Microfinance Focus, May 24, 2011: Microfinance group, PlaNet Finance is inviting students planning a thesis on a microfinance-related topic to participate in the “University Meets Microfinance” (UMM) – Scholarship Programme. The deadline of the third call for scholarships 2011 is June 15th for PhD students and 15th October 2011 for Bachelors and Master students.

Open for Bachelor, Master students and PhD students, scholarships of up to 1500 EUR are granted to allow students to conduct on-the-field research on microfinance-related topics. Eligible are students enrolled at a European university researching on a microfinance related topic in the frame of their thesis. The scholarships cover travel and / or accommodation expenses during the field research.

University Meets Microfinance programme was launched by PlaNet Finance and Freie Universität Berlin and is co-financed by the European Commission. In 2010 the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP) has set up an e-MFP Action Group “UMM” to further enhance students’ research and microfinance education. Until now the programme has involved over 1300 students, practitioners and professors from 26 universities and 12 countries.

Application forms and eligibility criteria for the UMM Scholarship Programme are available at: www.universitymeetsmicrofinance.eu/site/scholarships.html