Open calls and competitive selection based on peer review

VLIR-UOS works with open calls for which academics at a Flemish higher education institution are able to submit project proposals in association with partners in the South. It is a competitive system that prioritises academic quality and development relevance. VLIRUOS does not use formulas or quotas at the level of universities, countries, disciplines or sectors. The open call method demands transparent and objective selection procedures. Selection is on the basis of peer review by experts from home and abroad.

The South programmes comprise projects in the South that aim at building local capacity at an institution or department in terms of education, research or service to society.

• Own Initiatives (OI): research and training projects lasting no more than five years in which academics cooperate with an academic partner in the South.
• South Initiatives (SI): innovative forms of cooperation between Flemish academics and academics in the South, seed and harvest money, matching funds, network facilitation etc.
• Institutional University Cooperation (IUC): long-term multidisciplinary institutional cooperation between Flemish academics and a university in the South, lasting ten years or more.
  Congo programme: specific country policy for Congo, in association with other Belgian development cooperation actors, primarily CUD (the Frenchspeaking sister organisation of VLIR-UOS).
  

The North programmes are primarily implemented at the Flemish institutions of higher education and are oriented to building development expertise, policy support for development cooperation and strengthening social support in Belgium.

Education

• International Courses (ICP): master’s degrees on development-relevant subjects, organised in Flanders for  students and professionals from developing countries.
• International Training Programmes (ITP): practically focused training lasting 1-4 months for students and professionals from the South.
• Short Training Initiatives (STI): intensive courses of no longer than 2 weeks for students and professionals from the South.
• Programme Study Expenses (PSE): a budget for the Flemish university to compensate the study expenses connected with the education of students from the South.

Research

• Research Platforms for development cooperation (O*platforms): cooperation between researchers and development cooperation actors oriented to supporting the development cooperation policy of these actors.
• International Congresses (INCO): academic congresses on a development-relevant theme bringing together actors from North and South.

Awareness-raising

• Awareness-raising initiatives (AI): initiatives of Flemish institutions of higher education to raise awareness of development cooperation in the academic community.