 may 2018
Scholarships by Summer School organisers due: 1 May/15 May 2018 (more here)
Language course: (Option 1) 02 July – 13 July 2018; or (Option 2) 6 July – 27 July 2018
Interview with the winner: By the end of November 2018 (TBA)
Winner’s report submitted to SAAA due: 15 November 2018

CONTACTS

SAAA Student Travel Grant Manager
Ms Mateya Slobodnik
mateya.slobodnik@saaa.si
+61404131621

Wishing you the best of luck with your application!