STUDENT MOBILITY HANDBOOK

UNIVERSITY BUSINESS ACADEMY IN NOVI SAD

www.privrednaakademija.edu.rs/en

ABOUT THE HANDBOOKThis handbook has been created in order to improve the degree of informed-ness of students who are interested in international study options. We hope it will be useful to all such students and motivate them to participate in mobility programmes.

INTRODUCTION This Mobility Handbook has been prepared in order to help students interested in applying for exchange programs.

It serves as a quick and useful guide to the most accurate and up-to-date infor-mation on programs and the application process.

The Handbook is not intended to be the only source of information about mobil-ity programs. Rather than that, it should help students during the general appli-cation procedure, but of course the International Relations Office will provide all the necessary additional information and assistance regarding the specificities of the application process.

BIOGRAPHY

A biography is one of the main documents when applying for a mobility pro-gramme. A biography should contain the basic information about the students:

Personal data

Education and qualifications

Work experience

Interests and activities

Even though there is no single correct way to write a biography, it is advisable to use the European CV format.

Students can download the European CV format (EuropassCV) using the follow-ing link: https://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/editors/en/cv/compose

MOTIVATIONAL LETTERThe motivational letter should be on A4 page and have a maximum length of four paragraphs.

The motivational letter is written in the first person singular and is used to direct-ly contact the person who will be selecting the applicants.

It should contain information about the student and the institution they are ap-plying to and it should be addressed to a specific person.

The student should finish the letter in a polite and kind way.

The key point of the motivation letter is a student’s goal. Students should specify their area of interest and how that fits into the study programme they are cur-rently in.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Name and surname of the student Address

Telephone number E-mail

Name and surname of the professor/selection officer

Name of the school the student is applying to

City, date

Dear Madam/Sir,

State the reasons for writing

A brief introduction - but not the information already included in the CV of the student : the name of the institution he/she is attending, where he/she worked during his/her studies (student researches, competitions, awards, study tours, etc.)

The middle part is the most important – here student gives an example of the most relevant experiences, his/her attitude towards the scientific field the stu-dent will study. Student should elaborate the reasons why he/she is applying for the specific study programme.

A brief friendly closing – student should repeat once again the significance of his/her study programme/positive response to application, professional goal for the next couple of years, plans for returning to home country after the study.

Signature.

LETTER OF RECOMMENDATIONThe first paragraph should contain the basic information about the nature of relationship between a student and the person writing the recommendation letter. It should be clear what kind of cooperation they have (student-teacher relationship, etc.) as well as the reason why that person is recommending that particular student.

The second paragraph should contain a student’s professional profile and busi-ness competence assessment. The person writing the recommendation letter should elaborate on the student’s achievements and conclude by saying why that particular student is exactly the right person for the desired position.

The third paragraph should contain the description of a student’s personality (re-sponsible, flexible, talkative, friendly etc.) All these characteristics should show a student’s potential. It is necessary to highlight only those features that will be relevant for the programme the student is applying for.

TRANSCRIPT OF RECORDSTranscript of Records is a document that contains the list of passed exams is-sued by the home institution to outgoing students, and by the host institution to incoming students.

Transcript of Records contains: student details, the list of passed exams, grades obtained, ECTS credits achieved per subject, duration of the study program and other relevant information, and the explanation of the method of assessment and scoring (national grading system).

As the home institution, the University Business Academy in Novi Sad, i.e. the respective Faculty is obliged to issue the Transcript of Records in Serbian and English upon the personal request of the outgoing student, for the purpose of applying for international mobility programs.

As the host institution, the University Business Academy in Novi Sad, or the respec-tive Faculty, is obliged to issue the Transcript of Records in English to the incom-ing student after the end of the mobility period, as the evidence of completed academic activities at the University Business Academy in Novi Sad, i.e. the Faculty.

