Support the KU Leuven Marc Vervenne Fund
Investing in Higher Education and Research in the South 1.
Objective
The Marc Vervenne Fund has been established by the KU Leuven to support young talented researchers in the poorest countries in Africa to complete development relevant doctoral research for the benefit of the local societies. During his successive positions on the board and the executive of the University of Leuven, Prof. Marc Vervenne, Honorary Rector, has been particularly involved in University Development Cooperation. Today, he continues to be engaged in this part of the mission of KU Leuven and the University Hospitals.
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Challenges
Qualitative higher education and research are crucial for the development of countries in the South. A deep insight in the complexity of development problems can lead to effective solutions that affect the most vital needs in these countries. Education based on solid and relevant research is a driving force for innovation and development. However, gifted young reseachers often lack the opportunities to acquire scientific skills, as well as to specialise in their field of research. There are very little PhD scholarships to conduct relevant research in their home
countries. Furthermore, many regions face a disastrous ‘brain drain’ of talented researchers, who can only indirectly support their country from abroad. Professor Marc Vervenne, Honorary Rector of KU Leuven: “By supporting one successful PhD research, a whole network of co-researchers and students, as well as the local population as a whole, benefit from the results of the development relevant research. These young scholars are the leaders of tomorrow.”
International Office Development Cooperation Unit Naamsestraat 63 box 5001 3000 LEUVEN, Belgium tel. + 32 16 32 40 17 fax + 32 16 32 40 22 martine.dekoninck@int.kuleuven.be www.kuleuven.be/international/development_cooperation
Support the KU Leuven Marc Vervenne Fund
‘Investing in Higher Education and Research in the South’
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Commitments
The Marc Vervenne Fund provides sandwich PhD scholarships to talented young researchers who have started up their doctoral research at their home university. The period of stay in Belgium normally lasts three months. Like this, the bond with the home university is maintained, and especially with the doctoral research programme there. At KU Leuven, the doctoral student receives all the necessary assistance from a co-promoter. This entails, more particularly: • Adapting a coherent research framework to the most recent scientific findings; • Creating an adequate research method that deepens acquired scientific knowledge; • Thoroughly analysing research data that have been collected at the home institution, and this in the best equipped research environment and laboratories; • Preparing a high quality and accessible publication of the research results.
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More information
Donations are welcome: KBC, Brusselsesteenweg 100, 3000 Leuven. You can donate via the IBAN account number: BE45 7340 1941 7789; BIC code: KREDBEBB (of the KU Leuven, Oude Markt 13, 3000 Leuven), with the ‘communication’ (in Dutch, ‘Mededeling’) field of the bank transfer form as: 1OH-FOMVV1-P3610. Taxpayers in Belgium receive a tax certificate from 40 EUR upwards. For donations from outside Belgium, please contact Mrs. Isabel Penne (isabel.penne@rec.kuleuven.be) for information on tax certificates.
Benefits
The Fund aims at contributing to the development of the capacities of universities in developing countries in the South and especially in Africa. The primary focus of the Fund is the academic revival of universities in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Donors can support the scholarship fund in general or ‘adopt’ one or more of the PhD candidates. Full transparency and a link with concrete and specific development relevant research is guaranteed.
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Keywords
Development relevance, research, leadership, scholarship, cooperation.
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Location
Universities in DR Congo and in other African countries , as well as KU Leuven
Contact Prof. Dr. Marc Vervenne, Honorary Rector of the KU Leuven (Marc.Vervenne@gbeg.kuleuven.be) Mr. Piet Wostyn – International Office of the KU Leuven (Piet.Wostyn@int.kuleuven.be)