EN_Convocatoria 2018 Programa Kizuna MasterIEG PUC

Kizuna Scholarship Human Resources Development Program for Disaster Risk Reduction in Latin America and the Caribbean for the Master´s Program in Structural and Geotechnical Engineering at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile 2018 CALL FOR APPLICATIONS BACKGROUND The governments of Chile and Japan, through their International Cooperation Agencies, AGCI and JICA, respectively, agree to carry out the “Human Resources Development Program for Disaster Risk Reduction in Latin America and the Caribbean” as part of the Chile-Japan Partnership Agreement (JCPP) The objective of this program is to develop professionals dedicated to disaster risk prevention and reduction as a career, and/or wishes to incorporate these policies in their institutions To this end, several programs of study are being offered which consider the extent of risk management in correlation with participants’ levels of training, that is to say, Master´s, Diplomas and international courses which are characterized by their high level of specialization and quality These training programs will be implemented by the universities as well as national sectors which have developed expertise in the respective material Japanese experts will participate by contributing their knowledge and experience in the courses in order to prepare foreign professionals, as well as the rapporteurs and institutions in disaster risk management The project expects to see broad transfer between the countries of the Latin American and Caribbean region, as well as the creation of networks of training programs in academic, private, and public institutions It is vitally important to understand the importance of developing mitigation strategies to make cities increasingly resilient when confronted with natural disaster in its various forms: rescue and early alert, risk management for tsunamis, facility protection, forest fire management, bridge design for seismic events, and watershed management, to name a few INTRODUCTION The Master’s Program in Geotechnical and Structural Engineering (MasterIEG), taught at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile School of Engineering, has been offered by the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile School of Engineering since 2006 It was designed for people actively engaged in the profession here in Chile, and so is offered as evening classes; however, significant interest from foreign professionals will lead to a reorganization from the second year of the program, and to date 40 foreign engineers have been admitted In 2015 the Chilean International Cooperation Agency (AGCI) together with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has been offering support scholarships for students from Latin America and the Caribbean to take the Master’s program starting in the 2016 academic year, as part of the Kizuna Scholarship in Human Resources Development Program for Disaster Risk Reduction in Latin America and the Caribbean The program features units between bimesters that will be run by Japanese specialists, giving workshops and seminars as part of the Kizuna project I PROGRAM OBJECTIVES The AGCI-JICA scholarship program is a joint initiative with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to help build human resources in seismic engineering through the participation of Latin American professionals in the Master’s Program in Geotechnical and Structural Engineering (MasterIEG) offered by the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile School of Engineering II APPLICANT PROFILE This program is designed for professionals with two or more years of experience in structural or geotechnical engineering, or a related field III SCHOLARSHIP PERIOD The scholarship is offered to allow the fellow to take the Master’s program in its intensive format, between March 2018 and March 2019 The scholarship will not be granted for a single year’s studies in the alternative, two-year format On completing the scholarship, the recipient must deliver a final report with approval of the full program by the University Additionally, the units offered by Japanese specialists will be compulsory for recipients IV NUMBER OF SCHOLARSHIPS OFFERED A maximum of scholarships will be granted for the March 2018 - March 2019 period There are no pre-established quotas for countries V INVITED COUNTRIES Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico Nicaragua, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and the member nations of CARICOM: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago VI LANGUAGE The program is offered in Spanish Persons awarded scholarships whose native language is not Spanish must be certified in the Spanish language VII FINANCING The scholarships will be granted for a period of up to 13 months, from March 1, 2018 to March 31, 2019, and will finance the following: 1) Payment of return travel expenses between the capital of their country of origin and their destination city on arrival in Santiago de Chile, and back to the capital of the country of origin on completing studies 2) The total value of the Master’s program for AGCI scholars over the 13-month duration will be 198 UF (currently valued at approximately 26,487 Chilean pesos per UF as of April 2017, but this may vary by the time of matriculation) of which AGCI will contribute a maximum of 2,500,000 Chilean pesos, the remainder being payable directly by the scholarship recipient This payment must be made personally and directly, by the fellow to the university The university may require documentation showing payment of this sum before students are allowed to begin their studies 3) Payment of CLP 500,000.