International Spring Academy "Economics of Liberty"

International Spring Academy "Economics of Liberty" will be held on March 12-18, 2011 in Bazaleti, Georgia. The event is organized by the New Economic School - Georgia and Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF). 

The aim of the Academy is to encourage and challenge free and critical thinking of the young generation and its covers the classical liberal philosophy, principles of market economics and applied economics.

ISWiB 2011 - “Communication in Action!”

ISWiB 2011 applications are now open! ISWiB 2011 (International Student Week in Belgrade) will be held for the fifth time this year, in the period from 10th till 17th July 2011 in Belgrade, capital of Serbia, under the motto “Communication in Action!”. The festival will gather approximately 200 participants from the whole of Europe, with the aim of exchanging opinions and views about the hot issues that a modern society has to face, as well as overcoming global differences through a communication, personal contacts and mutual understanding.

ISWiB is a meeting platform for young people with different cultural backgrounds; it is a place to get to know each other, establish new friendships and discuss various topics, from various points of view. Through close communication and cooperation, interactive lectures and workshops, students will be able to gain new knowledge and exchange ideas in the fields of PR & marketing, environmental protection, green economy, online media, youth activism, debate, theatre, NLP, graffiti, photography and filmmaking. Students will also have an opportunity to establish professional contacts with eminent professors and professionals from different fields and develop and create new projects by themselves.

Student Conference in Maribor - SCiM 2011

Applications are now open for the next Student Conference in Maribor that will take place between the 1st and 11th of July, 2011 in Maribor, Slovenia. SCiM (Student Conference in Maribor) is student conference organized by Student organization of University of Maribor. The department responsible for SCiM is department for international affairs. We organize a lot of projects during the year but SCiM is our biggest one. We can say that it has become a tradition that Student organization of University of Maribor organizes a student conference which purpose is to join students from different countries to debate about important issues of the society around us and to express their opinion through their critical point of view.

Conference "Role of Tribunals and Doctrine in the International Law"

We would kindly like to invite you to the 4th International Conference of Law Studies "Role of Tribunals and Doctrine in the International Law", organised by Interdisciplinary Student Association Diplomacy and Law. It is the fourth edition of the conference, organized each year by our Association. The conference will be held at University of Warsaw between 11th and 12th of April 2011. Three previous editions (two national and one international) aroused great interest and were attended by over 100 students and Ph.D. students from leading Polish universities. The last edition included also students from Czech Republic, Ukraine Russia, Kazakhstan and Iran.

The subject of this year’s conference is the role of international courts, tribunals and the doctrine in the international law. Our aim is to examine to what extent the tribunals, as institutions executing the international law, affect the quality and effectiveness of this law. We also would like to explore the impact of the doctrine on the international law at the beginning of 21st century. In the time of global economic crisis and dynamic transformation of international relations those questions become of significant importance for the future of the international law in general.

The Basics of Saving Money While Studying Abroad

Traveling is a luxury many of us cannot afford. Obviously, that’s what student loans are for, however much we may ache in repaying them in the days after graduation.

The following are tips to save money while traveling abroad so you have less to worry about later. Don’t worry; your experience abroad won’t be stunted by your savings.

Before you go

1. When you’re still in the planning stages of where you want to study abroad, look outside of Europe. Yes, Florence is the most beautiful city I’ve set eyes upon, but it was also expensive. Much of Europe is (especially the British Isles). Many areas of South and Central America, Africa, and Asia (excluding the likes of Tokyo, of course) offer incredible cultural experiences for less money.

2. Consider living off campus, as in an apartment or with a host family. With a host family, you can more deeply immerse yourself in the culture and more easily learn the language as well as save on the expenses of living in a dorm. Don’t rule out renting an apartment with another student, either, since rent for a flat may actually be cheaper than campus fees if you have a roommate. Compare and assess—the decision is ultimately yours.

Conference "New Institutional Economics: Challenges and Opportunities"

Center for Institutional Studies, State University — Higher School of Economics (CIS, HSE) organizes the Russian Summer School on Institutional Economics 2011 titled "New Institutional Economics: Challenges and Opportunities", that will be held in Moscow on July 5-11, 2011. The Summer School is aimed at creating and supporting the academic network of young researchers from different countries, who work in the field of New Institutional Economics. The schedule of Summer School includes lectures, seminars and plenty of possibilities for discussion and communication. This year we will focus attention on NIE methodology in application to various research fields like banking, education, and bureaucracy.

Living Frugally: How to Make the Best of Your Study Abroad Experience

You have probably heard this many times, but your study abroad experience really will be one of the most memorable periods of your life. However, there are a lot of stresses that come with living in another country. In addition to all the applications and visa paperwork you have to complete beforehand, the financial burden of studying abroad often deters most students from leaving their comfort zone. However, if you make smart decisions both before and during your stay, you will realize that studying abroad doesn't have to put a strain on your pocketbook. You can still have an amazing experience by planning ahead. Most importantly, living frugally is key to prevent building up debt and unnecessary expenses.

Useful Tips to Help You Choose the Right Study Abroad Program

If you’re in college, you probably have a long list of study abroad programs to choose from. It can be overwhelming to decide among so many great opportunities, and it’s a lot of work to make sure you’re ready for the experience. But once you’ve gotten through the tough part, you’ll get all the benefits of studying abroad without the stress of trying to figure it out at the last minute. To help you plan ahead and enjoy the study abroad experience to its fullest, here are some tips that will jump-start your thought process. 

Study the Big Picture

To make sure your study abroad experience happens at the right time in your college career, it’s important to sit down with your academic advisor and plan out every semester of your studies. This can change if you need it to, but having a blueprint for your college years will help you determine how and when to study abroad. Start by planning when you’ll take courses that are absolutely necessary to complete your major. Some of these are offered in alternate years during only spring or fall semesters, so be careful that you don’t schedule your study abroad session during an important one-time opportunity to take a specific course. It’s also helpful to talk to your parents about studying abroad to see if you can get any help with the expenses and to take their thoughts into consideration. 

Insider Tips

We are introducing a new Insider Tips section on our website! The section will highlight the what-to-do, how-to-get, what-to-bring, how-to-survive tips related to various programs and events shared by experienced former participants :)

Have you been to many interesting events? Wanna share your great/funny/adventurous/bad experience with thousands of readers like you? Wanna share your advice or warn somebody against negative experience? Don't be shy and speak aloud! Send your true story to yourvirtualguide@gmail.com and, if relevant, it will be immediately published on our blog and Facebook page!

Graz University Summer School "International Summer School on the Americas"

The next Graz University Summer School - GUSS 2011 - under the general topic "International Summer School on the Americas" will be held on July 17th- 31st, 2011 in the Castle Seggau, Austria. This summer school project is an Erasmus IP project, which is supported by the Utrecht Network and carried out by the University of Graz, represented by the Center for the Study of the Americas (C.SAS) in cooperation with the Vice Rectorate for International Relations.

Why YOU should join this Summer School: You are a highly motivated student at master level and want to spend two weeks studying, researching, discussing, and exchanging experiences in the unique and creative atmosphere of a medieval castle nurtured by international experts on the Americas and fellow students from all around the world. Why wait? Apply today! What this summer school offers you:

• Two-week summer university at Seggau Castle with international students and lecturers
• 6 ECTS credits for participation and a seminar paper.
• Parallel seminar modules, series of morning & evening lectures
• Full board
• Excursion to Graz, various social activities