The International Higher Education Support Program (HESP) promotes the advancement of liberal education in support of open society and nurtures capacity and leadership at universities to enable well-informed, vigorous social deliberation. Aiming to contribute to the internationalization of scholarship and development of indigenous capacities for independent and critical academic work in the social sciences and humanities in the region of post-Soviet countries of South Caucasus and Central Asia, Afghanistan and Mongolia, CARTI program targets university-based academics in the early stages of their postgraduate training and recent graduates of doctoral programs and provides support and training for original research in their home academic environment. CARTI helps motivated academics during crucial early stages of their careers to gain critical competence with the foundational and current scholarship and develop active involvement in international intellectual exchange and debate in their subjects. With the support of CARTI, the Fellows engage state-of-the-art resources, theories, methodologies and approaches to their research and teaching in the subjects and areas of importance to the social transformations underway in the region. CARTI is committed to enrichment and innovation in higher education in the humanities and social sciences and emphasizes the significance of original and critical scholarly work in the development of university teaching and curricula.
CARTI Junior Fellowships support individuals in early stages of their formal doctoral studies (such as aspirantura) and focus on developing ideas and skills for original academic research in the social sciences and humanities. Junior Fellowships provide a medium for testing and challenging the theories, methods, and assumptions in the core of individual research agendas, while at the same time guiding and assisting the fellows in their first independent research efforts. Senior Fellowships are open to young scholars who have recently received their first Doctoral (e.g. Candidate of Science) degrees in the social sciences and humanities from the universities in their home countries/region. The Fellowships support innovative and critical research agendas and development of international research and teaching partnerships with special emphasis on publication of scholarly work, active contribution to public debate and integrating the new scholarly thinking and outcomes and experience of research into teaching.
Through its mentoring scheme, CARTI helps to establish and supports active direct collaboration of Fellows with advanced International Scholars engaged in the studies and teaching on the similar subjects. The program offers training opportunities to help Fellows develop competence with theoretical debates and research design and methods in their academic subject areas and broaden venues for peer discussion, feedback and collaboration on the regional and international levels.
CARTI Fellowship support is extended for an average 24 month term. The award covers research expenses; purchase of and access to research and teaching resources, materials and equipment; exchange visits between the Fellows and the International Scholars (including full funding for semester-long academic visits of Fellows to the universities of the International Scholars); development of teaching resources; a support stipend.
All Applicants for CARTI Fellowships must be citizens and residents of the following countries: Afghanistan*, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan * and Uzbekistan.
*The requirement of formal registration with a Doctoral Program may be waived for applicants from Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. For further information on the applicant eligibility for Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, interested individuals are encouraged to inquire directly with the CARTI program office.
Interested individuals are invited to apply via the OSF On-Line Application System: https://oas.soros.org/oas. Applications and all supporting materials must be submitted electronically to the HESP office in Budapest no later than 1 November 2012 (5:00 p.m. Budapest time).