General

Swiss Government Scholarships for International Students

Othuke Andrew Akpeli9 years ago6 years ago015 mins

Swiss
Government, through the Federal Commission offers excellence scholarships for
foreign scholars and artists in Switzerland. Scholarships are available for
pursuing Ph.D., postdoctoral,
research programs and fine arts at one of the public funded universities or
recognized institution.

The
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships are aimed at young researchers from
abroad who have completed a master’s degree or Ph.D. and at foreign artists
holding a bachelor’s degree.

Each
year the Swiss Confederation awards Government Excellence Scholarships to
promote international exchange and research cooperation between Switzerland and
over 180 other countries. Recipients are selected by the awarding body, the
Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS).

Applicants
from outside the home country will often need to meet specific English
language/other language requirements in order to be able to study there.

Course
Level: Scholarships
are available for pursuing Ph.D., postdoctoral and research programs and
fine arts scholarships are for the Master program (according to the ECTS
credits).

Study
Subject(s): Scholarships
are offered in diverse fields to help students in upgrading their
education.

Scholarship
Award:
Scholarships will comprise of

PhD
Scholarships

The
scholarship amounts to a monthly payment of CHF 1,920.
Tuition
fees are waived.
For
non-EU and non-EFTA grantees only: mandatory Swiss health insurance is
paid by the FCS.
Non-European
grantees receive a lump sum for their airfare (provided at the end of the
scholarship).
Special
CHF 300 housing allowance (paid once at the beginning of the scholarship).
One-year
half-fare public transportation card.
Support
services and various trips, dinners and sightseeing tours organised for
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship holders.

Postdoctoral
scholarships:

The
scholarship amounts to a monthly payment of CHF 3,500.
Tuition
fees are waived.
For
non-EU and non-EFTA grantees only: mandatory Swiss health insurance is
paid by the FCS.
Non-European
grantees receive a lump sum for their airfare (provided at the end of the
scholarship).
Special
CHF 300 housing allowance (paid once at the beginning of the scholarship).
One-year
half-fare public transportation card.
Support
services and various trips, dinners and sightseeing tours organised for
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship holders

Research
scholarships

The
scholarship amounts to a monthly payment of CHF 1,920.
Tuition
fees are waived.
For
non-EU and non-EFTA grantees only: mandatory Swiss health insurance is
paid by the FCS.
Non-European
grantees receive a lump sum for their airfare (provided at the end of the
scholarship).
Special
CHF 300 housing allowance (paid once at the beginning of the scholarship).
One-year
half-fare public transportation card.
Support
services and various trips, dinners and sightseeing tours organised for
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship holders.

Fine
Arts

The
scholarship amounts to a monthly payment of CHF 1,920.
For
non-EU and non-EFTA grantees only: mandatory Swiss Health insurance is
paid by the FCS.
Non-European
grantees receive a lump sum for airfare (provided at the end of the
scholarship).
Special
CHF 300 housing allowance (paid once at the beginning of the scholarship).
One-year
half-fare public transportation card.
Support
services and various trips, dinners and sightseeing tours organised for
Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship holders.

Scholarship
can be taken in Switzerland

Eligibility:

PhD
Criteria

Master’s
degree or equivalent university degree recognised by the Swiss university.
The
applicant must not be over 35 years old at the time of the application.
Applicants
who are in Switzerland for more than one year at the beginning of the
scholarship in September are not eligible.
Applicants
must provide a letter (or email) from a professor at the Swiss host
institution stating that they are willing and entitled to supervise the
Ph.D.
In
those cases where the Ph.D. is pursued within a structured doctoral
school, applicants must include in their application an admission letter
or proof that they are being considered for admission. Without such a
document, the application will be rejected. For EPFL doctoral school
candidates, the admission letter from the EPFL doctoral school is
required. As this takes time, applicants must plan accordingly and submit
their application for admission to the EPFL doctoral school sufficiently
in advance of the scholarship programme deadline. Without these documents,
the application will be rejected.
Applicants
must have a research proposal including a timeframe (this is the central
piece of the application. The applicant must devote all required attention
to it).
Applicants
must be in command of the necessary language skills required for the Ph.D.
studies/research.
Applicants
who have already benefited from a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship
are not eligible to apply for a second scholarship.

