JIRS STIP/10/1      

HONG KONG BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
Graduate School
Research Postgraduate Programmes

JIRS Visiting Scheme Stipend – Recommendation Form

Name of Student :		Student No.:	
	
Department :	
		Programme:	* MPhil / PhD	Mode :  	FT	

The student will visit HKBU as a JIRS Visiting Student.
Proposed Period of Visit:   Academic Year _____ - _____     

Date:  from ___________ (dd/mm/yy) to ___________ (dd/mm/yy)
(Please refer to the University’s Academic Calendar for the relevant dates:
http://buar.hkbu.edu.hk/index.php/ar_academic_calendar)
Monthly Stipend: HK$7,500

	Student’s Signature: _____________________	Date: ___________________
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Justifications

Please state reasons for supporting this application and the relevance of this visiting period to the student’s research and/or coursework requirement: 
(to be completed by the Principal Supervisor) 
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________

We support the above application. 

Signature:	__________________________________________		Date: ___________________________
Co-supervisor

__________________________________________		Date: ___________________________
		Principal Supervisor

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Endorsements and Approval

Endorsed by the
Deputy Director of JIRS	Signature: _____________________	Date: ___________________
(The endorser should inform the JIRS office at UIC to suspend the monthly scholarship accordingly)

Endorsed by the
Department Head of __________, HKBU	Signature: _____________________	Date: ___________________

Endorsed by the
Dean of _____________(Fac/Sch), HKBU	Signature: _____________________	Date: ___________________

Approved by the
Executie Associate Dean of Graduate School, HKBU  Signature: ____________________	Date:___________________

Note: Upon opening a savings account at a local bank in Hong Kong, student must update the corresponding bank account information on UIS accordingly such that the stipend could be transferred to the student’s account on time. 

* Please circle where appropriate

For Office Use Only

Clearance Check

    	Student has submitted copy of jetfoil/bus ticket for departure

	Remarks: Date of departure (if different from application) etc.

	___________________________________________________________________________________________________

	___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hong Kong Baptist University
Graduate School

Application Guidelines for JIRS Visiting Scheme Stipend

This scheme aims at providing full-time JIRS research postgraduate students with enrichment opportunities which could enhance their overall training by coming to our University for a period of up to 4 months(for MPhil) or up to 8 months(for PhD) to take coursework and/or undertake research as part of their thesis work. These students will be treated as “JIRS Visiting Students”. Guidelines for applying to the scheme are as follows:

1.	Applicants must be full-time research students admitted under the HKBU-UIC Joint Institute of Research Studies (JIRS) during their normal study period.
 
2.	Within their period of study and subject to possession of a valid student visa, the duration of stay and support available for MPhil students is up to 4 months for one single visit only. PhD students, on the other hand, may choose to split the support into 2 times. The duration of stay for PhD students is up to 4 months for each of the two visits (if applicable), or up to 8 months for one single visit. The minimum duration of each visit is 1 month.

3.	A stipend of HK$7,500 per month will be provided to the student by JIRS in the duration of his/her stay at HKBU on a pro-rata basis; the student is not an employee of Hong Kong Baptist University, and the stipend is not salary payment. The recipient will need to open a savings account at a local bank in Hong Kong and update the corresponding bank account information on UIS accordingly such that the stipend could be transferred to the student’s account upon approval. 

4.	The visiting period will be counted towards the period of study.

5.	The JIRS scholarship offered by UIC will be suspended during the visiting period.

6.	Applicants must abide by the following “Terms and Conditions of JIRS Subsidies” as a condition of entitlement to the approved stipend. 

Application Procedures

1.	The interested student should first discuss the proposed visit with his/her principal supervisor. Alternatively, the principal supervisor may request his/her student to visit HKBU for coursework/research. 
 
2.	The principal supervisor should complete the recommendation form with supporting justifications and the necessary endorsements and return the form to the Graduate School. Meanwhile, the student is also responsible for making sure that he/she possesses a valid full-time student visa to visit Hong Kong for academic activities*. It should be noted that the visa is valid for one year only. Students are also reminded that all coursework requirement must be completed within the study period.
 