- (five hundred thousand pesos) per month for housing and maintenance, over the full 13-month duration of the program AGCI will only pay fellows 100% of the monthly stipend for the months of December, January, and/or February if they remain in Chile for more than half of the corresponding month In any other case 1, AGCI will pay only 50% of the value of the stipend 4) For the duration of the scholarship, coverage with life, health, and accident insurance for events that affect them and occur within Chile territory For the duration of the scholarship, coverage with life, health, and accident insurance for events that affect them and occur within Chilean territory They will also be provided with a Collaboration Convention with the Previsional System of Public Health (FONASA), and shall be entitled to care through the Chilean Public Health System, once they possess the national ID card issued by Chile´s Civil Registry Service Here, fellows must adhere to the provisions of Clause 4, Part of the Agreement, the preliminary format of which is attached hereto as Annex 5) Fellows will be granted a one-time lump sum amounting to ninety thousand pesos (CLP 90,000) for study materials and textbooks, paid during the first academic term of their program 6) Fellows will be granted an allowance equivalent to half his/her monthly stipend to recoup costs associated with the thesis or the university’s equivalent requirement for earning the academic degree, so long as their grade point average is equal to or higher than 5.5 (five point five [out of seven]) or equivalent For these purposes fellows must provide documentary proof of the aspects indicated in Clause 3, Part VI of the Agreement, the format of which is attached hereto as Annex 2, before the end of the tenth (10th) month of payment by AGCI of the stipend discussed in Point of this section IMPORTANT INFORMATION This scholarship is available exclusively for the Master’s Program in Geotechnical and Structural Engineering (MasterIEG) offered by the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile for full time, on-site studies to the exclusion of other activities, with the students remaining in Chile throughout the study program No changes whatsoever of program, university, or modality shall be accepted − The program will also include the special units between course bimesters under specialists financed by Japan These units will be compulsory for fellows Failure to attend any of these workshops will be viewed as a breach of the agreement between AGCI and the fellows − The aforementioned benefits are exclusively applicable to the fellow − AGCI shall not pay any expenses other than those specified above The fellow shall therefore be responsible for financing all other expenditure that they incur for visa processing, application fees for Chilean higher education institutions, airport boarding fees or other similar charges, travel costs for journeys to their home country during the scholarship period, etc − Applicants whose spouses hold this scholarship, or are applying in the same Call for Applications, shall not be accepted − These scholarships may not be combined with any other scholarships that the beneficiary may be granted in Chile − These scholarships shall only be granted for the entirety of studies in Chile − The University shall collect a fee of approximately US$110.- (to be confirmed with the University) for acceptance letter processing, which must be paid by the scholarship recipient The program will include units taught by Japanese experts These units are compulsory for AGCI fellows and form part of the scholarship VIII APPLICATION PROCEDURE Interested candidates must submit the following documentation: 1) AGCI Scholarship Application Form, filled out and signed (see Annex I) 2) Definitive acceptance letter for the master’s program, issued by the competent authority at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile School of Engineering, indicating the applicant’s unconditional acceptance for the intensive program from March 2018 to March 2019, including final project submission 3) All interested parties must personally verify the orientation and curriculum structure of the Master’s degree program You are advised to contact the head of admissions at the University using the following link: www.masterieg.puc.cl 4) Health certificate issued and signed by a registered physician, indicating the preexisting conditions declared by the applicant (see Annex II) 5) Legalized copy of professional title 6) Brief description of reasons for wanting to undertake studies in Chile, and how this education will be put to use on the applicant’s return to his/her home country 7) Brief description of the final project to be undertaken (preliminary) 8) Academic recommendation letter 9) Letter of introduction from the employer, if applicable, clearly specifying its interest in having its employee or official undertake studies in Chile, and indicating that the applicant is indeed permitted to leave for the duration of the scholarship, and whether or not they will retain the same position on their return 10) Sworn Declaration (see Annex III) Documentation is to be delivered to the Focal Point in the country of origin (see Annex IV) both in hard copy and in digital format (CD) for formal submission of the candidature The deadline for Focal Points to deliver background information to AGCI is November 30, 2017 In order to meet this deadline, countries shall impose their own, earlier deadlines; interested parties must therefore check with their countries’ Focal Points to verify the documentation deadline IMPORTANT INFORMATION - No incomplete, illegible, or late applications will be accepted - Applicants are responsible for reading the full call for applications carefully and informing themselves of all of the applicable