A specific cooperation process between Asia and Europe in the field of education – and more specifically higher education – has been set up in the context of the Asia-Europe Meeting. During the Asia-Europe Meeting of Ministers of Education held in Kuala Lumpur in 2013, the FWB announced it would participate in the ASEM-DUO Mobility Scholarship Programme as of 2014.
DUO/Wallonia-Brussels has been established at the Wallonia-Brussels Federation in order to promote “paired exchanges” between professors or researchers from Wallonia-Brussels higher education institutions and institutions from the Asia-Pacific region. Mobility must be carried out over a period of 18 days to 2 months (60 days) and by "pair", i.e. a professor/researcher from an institution from the FWB goes to an Asia-Pacific partner institution and vice versa. Candidates do not necessarily have to work in the same field of study to be eligible.
The overall objectives of the scholarship programme are the following:
- to promote an increase in balanced exchanges of professors and researchers in higher education between the two regions;
- to help set up regular exchange programmes between higher education establishments in the two regions;
- strengthen cooperation and dialogue between the two regions.
The list of partner countries is: Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
What kind of financial support?
The ASEM-DUO scholarships are awarded annually to pairs of professors or researchers for a mobility project that must take place between August 1st of the academic year and August 31st of the following academic year.
The duration and the amount of the scholarships are as follow:
01/ Duration of stay
The duration of the exchange must be of at least 18 days and of maximum 2 months (60 days), including travel days. This period may be divided in two stays.
02/ Amount of the scholarship
The amount of the scholarship awarded to the duo is a sum of €7,000 to be shared between the two partners according to a distribution key set by them in the application form (for example, €3,500 per person). This amount is intended to cover international mobility and per diem expenses. Any excess costs not already covered by the ASEM-DUO scholarship may be covered by other funding (private or institutional).
How to introduce an application?
The application must be formally submitted by the institution belonging to the FWB, as ONE single PDF document to the following address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
The institution belonging to the FWB applies for both partners. In each higher education institution, a contact person must be clearly identified. The person responsible for the application is the one belonging to the Wallonia-Brussels Federation institution and should ideally be the international relations officer. This person is responsible for coordinating the exchange and for sending a complete application, including the documents for both applicants.
01/ Documents to inclose
Documents have to be sent in ONE single PDF document by the FWB institution applying, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.:
- The application form of the current call for the Wallonia-Brussels Mobility Scholarship Programme duly completed by both candidates. The form must be typewritten and submitted in PDF format. Authenticated electronic signatures of PDF documents are allowed;
- A copy of the academic cooperation agreement (Memorandum of Understanding) between paired institutions or, in the absence of MoU, a declaration of intent, i.e. a letter co-signed (or two separate letters signed) by the authorities of the two institutions, or their representatives, mentioning the intention of both parties to sign an inter-institutional agreement within the next two years;
- The passport copies of the two applicants;
- The resume of no more than 5 pages for each applicant, emphasising work experience relevant to the ASEM-DUO programme.
02/ Eligibility criteria
The applicants must meet all the following eligibility requirements:
- applications should be submitted by a pair of academic or scientific staff from higher education institutions, one of whom is from from the FWB, and the other one from one of the Asia-Pacific countries covered by the programme;
- the Asia-Pacific institution must be located in one of the following countries: Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam;
- candidates must be remunerated by their respective institutions and it must be their main occupation (full or part-time (min. 50%)). Priority will be given to candidates whose position within the institution extends for a minimum of three years;
- the Wallonia-Brussels and Asian-Pacific higher education institutions must be recognised or accredited by the competent authorities in the field of higher education;
- the Wallonia-Brussels and Asian-Pacific higher education institutions must sign a cooperation agreement (MoU) or must have expressed the intention to sign one in the two following years;
- the call is open to all disciplines. The two members of the duo do not have to belong to the same disciplines;
- the citizenship of the candidate is not a criterion for eligibility.
The following groups are not entitled for a scholarship:
- students and PhD students,
- professors emeritus and honorary,
- teaching assistants.
Exemptions are possible for the colleges of arts. The selection committee will assess on a case-by-case basis.
The exchange must necessarily take place between the two same institutions, but does not need to take place in the same time span, nor between two identical departments.
A candidate may submit several applications, with different partners. In the event of multiple applications in the same year, a maximum of one application per candidate may be potentially selected, i.e. the one that obtains the highest score from the jury. A duo may apply no more than twice for the same project and may receive ASEM-DUO FWB funding no more than once for the same project.