Postdoctoral
Criteria

PhD
degree
No
more than five years may have passed between the award of the Ph.D. and
the application deadline.
Applicants
who are in Switzerland for more than one year at the beginning of the
scholarship in September are not eligible.
Applicants
must provide a letter (or email) from a professor at the Swiss host
institution stating that they are willing and entitled to supervise the
postdoctoral research. Without such confirmation, the application will be
rejected.
Applicants
must have a research proposal including a timeframe (this is the
centrepiece of the application. The applicant must devote all required
attention to it).
Applicants
must be in command of the necessary language skills required for the
postdoctoral research.
Applicants
who have already benefited from a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship
are not eligible to apply for a second scholarship.

Research
Criteria

Master’s
degree or equivalent university degree.
The
applicant must not be more than 35 years old at the time of the
application.
Applicants
who have been in Switzerland for more than one year at the beginning of
the scholarship in September are not eligible.
Applicants
must provide a letter (or e-mail) from a professor at the Swiss host
institution stating that they are willing to supervise the research.
Without such confirmation, the application will be rejected.
Applicants
must have a research proposal including a timeframe. This is the
centrepiece of the application. The applicant must devote all required
attention to it.
Applicants
must be in command of the necessary language skills required for the
research/studies.
Applicants
who have already benefited from a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship
are not eligible to apply for a second scholarship.

Fine
Arts Criteria

Bachelor’s
degree or equivalent.
The
candidate must not be over 35 years old at the time of the application.
The applicant should start their scholarship no later than three years
after graduating with their Bachelor’s degree.
Applicants
who have been in Switzerland for more than one year at the beginning of
the scholarship in September are not eligible.
Applicants
must be in command of the necessary language skills required for the
Master’s programme.
Applicants
who have already benefited from a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship
are not eligible to apply for a second scholarship.
Please Note:
The
application for a FCS Fine Arts Scholarship and the application for
admission by your chosen Swiss conservatory or art school (university of
applied sciences) are two separate procedures. FCS applicants have to
document that they have been accepted by an institution or that they are
being considered for admission. Without such a document, the application
will be rejected.

Nationality:
International
applicants are eligible to apply.

College
Admission Requirement

Entrance
Requirement: Applicants
must have their previous degree.

English
Language Requirements: Applicants from outside the home
country will often need to meet specific English language/other language
requirements in order to be able to study there.

How
to Apply:
The application package can be obtained by email from the Swiss Embassy.
Applications should be submitted in triplicate, with the number of copies
indicated (hard copies only). The original, signed documents and attested
translations should be submitted, along with two copies. The other two sets are
copies of the first set. For details see the Application Guidelines available
at their contact institution. The official FCS 2017-2018 application form
(typed and printed). Handwritten forms will not be accepted.

A
full curriculum vitae with list of academic publications.
A
letter of motivation (max. 2 pages).
A
complete research proposal (max. 5 pages). Use only the official research
proposal form provided with the application package.
A
copy of the letter or email from a professor at the chosen Swiss university
confirming that they are willing to supervise the Ph.D. studies.
Include
a short CV of your academic host supervisor.
Short
CV of your actual academic contact person/mentor at your home institution.
Photocopies
of all certificates and grade sheets from previously attended
universities/colleges and diplomas with grades. (If the originals are not
in English, French, German or
Italian,
the copies must be translated into one of these languages and attested.
Attestations can be made by a university or government officer.)
Two
letters of recommendation from professors in the applicant’s field (use
only the official reference form provided with the application package).
A
health certificate (use only the official health certificate provided with
the application package).
Each
application set should contain two copies of the applicant’s passport
(main page with personal data).