Fellows play an important role in achieving UNU-IIST's Charter and take part in all of UNU-IIST's activities, particularly its projects, on which Fellows work in Macao together with UNU-IIST's scientific staff and visitors.

UNU-IIST fellowships are subject to the regulations of the UNU fellowship programme.

We give here details of various aspects relating specifically to fellowships at UNU-IIST.

Fellow Identification

Fellows are selected primarily by UNU-IIST, and are usually identified from among the attendees at UNU-IIST's off-shore activities or recommended directly by UNU-IIST's colleagues. UNU-IISTcarries out activities in a widening circle of developing countries and has a wide range of international connections, so our Fellows are coming from an increasing number of different countries.

General Principles of Fellowships

UNU-IIST can only accept Fellows who are willing to work within our agenda and who are capable of contributing to and benefitting from our activities.

UNU-IIST can only accept Fellows if their seconding institutions are also willing to undertake work which fits in with our agenda and are capable of contributing to and benefitting from such activities.

UNU-IIST normally offers Fellowships to people who have not already been UNU-IIST Fellows, though in exceptional cases a past Fellow may be invited to return to UNU-IIST for a further fellowship.

General Information

1. Age and Technical/Scientific Abilities of Fellows:

   Fellows must generally be young and bright.

2. Language Proficiency:

   They must speak, read and write English to an acceptable standard.

3. Technical/Scientific Attitude:

   They must be genuinely interested in furthering the professions of software engineering, programming and computing science, including being interested in the pedagogics and didactics of the field.

4. Fellowship Stipend:

   Fellows currently receive a stipend of US$800 per month. This stipend is the same whether provided by UNU-IIST or by any other source.

5. Travel to and from UNU-IIST:

   UNU-IIST will generally help to arrange a Fellow's travel to and from UNU-IIST and will pay the cost of the Fellow's air ticket and other reasonable transport costs incurred by the Fellow. The travel arrangements are sometimes made with the help of the local UNDP office in the country from which the Fellow is travelling.

6. Lodging:

   Fellows live in nice, reasonably appointed apartments in either Macao or Taipa. Each fellow has his/her own bedroom and in many cases his/her own apartment, though it is sometimes necessary for two Fellows to live in the same apartment in which case they share the living room, kitchen, etc. Fellows do not pay a rental fee for the apartment itself, but they must cover their own actual living expenses, including the costs for water, electricity, and telephone rental. These amount to approximately US$60 per fellow per month and must be paid by the fellow directly to the companies concerned. (The telephone rental cost allows free telephone calls within Macau, but overseas calls are charged and billed individually and must be paid for by the fellow.)

7. Meals, Laundry, Local Transport, etc.:

   The stipend easily covers all additional expenses: food and drink, laundry, travel within Macao, amenities, etc.

8. Medical Insurance:

   Fellows are medically insured during their Fellowship. Prospective Fellows must undergo a medical examination before they can be accepted as Fellows. The cost of this examination is reimbursed by UNU-IIST upon presentation of an official receipt.

9. Visa:

   All fellows, regardless of their nationality, will obtain an entry visa into Macao. UNU-IIST will inform the Macao authorities of the approximate time (morning or afternoon) and date of arrival in Macao and they will assure your entry into Macao, in accordance with the agreement signed with the host country and the UN Convention on Immunities and Privileges. You may also obtain a 20 day visa in advance from your nearest Chinese Consulate.

   Once in Macao, Fellows are issued with a Consular Identity Card. This document is in lieu of residence and working permits and must be carried with you at all times. Additionally, it allows Fellows unlimited exit and re-entry into Macao for the duration of the Fellowship.

Daily Life as a fellow

1. Tutor:

   Each Fellow is assigned a Tutor, who is one of UNU-IIST's scientific staff. The Tutor is responsible for guiding and advising the Fellow on all aspects of his or her academic work at UNU-IIST. Fellows on research projects usually work individually with their tutors.

2. Goals, Aims & Objectives Document:

   When a Fellow arrives in Macao a Goals, Aims & Objectives Document is set up. This document, which is written in conjunction with the Fellow's Tutor, describes the work the Fellow is to undertake at UNU/IIST. The document is flexible and can be modified if necessary as the work progresses.

   A Fellow should not undertake work which is outside the scope of this Goals, Aims & Objectives Document, including continuation of the Fellow's previous work, unless this is first approved by the Fellow's Tutor.

