The Mobility @ IOB programmes covers 3 aspects

• Mobility window
• Community based monitoring in Tanzania
• Dissertation mobility

The Mobility window is a research stay within an existing research project at one of IOB’s partner universities in the Global South. The objective is to allow these students to apply their knowledge in research methods in an actual research setting as well as to develop intercultural skills through a study period/field research experience outside Belgium. The research stay will last about 5-6 weeks (from mid-November until the Christmas break) at the end of Module I. The Mobility Window programme targets IOB Master Students with strong prior research skills.

This Mobility window is Unit 8 within the course Research methods II. While students staying in Belgium follow other elective subunits, the students selected for the Mobility window, will stay in the Global South, doing research (data collection, analysis, report writing) in a (partner) university in ongoing research projects. Students need to apply and be selected to participate in the mobility window research experience. Acceptance into the MW programme is based on the students’ profile (i.e. previous knowledge of research skills, language skills, motivation and number of available places) and the congruence with the requirements specified for the internship. Students will be selected by IOB & academic staff of the partner university, based on their application file and a face to face selection interview.

The assessment of the Mobility window is based on 1/ research output (contribution made to the research project), 2/ research stay project (presentation of research) and 3/ the oral presentation.

The current South partners for Mobility window are:

• Mzumbe University Tanzania
• Uganda Christian University
• Université Catholique de Bukavu, DR Congo

The research themes are presented during the introduction week.

This part of Mobility @ IOB frames within the course Local institutions and poverty reduction (Module III). The subunit Community based monitoring in Tanzania is organised at Mzumbe University, Tanzania. While students staying in Belgium follow other elective subunits, the students selected for this CBM subunit, will spend about 6 weeks at Mzumbe University. The travel is scheduled from the end of April to the first week of May.  

The CBM subunits consist of a theoretical course, a skills lab, an action lab and finally an analysis and presentation. In addition to IOB students, a number of Tanzanian and Ugandan students will join the group.

Students need to submit an application and be selected to participate in this CBM subunit. The presentation takes place during the introduction week.

The dissertation mobility frames within Module IV dissertation and enables students to do fieldwork for their dissertation. Module IV runs from mid-June to the end of August but the fieldwork is limited to 6 weeks starting from mid-June.

Students can apply for a travel grant, covering a return ticket to the country of destination. Selection for the travel grant is based on the research question and methodology, literature review, relevance and feasibility of the fieldwork, involvement of a local partner and academic performance of the student.

Students can either fully choose their local partner (if any) or apply to be involved in an existing research project at one of IOB’s partners in the South:

• De la Salle University, Philippines
• Universidad Andina Simon Bolivar, Ecuador
• Mzumbe University, Tanzania
• Uganda Christian University 
• Centre d’Expertise en Gestion Minière, DR Congo