If a candidate has already received other funding via the FWB ASEM-DUO programme, he/she must expressly mention this on the application form (type of funding, purpose, partner, year). Candidates who have received an ASEM-DUO scholarship within the past three years will be given lower priority.
If a candidate has already received funding for this project (from ARES or any other organisation), they must explicitly mention it in the application form (type of funding, purpose, partner, year). They should also clearly explain how an ASEM-DUO scholarship complements this funding.
03/ Selection criteria
ARES selects beneficiaries of the ASEM-DUO Wallonia Brussels Fellowship Programme based on the following criteria:
- the impact of the exchange on the development or strengthening of ties between the higher education institution in the FWB and the institution in the Asia-Pacific region. Since the ASEM-DUO program aims to establish and enhance collaborations between institutions in the FWB and the Asia-Pacific region, applications demonstrating significant potential for developing collaboration between partner institutions will be given higher priority;
- the level of internationalisation of the project, i.e. opportunities for developing collaborations that go beyond the project itself (international collaboration opportunities, network development, long-term impact of the internationalisation project, diversity of beneficiaries (students, faculty, scientific or administrative staff), etc.);
- the scientific, academic or artistic quality of the applicants (e.g. publications, publications with the partner institution, research or artistic project, exhibitions, work experience, competitions, academic background, etc.);
- the complementarity of the projects submitted between the members of the duo (if the projects are different). The fact that the application involves two different projects is not restrictive; however, the complementarity of the projects is considered an added value for the evaluation of the applications;
- the explanation for the duration of the trip of each applicant.
04/ Application form
Applications must be submitted on the date mentionned in the documents. No applications will be accepted beyond the deadline:
> Download the application form for an ASEM-DUO scholarship.
After the exchange?
No later than 2 months after their final return date, the beneficiaries must send back a report of their stay in PDF format using a form that will be sent to them at the same time as the agreement. This report will describe the results of the project in the country where they completed their mobility, according to the following structure:
- A summary of the project (10 lines),
- The actions/research carried out during the visit and the results obtained,
- The course of the visit,
- The impact of the visit on the scholarship holder’s institution,
- The contribution of the ASEM-DUO programme to this particular project,
- Positive points and improvements to be made to the ASEM-DUO programme.
FAQ
01/ What are the eligible higher education institutions in the FWB?
There are 5 universities, 19 university colleges and 16 schools of arts and 81 adult higher education institutions in the FWB. The full list of higher education institutions eligible is available on Study in Belgium website.
02/ How to find an eligible partner from the FWB?
If you already have a partner, you must then check that he or she actually works for an eligible higher education institution of the FWB and meets the conditions of eligibility.
If you do not have a partner yet, you can inquire with the international relations office of your institution to find out whether your institution already has a partnership with a higher education institution in the FWB. Alternatively, you can check on Study in Belgium website the list of higher education institutions dealing with areas related to your project and contact, for instance, the head of international relations office, the head of the research department, or the heads of faculty/department of these institutions.
ARES is cannot help you find a partner to work with on your project.
03/ Are electronic signatures accepted?
You have two options regarding signatures: either the document is signed by hand and then scanned, or you save the completed form in PDF format and you and your authorities affix your authenticated signatures to it.
04/ Can I split my stay of min. 18 days and max. 2 months (60 days) in two trips?
Yes, you can split your stay in two trips in order to meet, after your second trip, the minimum length of stay of 18 days in total. However, in this case, we draw your attention on the fact that most of your scholarship will be spent in transportation fees.
As a reminder, the stay of each of the partners in the duo must last for a minimum of 18 days and a maximum of 60 days.
05/ What if I don't yet know the exact date of my stay when I submit my application?
The definitive dates of your stay must be sent to ARES by September 30th 2025 at the latest.
06/ If my application is selected, will I be allowed to modify the travel dates stated in my application file?
Yes, you can change your travel dates up to one month after the deadline for signing the agreement between you, your partner and ARES, i.e. until September 30th.
07/ How do I demonstrate the intent to sign an agreement to meet the eligibility criteria?
This is a co-signed letter (or two separate signed letters) from the authorities of both institutions, or their representatives, stating the intention of both parties to sign an inter-institutional agreement within the next 2 years. The relevant authorities are either the rectorate or directorate, or the vice-rectorate responsible for academic affairs.
MORE INFORMATION: International Relations Department - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
