الاخوة الأعزاء

بعد التحية

أكتب أليكم بخصوص وجود فرصة تدريب أكاديمي تتم عن طريق الإنترنت وتقدم بدعم من المجلس الثقافي البريطاني لطلبة الدراسات العليا العراقيين، وأرجو منكم المساعدة في تشجيع طلبة البحوث العاملين في مجالات العلوم الإجتماعية والدراسات الإنسانية والطلبة المقدمين على الدراسات العليا في هذه المجالات وممن لهم المؤهلات، على الإطلاع على المساق الدراسي المرفق مع هذه الرسالة والتقديم إن رغبوا، علما بأن الدراسة تتم بكاملها بواسطة الإنترنت ومن خلال مساق دراسي قصير في جامعة أكستر ومدة المساق ثمانية أسابيع، والدراسة مجانية لخريجي الجامعات العراقية ممن تتوفر فيهم المؤهلات، مع الإشارة إلى ضرورة تمكن الطالب من القراءة باللغة الإنكليزية.

أن المساق المعني يهدف إلى تطوير مهارات البحث الأكاديمي لدى الطلاب وتدريبهم على كتابة مشاريع بحوثهم بالشكل المطلوب  من قبل الجامعات العالمية وتساعدهم في التمييز فيما بين مصادر المعلومات المختلفة واستعمال المكتبات الألكترونية واختيار واستعمال مصادر البحث، وفي ذلك فائدة كبيرة في تطوير المهارات العلمية لدى الباحثات والباحثين.

للتأكيد؛ إن هذه الدراسة قصيرة ومحدودة الهدف وهي في الوقت الذي تساعد فيه على رفع كفاءة البحث لدى الطلبة والباحثين، فإنها لا تمنح درجة علمية وقد وردت فكرة هذا المشروع من خلال مداولات مع المعنيين جرى التعرف من خلالها على حاجات الباحثين العراقيين الشباب والراغبين في التجديد. وجرى تطوير هذا المساق وبرامجه بتعاون مع الأستاذ أحمد أبو زيد مدير المعلومات الرقمية في جامعة أكستر والدكتورة آن ألكساندر الباحثة في جامعة كمبردج والتي ستقوم بتدريس هذا المساق. وللعلم فإن عدد المشاركين والمشاركات محدودا وستكون المشاركة في دورتين تبدأ أولاهما في كانون الثاني 2010 والثانية في نيسان 2010.

وللتقديم يرجى مراسلة الدكتورة آن ألكساندر على بريدها الألكتروني r.a.alexander@ex.ac.uk   وتفضّل تكملة الاستمارة المرفقة قبل 7 كانون الثاني 2010 .

ولكم الشكر والتقدير،

الدكتور ســامي البجاري

ملاحظة

أدناه الاعلام الذي جائني من السيدة الدكتورة آن ألكساندر، يرجى قراءته بصورة دقيقة وإعادة إرسال الجداول اليها مباشرة بعد ملئ البيانات المطلوبة.

Institute of Arab & Islamic Studies

Postgraduate training in research skills offered freely to a limited number of Iraqi students through distance-learning

Apply by 7 January 2010 – Provisional course start date:

 1 February 2010

The University of Exeter is offering an 8-week part-time formal distance-learning training module designed to enhance the research skills of postgraduate Iraqi students and potential students working in social science or humanities areas. Teaching and learning are conducted through the internet using a special interactive program as well as email communications with the lecturer.

 Students will be expected to spend around 100 hours of study on the module over 8 weeks.

Description and objectives of the training module

This is a stand-alone module which is not part of a specific degree study but it is designed to help potential students develop their proposals for postgraduate research degree applications and in generally enhancing their research skills. Students will be introduced to a modern information environment and offered the chance to develop skills to access an extensive range of resources that are normally available to graduate students and researchers in the social sciences and humanities.

 Much of a modern library’s resources and available specialized databases are accessible online, but students generally need to be members of an academic library in order to reach a wide range of such resources. In addition to the training and introduction offered here, the module will involve a short period of registration at the University of Exeter that would include access to the University’s electronic library and information resources for the duration of the module.

