Scholarships

On this page you can find information about the scholarships available through the SANORD network as well as external opportunities.

The information is mainly for students, including at PhD level. Some scholarship programmes also offer funding for post-doctoral researchers as well as other academic and administrative staff in higher education institutions. If you are interested in the scholarship programmes mentioned on this page, be sure to check the most current information, application requirements and deadlines from the website of the programme in question. Please also check our current news section!

SANORD is committed to enhancing the experiences of internationalization of students from member institutions through the BOC Scholarship Programme, which encourages capacitation and development through student mobility and research collaboration.

The BOC Scholarship programme aims to provide such scholarships to students from a SANORD member institution in the Southern African region to spend 3-5 months at a SANORD Nordic member institution for time to work on their research and dissertation. The primary focus will be mobility for academic and research collaboration with our Nordic partners based on scholarly merit.

The BOC Scholarship makes provision for PARTIAL scholarship funding of R100 000 per applicant. Qualifying Master’s students who are registered at a SANORD member institution of higher education in the Southern African region are eligible to apply.

Qualifying Master’s students will be required to spend 3 to 5 months at a SANORD Nordic member institution of their choice. Successful candidates will be required to engage in activities that will support the completion of the Master’s degree. Preference will be given to those projects aligned to the SANORD Strategy 2022.

Former recipients of the scholarship will not be eligible to apply for the scholarship.
For students, researchers and staff.

The Nordic Africa Institute Guest Researchers’ Scholarship Programme

The purpose of the Guest Researchers’ Scholarship Programme is to provide opportunities for i) scholars in Africa to pursue their own research projects strengthening the academic milieux in African countries, and ii) to provide opportunities for scholars in Sweden, Finland and Iceland to pursue their own research projects. Female researchers are especially encouraged to apply for these scholarships. The scholarship includes a return air-fare, accommodation, a subsistence allowance, an installation grant and access to a computer in a shared office at NAI.

Erasmus+ grants

Erasmus+ provides grants for a wide range of actions and activities in the fields of education, training, youth and sport for the period 2014-2020. The programme gives opportunities to students, trainees, staff and volunteers to spend a period abroad to improve their skills and employability. It supports organisations to work in transnational partnerships and to share innovative practices.

EUSA_ID 

(NB! Only South Africans eligible from Africa)

EUSA_ID is a mobility programme offering study, training and research periods in Europe for South African Master’s and PhD candidates and staff. The programme also provides European PhD candidates with the opportunity to spend a research period in South Africa. The programme aims at promoting intercultural understanding and fostering institutional cooperation between European and South African universities. The scholarships include subsistence allowance, insurance coverage, participation fees and one return ticket.

EU-SATURN

(NB! Only South Africans eligible from Africa)

European – South African programme in Tuning for Regional Needs in Higher Education (EU-SATURN) is a mobility programme from the European Union that provides scholarships for South African PhDs and staff to spend a period of study or research at one of the European consortium universities. 6 and 10 months scholarships are offered to PhD students and 1 month positions for staff. Regular financial assistance will be provided, in addition to help with transport, insurance and applications for successful applicants at all levels.

AXA Research Fund for Post-Doctoral Fellowships

(NB! Only South Africans eligible from Africa)

Each year, the AXA Research Fund offers 25 Post-Doctoral Fellowships to outstanding researchers. The grant amounts to a maximum of 130,000 euros for a duration of 24 months. To apply for these fellowships, host institutions must be registered in the AXA Research Fund’s database and located within the geographical scope (reviewed on a yearly basis), e.g. European Union, Iceland, Norway, South Africa.

Shringer Ingelheim Fonds

Shringer Ingelheim Fonds offers two scholarship programmes relevant for SANORD countries. In the PhD Fellowship Programme, scholarships are awarded to outstanding junior scientists (max. age 27 years) who wish to pursue an ambitious PhD project of approximately 3 years in basic biomedical research in a leading laboratory. The Travel Grants Programme is aimed at PhD and MD students as well as postdoctoral fellows to enable their participation in short-term practical trainings and scientific courses (e.g. summer or winter schools). The Scholarships are for both Europeans working in Europe and overseas as well as students from overseas working in Europe.

Human Frontier Science Program Research Grants

The Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP) research grants are provided for teams of scientists from different countries who wish to combine their expertise in innovative approaches to questions that could not be answered by individual laboratories. The research teams must be international. The principal applicant must be from one of the eligible countries. However, other participating scientists and laboratories may be situated anywhere in the world. There are two types of grants: Young Investigators’ Grants are awarded to teams of researchers who are within the first five years after obtaining an independent laboratory and Program Grants are awarded to teams of independent researchers at any stage of their careers.

Off the Beaten Track Summer Field School – Summer Field School for Anthropologists and Social Scientists

This scholarship is aimed at bringing together researchers with creative and open minds to find innovative solutions to the challenges of applied research. The summer school offers a unique learning opportunity in a multidisciplinary research project on the isle of Gozo, Malta. Scholarships are granted on a competitive basis, based on a research proposal.