requirements, application procedures, and attached documents, as well as submitting their applications in accordance with all professional requirements specified in each offer - No applications shall be accepted through submission to any other person or agency, other than the applicable Focal Point Applications submitted directly to AGCI shall not be accepted - The submission of background information by the Focal Point to AGCI shall be taken as accreditation that the Focal Point has verified compliance with the application requirements on the part of the interested party - Failure to submit all documentation required hereunder, or submission of false documentation, shall constitute grounds for immediate elimination from the final selection process - Applicants may be called for an interview at the Chilean Embassy in the country, if this is considered pertinent - Original documents will be returned to the applicant by the Focal Point Accepted applicants must bring their documentation to Chile for submission to AGCI Please also verify what academic documentation must be submitted to the University in order to enroll in the program IX SELECTION PROCESS Applicants are selected by a Kizuna Program Committee The results will be published on the AGCI website, www.agci.gob.cl on or around December 15, 2017, for official reporting to applicants Selected applicants will be notified by formal letter, and must confirm their decision to accept the scholarship within no more than days X SELECTION CRITERIA AGCI will use the following selection criteria: priority indicated by country of origin, potential impact, and fit with the Kizuna program’s required profile Priority will also be given to academics and public officials XI COMMITMENTS THAT MUST BE MADE BY PERSONS WHO ARE SELECTED Persons selected for AGCI scholarships must: 1) Travel to Chile, or be present in the country, a sufficient period in advance of the start date for the corresponding program of study (3 to days in advance is recommended) 2) Obtain permission from the body that employs them in a timely manner 3) Obtain a student visa from the Chilean consulate in their country of origin 4) Obtain permission to reside in Chile, in a timely manner 5) Sign the Sworn Declaration included at the end of this chapter and submit a scanned copy of it to AGCI (see Annex III) 6) Submit originals of the documents specified in Point VII Sections 2, 4, and hereof, and the aforementioned Sworn Declaration, in person at the offices of AGCI 7) Sign the Scholarship Award and Acceptance Agreement, the format of which is given in Annex V hereof, in Chile In any case, AGCI will send selected candidates the text of the Agreement by email in advance, with the information entered for each corresponding candidate XII COMMITMENTS THAT AGCI FELLOWS MUST ACCEPT All scholarship recipients accept the following commitments: − To hold the academic degrees or titles and meet the other curriculum requirements stipulated by the higher education institution where they have been accepted − To submit a valid medical certificate that demonstrates that they are in good physical and mental health, in line with the requirements for the studies for which the scholarship is granted, on request from AGCI The format indicated in Annex II is recommended − To comply with regulations in force on foreign residence in Chile − To establish domicile in the city where they will undertake the program of study for which the scholarship is granted within (three) working days of signing the corresponding agreement Fellows must report this domicile to AGCI immediately, and must similarly report any change in domicile immediately They must also keep AGCI informed of their current email addresses and telephone numbers in Chile − To reside in the place where they undertake the study program for which the scholarship is granted, for the duration of the same − Not to leave Chile without the consent of AGCI while the scholarship is effective AGCI shall be authorized to require fellows to show their passports in order to verify compliance with this requirement, and may also request certifications from the applicable Chilean immigration authority as required, regarding the fellow´s entries and exits into and out of Chilean territory The fellow may only leave the country with the authorization of AGCI, in the following circumstances: a) During the months of December, January, and February of each year, and only for the period of academic vacations specified in the program of study For these purposes, fellows must attach a document issued by their University, specifying the exact period of academic vacations in the corresponding Program b) For a brief period, which may not exceed five working days In exceptional cases, duly justified by the fellow, AGCI may grant a longer period For these purposes, the fellow must make a written application to AGCI no less than (five) days in advance of their planned travel date In cases of unforeseen circumstances, as described in Clause Six, Section of the corresponding agreement, AGCI may accept applications submitted a shorter period in advance of the planned travel date Fellows must inform AGCI of their return to Chile immediately on arrival − To maintain unimpeachable behavior, in full compliance with Chilean legal regulations Notwithstanding other situations that may constitute breach of this obligation, fellows shall be understood to be in breach if they are indicted for any crime or felony − To provide all information required by AGCI, within the period that it stipulates − To comply with the academic system established by the higher education institution where they are studying − To pass all modules or courses that they are due to pass during each academic term, in accordance with the