3. Further Propagation:

   As part of this Goals, Aims & Objectives Document a plan may also be made as to how the Fellow will propagate the results of the fellowship training at local and national level in the Fellow's home country.

4. Office Hours:

   Fellows are expected to be present and working in the office during UNU-IIST office hours: 9:30 - 13:00 and 14:30 - 18:00. Any absence from the office must be reported to and approved by the Fellow's tutor.

5. Working Conditions:

   Each Fellow is given a nice working place in UNU-IIST: ample desk and storage facilities and a PC with access to the Internet worldwide.

   UNU-IIST has an extensive library, which contains over 700 books as well as over 140 international science and technology journals, newsletters and magazines.

   The UNU-IIST fax/telephone can be used by Fellows to make official calls, but all long-distance calls must be approved in advance by the Fellow's Tutor. Private calls can be made through the UNU-IIST reception but must be paid by the Fellow.

   UNU-IIST urges Fellows to be conscious of saving resources such as energy and paper.

6. Fellow Colloquia:

   All Fellows are expected to present the results of their work at UNU-IIST to staff and other Fellows in the form of internal seminars. In addition, Fellows may be asked to give brief presentations on the work they did before coming to UNU-IIST.

7. Publications:

   Fellows are usually expected to produce at least one technical report during their Fellowship, and in some cases some software as well. In each case, the final version must be approved by the Fellow's Tutor before it can become an official UNU-IIST Technical Report.

   Only people who have made a real contribution to the completion of a technical paper can be listed as its (co-)authors.

   Fellows may submit technical papers on their work at UNU-IIST to conferences and scientific journals provided this is approved in advance by the Fellow's Tutor. If such a paper is accepted for presentation at a conference, UNU-IIST will usually support a Fellow to attend the conference in order to present the paper. Generally, UNU-IIST will not support a Fellow to attend more than one conference, and there will be no support for unauthorized submissions.

8. Proprietary/Intellectual Property Rights:

   Usually all results, including software, belong to the public domain.

9. Compulsory Work:

   Each Fellow is expected, on request, to assist UNU-IIST with more general aspects of its Programmatic Activities. These activities will take up at most 20% of the Fellow's time.

10. Friendly Atmosphere:

    There is a nice, friendly and social atmosphere among our fellows, who come at any time from a wide range of different countries. Living and working closely together and sharing leisure time activities bring them all together.

11. Vacation

    Fellows are allowed 1.5 days of leave per month of fellowship - without reduction of the stipend.

    The conditions which apply to this leave system are:

    1. All requests to take leave MUST be authorized beforehand by the Fellow's supervisor. You can download the form from here. Complete it and get the supervisor to sign and pass to Alice.
    2. Unused leave days cannot be used to shorten the period of fellowship (i.e. if a Fellow has accrued, for example, 10 leave days, these days cannot be used to go home 10 days before the end of the fellowship): the date of departure from UNU-IIST is the one agreed at the start of the fellowship.
    3. There will be no monetary compensation for any leave days which have not been used at the end of the fellowship.

More Practical Details

1. Letter of Invitation:

   If UNU-IIST decides to invite you to come to Macao as a Fellow, either fully or partially funded by UNU-IIST, you will be sent a formal invitation from our Administrative and Programme Officer setting out the terms and conditions of the fellowship which is being offered.

2. Fellowship Application:

   In addition, you will receive an application form, which you should fill in and return, and you will have to undergo a medical health check-up as mentioned above: you will be sent the details.

3. Practical Arrangements:

   If everything is satisfactory, UNU-IIST's Personnel Department will help you to organise your travel to Macau, sometimes arranging for your local UNDP office to issue you a return air ticket (via the most economical route) and to pay you a small travel subsidy to help with other incidental travel expenses.

4. Arrival:

   Before you start your travel, you should inform UNU-IIST's Personnel Department of your exact travel route and the times of your flight(s). If you are flying direct to Macao, someone will meet you at Macao airport. If you are travelling to Macao via Hong Kong, you should also contact UNU-IIST from the ferry terminal in Hong Kong after you have bought your (timed) ferry ticket and inform us of the time your ferry will leave Hong Kong. This is so that we can meet you at the Macao ferry terminal when you arrive there about one hour later.

Fellowship Calendar

1.  The length of a fellowship is flexible and is agreed on an individual basis between UNU-IIST and the prospective Fellow before the fellowship offer is made. The normal length of a fellowship is nine months.

Termination of fellowships

1.  A fellowship may be terminated earlier than originally scheduled in cases where a Fellow does not live up to UNU-IIST's expectations.