Erasmus Mundus Joint Degree courses

Erasmus Mundus Joint Degree courses are part of high-level Erasmus Mundus programmes at masters or doctoral level, offered by a consortium of European and non-European higher education institutions. Participants will study in at least two of the participating institutions and will be awarded a joint or double/multiple degree at the end of their studies. EU-funded scholarships cover the participation costs, travel to Europe, a living allowance and insurance. You can apply directly to the consortium, which carries out a competitive selection procedure for scholarship places, open to candidates around the world.

List of Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degrees:

AESOP

(NB! Only South Africans eligible from Africa)

AESOP is a multidisciplinary and intersectorial Erasmus Mundus consortium co-coordinated by the University Paul Sebatier-Toulouse 3, France, and the University of Western Cape, South Africa. It is a partnership composed by 11 European and 9 South African university partners as well as six additional associate members. The grant covers a monthly subsistence allowance, travel ticket, insurance and participation cost and is available for both South African and European applicants on the Master’s and Doctoral levels as well as staff.

There are two categories of funding for African students, staff and scholars who want to do studies or research in the Nordic countries: (i) individual scholarships and (ii) institutional partnership programmes for education, research and mobility.

TO DENMARK


Higher education in Demark is free for students from the EU/EEA and Switzerland. Similarly, studies as part of an exchange programme are free. Annual tuition fees are approximately 6,000-16,000 euros.

INDIVIDUAL SCHOLARSHIPS

Danish Government Scholarships for highly-qualified non-EU/EEA students.

Danish higher education institutions receive a limited number of government scholarships each year to fund highly qualified full-degree students from non-EU/EEA countries. The scholarships are administered by the HEIs and for further information about the scholarship, consult the admission details of the higher education institution of your choice.

IT University of Copenhagen MSc Scholarships

The IT University of Copenhagen offers state scholarships to 3-4 exceptionally talented MSC applicants from outside EU and EEA areas every year.

The scholarships will be offered to the applicants who achieve the best scores according to the criteria in the admission rules. The scholarship consists of free tuition and partly covers living expenses.

Aarhus University Building Stronger Universities (BSU) Scholarships

The Aarhus University Building Stronger Universities (BSU) scholarship programme is providing talented students from South partner universities the opportunity to obtain a Master’s degree from a Danish university in order to contribute to the development of their countries. In addition to their professional studies, it is expected that the students will obtain good knowledge of the Danish society, culture and values as well as the opportunity to networking with Danish students, companies and organisations.  ​

University of Southern Denmark BHJ Scholarships

The BHJ Scholarships are introduced for postgraduates and masters studying at the University of Southern Denmark on the Sønderborg​ campus. Each grant is for the value of DKK 40,000. The purpose of the grants is to attract more foreign students to the University of Southern Denmark’s English-language courses, to give the business in the region the opportunity to recruit attractive foreign postgraduates, and to create potential ambassadors to represent the region in the world at large. The scholarships are for one year. ​

University of Helsinki International Student Scholarship Grant

The grant is a start-up grant for about 50 qualified degree students who are accepted to study in an International Master’s Degree Programme at the University of Helsinki. The amount of each grant will be about 1000-1500 euro. The grants are not meant to cover living expenses but to offer a little extra money to help students to settle in Helsinki. Only students who have been accepted to the University of Helsinki can apply.

The Aleksanteri Institute Visiting Scholars Prme

The Aleksanteri Institute Visiting Scholars Programme provides an opportunity for highly qualified scholars in Russian and Eastern European studies to visit the Aleksanteri Institute and the University of Helsinki for a period of one to three months. These visits are supported with a monthly grant, which in the academic year 2015/2016 was €​3000. Aleksanteri Visiting Fellows have the opportunity to conduct research and interact with other researchers at the Aleksanteri Institute and with the academic community at the University of Helsinki and in Finland.

North-South-South

Higher Education Institution Network Programmeopensup opportunities for cooperation between higher education institutions in Finland and developing countries. Funded activities are reciprocal student and teacher exchange, joint intensive courses, activities that promote networking and dissemination measures. Apart from Finnish HEIs, the programme is applicable to projects in all those countries which are eligible to ODA.

HEI ICI

The Higher Education Institutions Institutional Cooperation Instrument (HEI ICI) supports collaboration projects between higher education institutions in Finland and developing countries. The aim of the programme is to strengthen developing country HEIs as developmentally responsive institutions by enhancing administrative, field-specific, methodological and pedagogical capacity. This purpose will be achieve through institutional cooperation between the HEIs in Finland and partner developing countries in selected result areas.