LEARNING AGREEMENT Learning Agreement is concluded between the student selected to participate in a mobility programme, the home institution and the host institution prior to the commencement of the mobility period, unless the host institution decides otherwise.

By signing the Learning Agreement, the home institution allows the student to participate in mobility, to attend academic activities during the period of mo-bility (a list of courses for students of undergraduate and master studies, or a research plan for students of doctoral studies) and guarantees recognition of ECTS credits and achieved grades.

By signing the Learning Agreement, the host institution confirms that the agreed academic activities are part of the existing curriculum, expresses the consent to accept the student in mobility and approves the attendance and realization of selected academic activities.

The Learning Agreement is drawn up in English and signed by the student, aca-demic ECTS coordinator and the Dean of the Faculty on behalf of the home insti-tution. In other words, when the University Business Academy in Novi Sad is the home institution, the academic ECTS coordinator and the Rector of the Universi-ty Business Academy in Novi Sad are supposed to sign the Learning Agreement.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTSLanguage proficiency is a prerequisite for successful student mobility.

Both the University Business Academy in Novi Sad and the partner HEI agree on the required proficiency level of the language of instruction. Incoming and outgoing students at the University must meet the language requirements of at least B1-B2 level (reading, writing and speaking) on the CEFR scale (Com-mon European Framework of Reference for Languages) or equivalent. We accept a wide range of certificates: IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge, PTE etc.

The University selection criteria take into account both the requested language skills at the selection stage and student capacity to improve language compe-tences.

LANGUAGE SUPPORT TO INCOMING STUDENTSIncoming exchange students should also fulfil English language requirements unless they are native English or Serbian speakers, or they have obtained their previous degree completing a programme taught in English or Serbian.

If they wish so, incoming students may attend foreign language courses offered by our faculties in order to improve their language competences.

The University Business Academy in Novi Sad encourages incoming students to learn Serbian language. For that purpose, the University has a strategic partner-ship with the “Lingua” Foreign Language Centre in Novi Sad, arranged by the co-operation agreement. At the beginning of each semester, the University offers a special Serbian Language Course at beginner or “survival” level (4 hours a week, total duration one-month). This course is free of charge for Erasmus+ mobility students, in accordance with the available resources intended for these purpos-es. The group is formed upon students’ request and there has to be a minimum of 5 applied students. The aim of the course is to help international students acquire the basic knowledge of Serbian, to be able to communicate on a daily basis and to adapt to the new environment as quickly as possible.

For all necessary information regarding language requirements students can contact the International Relations Office at the University Business Academy in Novi Sad.

STUDENT SUPPORT (Local “Buddy“ System)The Support system is the link between Erasmus exchange students and local stu-dents and is based on the principles of volunteer work and intercultural exchange.

Members of student organizations of the University Business Academy in Novi Sad provide support to incoming students through the so-called “buddy” scheme that connects new students with their new buddies. This can be achieved,  for example, by: answering the questions of incoming students before their arrival in Novi Sad, helping them find their way around the city, or simply by hanging out with them and offering them an inside scoop on the local student lifestyle.

After submitting the application students should be patient. A local student will contact the Erasmus student as soon as possible. Erasmus students should keep in touch with local students during the semester.

USEFUL INFORMATION

About Novi Sad

Novi Sad is the second largest city in Serbia. It is the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina and the administrative center of the South Bačka District. In 1694 Serbian merchants created a settlement by the River Danube right across the Petrovaradin fortress and that was the time when Novi Sad was founded. In the 18th and 19th centuries Novi Sad was called “The Serbian Athens“ . It be-came an important trading and manufacturing centre, as well as the centre of Serbian culture. Many Serbian poets, jurist, writers and publicists at the end of 19th century and at the beginning of 20th century lived or worked in Novi Sad including Vuk Stefanović Karadžić, Mika Antić, Đura Jakšić, etc.

