Wallonie-Bruxelles International (WBI) - Traineeships Abroad for Students

Benefit

You will receive a flat-rate allowance of 1,400 EUR per month (the exact rate is 1,200, 1,400 or 1,600 euros, depending on your place of work). The amount is set by WBI and cannot be increased. You will be paid for an internship lasting from 1 to 3 months. Should your internship last longer, you will nevertheless receive payment for a maximum of 3 months. In addition to the monthly grant, WBI will cover up to 500 EUR of your travel expenses. This covers half the cost of a return flight or a train ticket in economy class, or a flat-rate mileage allowance. The grant is provided by Wallonie-Bruxelles International (WBI), the agency for international relations of the French-speaking Community of Belgium.

Eligibility

• Study level: You are in the final year of a degree programme at a university or a ‘Haute École’ (university of applied sciences) run or funded by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
• Placement in your course: The work placement forms part of your degree programme. Research placements and doctoral studies are not counted towards your degree, apart from certain exceptions.
• Where you go: You will undertake a work placement in one of the 27 EU countries or a neighbouring country. Destinations outside the EU may also be considered, but only if the budget allows and as a lower priority.
• Company agreement: You have a written agreement with the host organisation setting out the content and objectives of the work placement.
• Languages: You speak the languages required by the host organisation.
• Field of study: All subjects are open, including health. Placements in Wallonia's strategic clusters (life sciences, agri-food, mechanical engineering, transport and logistics, aerospace, sustainable chemistry and materials) have priority.
• Age: No age limit.
• No double funding: You have not yet taken advantage of this WBI grant. You will not receive any further public funding or Erasmus+/FAME grants for the same work placement, unless you are in receipt of social security benefits and the host organisation does not pay you a salary.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted by email to the WBI’s International Funding Office using the form available on their website. There are two application deadlines per year: 1 November (by 23:59) for placements between January and June, and 1 May for placements between July and December. The WBI and the export agency AWEX will make their decision based on your application and an oral presentation of your project to a panel.

You can find more scholarships in our guide Scholarships in Belgium.