TO NORWAY


INDIVIDUAL SCHOLARSHIPS
University of Oslo International Summer School Scholarships

University of Oslo offers scholarships to applicants from certain countries to study Master’s and Bacherlor’s courses offered during the International Summer School (ISS). The full scholarship may include fees, pocket money allowance and a plane ticket to and from Norway. Partial scholarships may include fees. Citizens of countries in Africa can apply for scholarships for Master’s courses, citizens of EU can apply for partial Bachelor’s and Master’s courses.

Partnership Prgrammes for Education, Research & Mobility

The Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development (NORHED)
NORHED is funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Coopera tion (Norad)​ and designed to stimulate productive North-South collaboration. It is intended to strengthen the institutional capacity and performance of HEIs in low and middle income countries to deliver quality education and research through joint collaborations with Norwegian partners. The NORHED programme provides support for joint research, development of new study programmes, curricula development as well as scholarships for Master’s and PhD studies.

Norad’s Master’s Programme for Energy and Petroleum (EnPe)

EnPe aims to contribute to the education of staff in the energy and petroleum sectors in Norway’s selected partner countries through building capacity at the Master’s level in higher education institutions in the South, including the development of regional Master’s programmes.

The South Africa – Norway Research Cooperation Programme (SANCOOP)

SANCOOP aims to contribute to expanded research opportunities and improve research cooperation based on equal partnership between South African and Norwegian researchers within selected thematic areas. The primary modality of cooperation is through joint research projects, including grants for exchange of project staff and post-graduate students.

The UTFORSK Programme (NB! Only South African institutions eligible)

The UTFORSK Programme specifically aims at linking international cooperation in education with existing international research cooperation. Norwegian higher education institutions are eligible applicants in partnership with partner institution in the BRICS countries (South Africa the only eligible African partner for the programme). Support can be given to joint activities, e.g. student and staff mobility, student participation in research activities, joint teaching and supervision, inten​sive courses etc.

TO SWEDEN


INDIVIDUAL SCHOLARSHIPS:

To study in Sweden at undergraduate and graduate (Master’s) level as a citizen of non-EU country you need to pay tuition fee which varies between different universities and different programmes. Available scholarships listed below. PhD students do not pay tuition.

Swedish Institute Study Scholarships

​The Swedish Institute Study Scholarships (SISS) are awarded to highly-qualified students from selected countries for full-time master’s level studies in Sweden starting in the autumn semester (September). The scholarships cover both living costs and tuition fees. Check details about eligibility and more information about application periods from the Swedish Institute’s website.  Learn more about the Swedish Institute Study Scholarships​

University-Specific Tuition-fee Scholarships

Karlstad University: Karlstad University Global Scholarship
Linköping University: Scholarship for Master’s Programe
University: Lun​d University Global Scholarship​
Malmö University: Malmö University Master’s Scholarships ​
University of Gothenburg: The University of Gothenburg Scholarship & Adlerbert Scholarship Foundation ​

PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMMES FOR EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND MOBILITY:

The International Science Programme (ISP) assists low-income countries to build and strengthen their domestic research capacity and postgraduate education in the basic sciences – chemistry, mathematics and physics. ISP is also engaged in the Swedish coordination of a number of bilateral programs, as well as in other collaborations, through special agreements. ISP is a unique program and functions as a national resource.

Linnaeus Palme Scholarship programmefor teachers and students

Linnaeus Palme is an exchange programme for teaching staff and students at undergraduate and graduate levels. The first part, Linnaeus, enables Swedish teachers and students to study in developing countries. The second part, Palme offers teachers and students in developing countries the chance to come to Sweden. The purpose is to strengthen Swedish teaching institutions’ co-operation with universities in developing countries in order to further global contacts in the university world.

Swedish Research Links Grants

The purpose of the Swedish Research Links programme is to support the development of long-term research partnerships between Swedish researchers and researchers within low-income and lower middle-income countries. The long-term aim of the programme is to contribute to mutual scientific and socioeconomic development of the countries involved. The program is open to researchers from all academic disciplines, covering theoretical as well as empirical, basic as well as applied fields of research. As from 2015, the countries eligible for these forms of collaborative research are the low income countries and the lower-middle income countries on the OECD/DAC lis​t.

Nordic Africa Institute Guest Researchers

The purpose of the Guest Researchers’ Scholarship Programme is to provide opportunities for scholars in Africa and the Nordic countries to pursue their own research projects. The programme offers scholars access to the Institute’s library and other resources. Through the programme, the Nordic Africa Institute can establish and maintain relations with and between African and Nordic research communities.

Nordic Africa Institute Travel Scholarship

The Nordic Africa Institute Travel Scholarships are intended for research and preparation of research projects. Research should concern development issues in Africa and emphasis is placed on social sciences (anthropology, history, economics, human geography, political sciences, sociology etc.) Scholarships are intended to cover travel expenses to Africa and to contribute to the cost of local travel and living expenses. Exceptionally, scholarships may be awarded for archive studies in Europe. MA and PhD students registered in educational programmes at Nordic universities, colleges and other research institutions in the Nordic countries are eligible for the scholarship.

Scholarship News