There are several historical and cultural spots in Novi Sad which nowadays pre-serve Serbian tradition and language. One of these places is Matica srpska, the oldest cultural and scientifi c institution of Serbia. It was moved from Budapest to Novi Sad in 1864, and it is considered to be the second-largest library in the country with over 3.5 million volumes. The Serbian National Theatre, as the old-est professional theatre among the South Slavs, was founded in Novi Sad in 1861.

Since 2000, Novi Sad has been the hometown to “Exit“ - one of the biggest sum-mer music festivals in Europe. Novi Sad also hosts many art exhibitions and per-formances during the year, especially for the young. Because of its major focus on art and cultural events in Serbia, Novi Sad was proclaimed the European Cap-ital of Culture for 20121 in Brussels in 2016.

For more information about Novi Sad please check: http://novisad.travel/en/

Transportation

The first destination for incoming students will most likely be Belgrade and from there the easiest way to reach Novi Sad is by train or by bus. Another option for reaching Novi Sad is by flying to Budapest and then coming to Novi Sad by train or by bus.

Novi Sad also has a good railways connection to cities like Budapest, Vienna, Zagreb, Ljubljana, Timisoara, Thessaloniki. More info can be found on the web-site of Serbian Railways. Besides train, the Eurolines company connects Novi Sad with many European cities by bus. The list of cities includes: Vienna, Brussels, Zurich, Prague, Paris, Nice, Milano, Verona, Amsterdam, Bratislava, Ljubljana…

Once students get to Novi Sad, they can use public transportation. For more information about public transportation please check:  http://www.gspns.co.rs/?selected_lang=eng

Accommodation

Most exchange students decide to share a flat. Depending on location, the num-ber of people living in the same flat and the cost of utilities, accommodation expenses in Novi Sad can range from 150 to 400 €.

For more information about accommodation, contact the International Rela-tions Office at the University Business Academy in Novi Sad.

Healthcare and insurance

Healthcare and insurance are important issues for the incoming students in Ser-bia. It is crucial that students become informed about differences between the healthcare system in their home country and the healthcare system in the Re-public of Serbia. The University Business Academy in Novi Sad will provide help for the incoming students, but arranging and paying for medical care is the re-sponsibility of students. The best idea would be to obtain comprehensive health insurance coverage to avoid excessive costs.

For further information on health care and insurance policy in Serbia, please check:  http://www.zso.gov.rs/english/domaci-propisi-zdravstveno.htm

Visa requirements

The International Relations Office provides information on the different types of visas, regulations pertaining to temporary stays and immigration responsibili-ties, offers advice regarding the visa application process, etc.

Once a student’s application has been successfully approved he/she will receive an invitation letter from University Business Academy in Novi Sad which will be used for immigration purposes.

For further information regarding the visa and immigration requirements, please check the following website:  www.mfa.gov.rs/en/consular-affairs/entry-serbia/visa-requirements

FINAL REMINDER Final reminder can be helpful in the process of searching for an appropriate mo-bility programme.

Final reminder checklist:

• Examinealllevelsoffunding:national,institutionalandinternational

• Whenyoufindtheappropriatemobilityprogramme,checkwhetheryouare eligible for registration

• Becarefulaboutthedeadlines

• Exploretheuniversitythatisofferingthemobilityprogrammeyouwanttosign up for and try to find the right field for you, i.e. the one you would like to study

• Learnaboutthesign-upprocess

• Collectallthenecessarydocuments

• Checkthespellingandgrammarofyourdocuments

• Makesureyourdocumentsaresigned

• MakesureyouhaveallthedocumentsinEnglish(oranotherlanguagerequired)

• UploadtheminthePDFformat

• Savetheoriginals;youwillneedthemifyourapplicationgetsaccepted

• Sendyourapplicationwithallthenecessarydocuments.

Good luck!!!

UNIVERSITY BUSINESS ACADEMY IN NOVI SAD

www.privrednaakademija.edu.rsCvećarska 2, 21000 Novi Sad

+381 21 531 020