OUTBOUND EXCHANGE

NUST encourages students and faculty to join International Universities of repute for a semester or two which may help in student’s international exposure and hence learning. For this purpose, NUST has partnered with a number of international universities which time to time offer exchange opportunities to students.

To streamline student and faculty exchanges, selected faculty members are designated as Focal persons (IFPI) for internationalization at every NUST Institution.

NIO shares exchange opportunities with students and faculty through these focal persons. A list of IFPIs is given here , as a point of contact for interested students and faculty.

Eligibility Criteria

Below listed are general eligibility requirements, and each program may have additional criteria or specific requirements. It’s recommended to check the official website or contact the program coordinator to obtain accurate and detailed information about eligibility for a particular student exchange program.

1. Students must be enrolled in a full-time degree program at NUST.
2. For Under Graduate Programs: students must have a minimum cGPA of 2.50/4.00 after completing at least two semesters to apply for an exchange program.
3. For MS Programs: students must have completed at least one semester with a minimum GPA of 3.0.
4. For Ph.D.: Students must have a 3.5 GPA to apply for an exchange program. Additional requirements for Ph.D. students include clearing the Qualifier Examination Part B and obtaining satisfactory remarks from the supervisor in progress reports and review seminars.
5. Students are nominated for the partner university exchange programs based on merit, considering cGPA and research relevance for postgraduate students. The final selection is at the discretion of the host university.
6. Students can apply to two different exchange programs simultaneously but can only choose one university within each program.
7. Proficiency in English is required to meet the language requirement of the host university.
8. Some host universities require students to show evidence of sufficient funds to cover their living expenses, including accommodation, meals, transportation, and other miscellaneous costs during the exchange period.
9. Applicants must accept the terms of the exchange as agreed between NUST and the host university/institution.

Application Process

1. NUST has exchange agreements with universities worldwide. Partner universities send their exchange nomination calls to NUST based on their academic calendar.
2. NUST International Office shares the nomination calls with all NUST institutions through designated Focal Persons for Internationalization (IFPIs) at each NUST institute. The same information is also circulated on NUST International Office social media and webpages.
3. Interested students contact their IFPIs to express interest and submit nominations. The school assesses them based on merit and by assessing the students’ means to support themselves during the exchange period abroad.
4. Institutional nominations are forwarded to NUST International Office
5. NUST International Office consolidates all nominations and selects final nominees based on merit and available slots in the exchange agreement.
6. Final nominations are submitted to the partner university.
7. The partner university directly contacts nominated students to complete application forms and submit supporting documents.
8. The partner university reviews applications and communicates decisions to the applicants.
9. Selected students must apply for a No Objection Certificate from NUST Registrar Office (UG/MS) or Academic Directorate (Ph.D.) before joining the host university abroad.
10. Upon completion of the exchange program, students are required to submit the transcript issued by the host university to their home institution.

General Financial Considerations

1. In most exchange programs, students pay 25% of the NUST tuition fee for the semester(s) attended abroad while tuition fee at the host university is waived off as per the Student Exchange Agreement signed between NUST & the partner university.
2. Participating in a student exchange program incur expenses such as airfare, transportation, accommodation, and meals, etc. Students are responsible for covering all expenses related to their exchange program, including those listed above.

Selection of Courses / Transferability of Courses

1. Once a student has been nominated by NUST for the exchange program, they are required to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their institution, allowing them to enroll in the courses offered by the host university.
2. The institution considers the compatibility of courses planned to be studied abroad to establish their equivalence for exemptions from own or missed courses.
3. The responsibility for all academic aspects of the exchange programs lies with the respective institution, Registrar’s Office, PGP Dte, and Acad Dte.
4. Upon returning, courses studied by students at foreign universities with compatible content and a minimum grade of ‘C’ (or the qualifying grade of the host university) will be accepted and included in the transcripts.
5. Other qualified courses that are not compatible with the student’s own curriculum will be accepted and reflected as additional courses in the transcript.
6. The evaluation report, including accepted, deficient, and additional courses, will be forwarded to the Exam Branch, Main Office for approval through the Registrar or PGP Dte.

Deficient Courses

1. Determine which of the missed courses are mandatory for the degree program. Focus on making up these courses first to ensure necessary prerequisites are met and your degree stays on track for graduation. Be proactive in understanding the academic policies and requirements for your program.
2. Students shall clear deficient courses in the summer or regular semester.
3. Students may reach out to their academic advisors/ course coordinators to discuss the courses missed while studying abroad. They can provide guidance on the best approach to make up for these courses and assist in developing a plan to fulfill your academic requirements.
4. If the student institution finds it difficult to offer deficient courses, they can seek special provisions on a case-by-case basis from Acad Dte for approval by the Pro-Rector (Acad) through the Registrar or Acad Dte to help these students avoid losing a semester.

Evaluation and Feedback

1. Student shall submit feedback to NUST International Office regarding their study abroad experience so that the information can be used to improve and refine the outbound exchange program.

Institutional Focal Persons for Internationalization (IFPIs)

To streamline student and faculty exchanges, selected faculty members are designated as Focal persons (IFPI) for internationalization at every NUST Institution. The IFPIs are designated to help students with all international opportunities and act as a point of contact with NIO.

Their contact information is given below.

List of International Universities NUST has Student Exchange Agreements With: