Virtual International Cooperation Projects | VIS

*September 2024 is the last round of VIS fund

The VIS-initiative provides a funding scheme from 2021 to 2024 which allows lecturers and study programmes to obtain funding to set up Virtual International Cooperation projects. With the grant, universities of applied sciences and universities can give Dutch students the opportunity to gain international experience from the Netherlands. During a virtual international collaboration project, Dutch and foreign students work together remotely on an assignment, for example by looking at international issues from a local perspective. In this way the students work on their intercultural competences, as well as language and digital skills.

The subsidy amounts to 15,000 euros per project and is intended to free up teachers or educationalists for:

• Collaborative development or revision of the virtual international cooperation project;
• Necessary coordination with a higher education institution abroad;

• And coordination of the project.

More information can be found on the website of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. Further information about Virtual International Collaboration (Virtual Exchange, Online International Exchange, or related concepts of online international learning) can be found at the ENVOIE website.

Application procedure

There are two yearly subsidy rounds, one in February and one in September. All applications are listed in order of receipt. Are more applications coming in than is budgeted for? In that case, all first applications from institutional boards will be processed first. Therefore, a second application from an institution has a chance of receiving a subsidy after all first applications from institutional boards have been processed. This also applies to the third, fourth and successive applications, until the subsidy budget of the application period has been exhausted.

At the University of Groningen, applications are coordinated by the Teaching Academy Groningen. This requires an internal application form to be completed prior to submission to OCW. TAG uses this form to administer the applications received and submit them for approval by the Board of the University. The form is also used for advising applicants by TAG or other experts. Please note that the submission process within the RUG may take one to two weeks.

Contact details

If you are interested, please contact the talent and grant coordinator of the TAG, dr. Maaike Engels via M.C.Engels rug.nl and/or the faculty funding officer of your faculty. For educational questions about setting up Virtual International Collaboration, please contact ESI embedded experts.