 The module also offers guidance to identifying and developing research topics, to writing research proposals, and to other research skills issues. Students will be instructed online, given tasks to perform and tested. Successful completion of the module does not entitle a student to entry onto higher degree program, although it may be helpful in this regard.

Topics covered include:

· Choosing a research topic

· Reviewing academic literature

· Using the academic electronic library

· Introduction to research methods

· Research ethics and plagiarism

Who the training is designed to benefit:

The training is of general benefit to all actual or prospective research students working in social science or humanities areas, with special additional advantage to students who have had limited exposure to a modern electronic information environment and to those who face severe restrictions on the availability of academic resources. This applies to most Iraqi students and to some academic staff and other researchers as well. The training is not discipline specific within the broad areas identified, and the training enhances generic skills in locating, identifying and accessing academic research and information, as well as skills of formulating proposals and presenting research. Students and others who believe they can advance their academic or professional work by acquiring these skills are encouraged to apply to take advantage of this module.

Requirements for Registration

Applicants must be social science or humanities graduates of an Iraqi University, preferably a class of “Very Good”, and they must have good reading and fair writing skills in English. They must also have a reasonable access to the internet in order to sustain regular email communication with the course lecturer and to browse and download material from academic databases.

 This module was developed with the aid of a British Council grant offered through the British Universities Iraq Consortium. Applicants resident inside Iraq and Iraqis who have recently been displaced to neighbouring states can qualify for FREE REGISTRATION and tuition.

Language of Instruction

The course will be taught and assessed in English. Students must therefore be able to complete written assignments in English to a reasonable standard. However, there are no formal entry requirements and a substantial part of the teaching material has been translated into Arabic. The lecturer is conversant in Arabic.

Application Process

Prospective students should complete the form below, and send it by email with an academic reference (which can be submitted in Arabic or English) to Dr Anne Alexander (r.a.alexander@exeter.ac.uk). Closing date for applications and receipt of references is 7 January 2010.

 Successful applicants will be notified by email by or before 15 January 2010, and will be sent further information about how to complete registration and set up a student IT account with the University of Exeter. If successful, you must be contactable by email and have regular access to the internet between this date and 28 March 2010 when the course finishes.

 The course itself will last 8 weeks from 1 February until 28 March, although teaching will cover only 6 of these weeks, thus allowing students who have intermittent access to the internet time to complete the course. However, this is not and on-going program, so you must be available during the period 15 January – 28 March in order to participate. A further session of the course may be held in April-June 2010.

Application Form

Before completing this form, please refer to the notes at the end of the document

About you:

Title:

Name:

Address:

Email address:

Date of birth:

Education and employment

Institution	Details of qualification (subject and grade) \or job title and duties	Dates
		From	To

Proposed area of research:

Supporting statement (no more than 400 words):

Academic referee

Title:

Name:

Department

University address:

Email address:

Notes on completing the application form:

 a. Education and employment – Please tell us about your education and qualifications achieved at undergraduate level and beyond. If you are employed as a member of staff in a research institution or university please tell us here about any relevant employment experience.

b. Proposed field of study – The ILRS course is designed to help you prepare a detailed research proposal. Please use this section of the form to tell us in general terms about what you would like to research. At this stage you do not have to provide a precise title (and you can change your mind once you start the course).

 c. Supporting statement – Please tell us here about why you are applying for the course. We would like to know what research experience you have already gained, how you want to develop your research skills in future and what motivates you to continue your academic studies.

 d. Academic referee – Please provide here the contact details of one person who can comment on your academic experience and potential. Please send them the attached short form for referees and ask them to complete it and email it to us by the closing date for applications. It is your responsibility to ensure that the reference reaches us by the closing date. The reference form can be completed in either English or Arabic.

Academic Reference Form

Applicant’s details:

Title:

Name:

Address:

Email address:

Date of birth:

Referee’s details

 Title:

Name:

Department

University address:

Email address:

Dear Colleague,

Please use the space below for your comments and email it directly to the ILRS course convenor, Dr Anne Alexander at r.a.alexander@exeter.ac.uk by 7 January 2010.

 We would like to know your opinion of the applicant’s academic work to date, your assessment of their existing research skills and their potential to benefit from the ILRS course.