corresponding study program − To pass with good academic performance in all study periods, understood to correspond to a grade point average of 5.0 [out of 7.0] or higher, or equivalent − To meet all academic or administrative requirements demanded by the corresponding higher education institution in order to achieve the academic degree for which program the scholarship is granted In order to verify compliance with this obligation, fellows must provide AGCI with certifications issued by the applicable academic authority at the corresponding higher education institution, regarding: a) Compliance with the aforementioned requirements, and b) The final grade (on a scale ranging from to a maximum of 7) achieved in the corresponding study program − To be engaged in no work or studies other than the program for which the scholarship is granted, while it is active Compliance with this obligation includes a prohibition against engaging in paid work, in Chile or overseas − To comply in a timely manner with all requirements issued by AGCI in writing, including responding to surveys as indicated by the Agency, and to attend all calls and meetings to which they are summoned in writing by the Agency while the scholarship is effective − To provide AGCI with a copy of the final text of the thesis or similar monograph that the fellow has prepared as part of the study program in question, on completion of studies and on a compact disk (CD) − To specify that they hold AGCI scholarships in all academic outreach or research work in which they are involved − Not to apply for scholarships for study programs that coincide fully or partially with the ones that they are undertaking with AGCI scholarships, while they hold scholarships provided by this Agency − To return to their home country after completing the program of study for which the scholarship is granted − To sign a Scholarship Award and Acceptance Agreement (Annex V) with AGCI, which regulates the scholarship and comprises a guarantee for full compliance with the commitments specified in this chapter XIII SITUATIONS IN WHICH AGCI MAY SUSPEND BENEFITS UNDER THE SCHOLARSHIP OR APPLY THE MEASURE OF WITHHOLDING PAYMENT OF THE MONTHLY STIPEND If fellows breach the commitments specified in the previous chapter hereof, AGCI may sanction them with any of the measures indicated in Clause Five of the Agreement, the format of which is attached hereto in Annex V XIV EARLY TERMINATION OF THE SCHOLARSHIP FOR ACTIONS IMPUTABLE TO THE HOLDER When fellows commit any of the breaches specified in Clause Six, Sections 2, 3, and/or of the agreement the format of which is attached as Annex V, AGCI may terminate the corresponding scholarship and all benefits indicated in Point VII hereof Persons whose scholarships are terminated on the grounds mentioned in the preceding paragraph may not apply for any scholarship granted by AGCI in the future The same prohibition applies to any person who breaches the commitment specified in Clause Four, Section 18 of the agreement In the event that a scholarship is terminated on the grounds indicated above, the holder must reimburse AGCI for all funds that it has spent on the scholarship for the benefits specified in Clause Three, Sections I, II, III, V, and V of the agreement, the format of which is shown in Annex V hereof For the purposes of this paragraph, AGCI will notify the fellow and the Agency’s focal point in their country of citizenship, in writing, of the sum to be returned, specifying details by subsection XV OTHER ASPECTS All persons who have received a Chilean cooperation scholarship shall be barred from applying for another for a period of five years from the end of the original scholarship, if the new scholarship is for postgraduate education or training Applications may be made for scholarships for short-duration specialized training after three years have passed from the end of the original scholarship XVI COMPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Chilean International Cooperation Agency – AGCI: Website: http://www.agci.gob.cl or http://www.agci.cl Email: agencia@agci.gob.cl Address: Teatinos Nº 180, José Miguel Carrera Building, Floor #8 Santiago, Chile Telephone: 56-228275700 Pontifical Catholic University of Chile – PUC contact details: Place of Application: Online, at: www.masterieg.puc.cl NOTE: The aforementioned annexes can be downloaded directly at www.masterieg.puc.cl ANNEXES  ANNEX I: Application Form  ANNEX II: Health certificate  ANNEX III: Sworn Declaration  ANNEX IV: List of Focal Points  ANNEX V: Preliminary format for agreement between AGCI and fellows  ANNEX VI: Information leaflet on the program  ANNEX VII: Academic form for professional career registration  ANNEX VIII: Curriculum summary  ANNEX IX: Program class schedules  ANNEX X: Curricular map  ANNEX XI: Admission requirements (Pontifical Catholic University of Chile) NOTE: Annexes VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, and XI are published for informative purposes only, as they are academic documents that belong to the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, with whom applications for the program must be made directly  ... University of Chile – PUC contact details: Place of Application: Online, at: www .masterieg. puc. cl NOTE: The aforementioned annexes can be downloaded directly at www .masterieg. puc. cl ANNEXES  ANNEX... advised to contact the head of admissions at the University using the following link: www .masterieg. puc. cl 4) Health certificate issued and signed by a registered physician, indicating the preexisting... bimesters that will be run by Japanese specialists, giving workshops and seminars as part of the Kizuna project I PROGRAM OBJECTIVES The AGCI-JICA scholarship program is a joint initiative with