Joint Programs and Scholarships

Imec has a dual degree agreement with different universities. In this program students spend three years at a Belgian university, while doing research at imec, and minimum one year at the foreign university. After these four years, the student gets a degree of both universities.

Universities

FUDAN - KU Leuven

Imec has a dual degree agreement with Fudan University in Shanghai, China and KU Leuven, Belgium. In this dual degree programme the student should spend minimum 3 years at KU Leuven and minimum 1 year at Fudan. All students need to apply at both institutions (imec and Fudan). Students recommended by Fudan are expected to apply for a scholarship at Fudan University. For details about Fudan applications please contact Professor Qin Yajie at email yajieqin@fudan.edu.cn.

Click here for details about the dual degree and the website of Fudan university.

NCKU - KU Leuven

Imec has a dual degree agreement with National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) in Tainan, Taiwan and KU Leuven, Belgium. In this dual degree the student should spend minimum 3 years at KU Leuven and minimum 1 year at NCKU.  Students are expected to apply for a scholarship from Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology or another funding source in Taiwan.  All students need to apply at both institutions (imec and NCKU).  Click here for details about NCKU applications.

For more information please contact Prof. Frank Kao at kaofrank@mail.ncku.edu.tw.

NCTU - KU Leuven

Imec has a dual degree agreement with National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) in Hsinchu, Taiwan and KU Leuven, Belgium. In this dual degree the student should spend minimum 3 years at KU Leuven and minimum 1 year at NCTU.  Students are expected to apply for a scholarship from Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology or another funding source in Taiwan.  All students need to apply at both institutions (imec and NCTU).  Click here for details about NCTU applications.

For more information please contact Prof. Tian-Li Wu  at tlwu@nctu.edu.tw. 

NTU- KU Leuven

Imec has a dual degree agreement with National Taiwan University (NTU) in Taipei (Taiwan) and KU Leuven, Belgium. In this dual degree the student should spend minimum 3 years at KU Leuven and minimum 2 year at NTU.  Students are expected to apply for a scholarship from Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology or another funding source in Taiwan. All students need to apply at both institutions (imec and NTU).  For more information please contact oia@ntu.edu.tw

Scholarships

FWO Scholarship 

Students holding a diploma at least equivalent to a Master's degree following a Bachelor's degree and awarded by a university in one of the countries of the European Economic Area or Switzerland can apply for scholarships with the Flemish Fund of Scientific Research (FWO). There are scholarships available for both PhD and postdoc students.  

Applications for this scholarship can be submitted after consultation with the supervisor of the PhD or postdoc project. Students applying at FWO should first apply at the central application website of imec and be admitted to the imec doctoral program.

More information on FWO scholarships can be found at https://www.fwo.be/en/fellowships-funding/fellowships/.

CSC-IMEC-KU Leuven Scholarship

Imec and KU Leuven have signed an agreement with the China Scholarship Council (CSC), by which imec, KU Leuven and CSC jointly offer PhD and postdoc scholarships to outstanding Chinese students applying and admitted to imec and/or KU Leuven (see also the information on the CSC website). According to the agreement, each year the available scholarships are up to degree-seeking PhD students (50) and postdoc students (20).  

Chinese students are strongly recommended to apply for this scholarship program.

Entry criteria

Candidates should be citizens of the People’s Republic of China at the time of application. Overseas Chinese students may be eligible for application subject to CSC policy at the time.

Candidates must hold a conditional offer letter from imec, stating that they will be admitted to the imec/KU Leuven PhD or postdoc program on condition of obtaining a CSC scholarship. PhD candidates must fulfill the academic entry requirements set by imec and/or KU Leuven, as written in CSC-IMEC-KU Leuven Scholarship requirements.

Application and selection procedure

• All candidates should first apply for admission to imec before the application deadline of 15 December (PhD) and 15 January (postdoc).
• An overview of the PhD and postdoc projects available in the CSC-IMEC-KU Leuven scholarship program is available here.
  Select up to maximum 3 PhD projects.
  As for the postdoc projects, you can apply for all the positions that you think match your profile.
• Beginning of March selected students will receive a letter from imec that they are conditionally admitted and nominated for the CSC-IMEC-KU Leuven scholarship program. This letter will also clarify that imec will provide a housing allowance (see below), subject to their obtaining CSC’s support.  Imec sends the list of accepted candidates to CSC.
• Nominated candidates should then complete the CSC application at the CSC official website with deadline end of March 2020.
• CSC will evaluate the candidates according to CSC requirements and priorities, decide on a final list of scholarship recipient. Accepted students will be informed by CSC individually for the final arrangement for the scholarship.
• KU Leuven will inform the selected students for completing the KU Leuven procedure and send the official admission letters to the final candidates. 
• Imec and KU Leuven will contact the students to start the onboarding process.

More PhD topics with application instructions are available at the website of KU Leuven. For details, click here.

Funding model

• CSC provides each grant winner with a living stipend as well as the return international airfare between China and Belgium.
• Imec and/or KU Leuven will waive the tuition fee and provide medical insurance and housing allowance of maximum €400 per month or an equivalent reduction in housing costs in a university residence for the period of funding provided by CSC. The KU Leuven registration fee cannot be waived. 
• The funding for each awardee will be up to 48 months for PhD students and up to 24 months for post docs.