3.	All requested information and documents have to be properly provided before any application can be considered.

4.	The completed recommendation form should reach the Graduate School at least two weeks before the commencement date of the proposed visit.
 
5.	Upon arrival at Hong Kong, student should first go to the Graduate School to officially confirm the commencement of visit and provide a copy of documentary proof of immigration status. At the end of his/her visit, student must submit a copy of his/her jetfoil/bus return ticket to the Graduate School. 

6.	At the end of his/her last visit to HKBU before graduation, student must submit the “Application for Clearance On Last Visit to HKBU” form to the Graduate School and repay any unused amount of approved allowance in instances of early departures.

* Please refer to “Application for Student Entry Permit” for details.
(http://buar.hkbu.edu.hk/uploads/files/download/post/jirs_visa.rtf)
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Terms and Conditions of JIRS Subsidies

1.	Purpose of Award
The JIRS Subsidies, a composite for the Visiting Scheme Stipend, Visiting Student Allowance, and Overseas Conference Grant, are granted on merit to eligible full-time/part-time JIRS research postgraduate students to provide them with financial assistance for their daily subsistence and other expenses that may be incurred during their visit(s) to HKBU/attendance to overseas conferences within their study period.  Such provision is to ensure that students need not look for other sources of income to support themselves so that they are able to devote full efforts to their designated research projects/studies.

2.	Eligibility
All research postgraduate students of JIRS are eligible for the JIRS Subsidies (part-time students, however, are not eligible to apply for the Visiting Scheme Stipend).  Students may apply for the JIRS Subsidies with the recommendations from both the Principal Supervisor and Co-supervisor. Applicants may simultaneously be recipients of other scholarship awards provided that the award does not violate the terms and conditions of the other awards.

3.	Administration of JIRS Subsidies
The JIRS Subsidies are administered by the Executive Associate Dean of Graduate School who will decide on the amount and duration of the award, under the guidelines laid down by the JIRS Management Committee.

4.	Conditions of JIRS Subsidies
4.1 	The award of JIRS Subsidies is conditional on the recipient undertaking coursework or research activities for a specified period.  Unauthorized leave may result in the cancellation of the subsidies.  Recipients not performing satisfactorily in their studies, or duties, may also lose their awards or have their subsidies suspended for a prescribed period of time.
4.2	The JIRS Subsidies are offered for a specified period only and subject to satisfactory performance and the availability of funds. 
4.3	The award of Visiting Scheme Stipend will automatically cease in the month the recipient has completed his/her visit to the University within the normal study period. Under normal circumstances, the stipend will be applicable for up to 4 months for MPhil (one visit only) and up to 8 months for PhD students (two visits only) respectively. The minimum duration for each visit is 1 month. 
4.4	The Visiting Student Allowance is offered to students on short-term visits to HKBU, each trip not exceeding 1 month. Students who are receiving the allowance may not apply for the Visiting Scheme Stipend at the same time. 
4.5	The Overseas Conference Grant is offered to students who would like to attend conferences outside the mainland China and Hong Kong. Applicants may lodge more than 1 application within their study period until the ceiling of the grant has been reached.  
4.6	The JIRS Subsidies recipients are not employees of Hong Kong Baptist University, and the subsidies are not salary payment.

N.B.	The above terms and conditions may be changed from time to time by the University.  In the event that changes are made, the updated terms and conditions always supersede the earlier versions.

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Personal Information Collection Statement
Persons who supply personal data in their applications to the Graduate School for various purposes are requested to note the following:
1.	Personal data provided in the applications are to facilitate the processing of their applications and will not be used for other purposes.
2.	Personal data provided will only be used by University staff.
3.	After the applications have been processed, relevant data will be transferred to the student / staff record system of the University.
Under the provision of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance, request for personal data access or correction may be made and addressed to:

Graduate School
AAB 904, Level 9, Academic and Administration Building
Baptist University Road Campus
Hong Kong Baptist University
Kowloon Tong 
Kowloon 
Hong Kong