DAAD Scholarships for Young Professionals from Developing Countries

Published by tatjana

Deadline: DAAD in Bonn: 31 August; University: 30 September or 15 October
Open to: young professionals from developing countries
Scholarship: monthly scholarship installment EUR 750, costs for health, accident and liability insurance in Germany, adequate travelling allowance, annual research grant

Description

From among the large number of postgraduate courses offered by German institutions of higher education, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) supports a carefully chosen selection of programmes of particular interest to junior executives from developing countries. These degree courses, which consist of one to two years of concentrated study, provide young, academically-trained professionals in leading positions from developing countries with the opportunity to engage in postgraduate education and training in their particular field or profession. At present, postgraduate courses are offered in the following fields:

  • Economic Sciences/ Business Administration/ Political Economics
  • Development Co-operation
  • Engineering and Related Sciences
  • Mathematics
  • Regional Planning
  • Agriculture and Forest Sciences
  • Environmental Sciences
  • Medicine and Public Health
  • Veterinary Medicine
  • Social Sciences and Education
  • Media Studies

Eligibility

The candidate:

  • Works either for a public authority or a state or private company in a developing country (list of developing countries HERE) and, as such, is engaged in the planning and execution of directives and projects with emphasis on development policie
  • Holds a Bachelor’s degree (four years) in a related subject;
  • Has completed an academic degree with far above average results (upper third) and at least two years of related professional experience;
  • Is no older than 36 (for some courses the age limit is 32), respectively his/her academic degrees should normally not be more than six years old.

Language skills:

  • For courses in German: DSH 2 or TestDaF 4; at time of application German skills at completed level A2 are required. In addition, German language courses at level A2 or B1 are highly recommended (Exception: Candidates for some German-speaking or bilingual courses need a very good command of German at the time of application.)
  • For courses in English: IELTS (Band 6) certificate or TOEFL (minimum score: 550 paper based, 213 computer based, 80 internet based)

Priority target candidates have proven, development-related motivation and can be expected to make full use of their scholarship and education by taking on social responsibility later in their careers.

Scholarship

The DAAD pays a monthly scholarship installment, currently set at EUR 750. In addition, the scholarship includes costs for health, accident and liability insurance in Germany and an adequate travelling allowance, in so far as the home country or another donor is not already covering these expenses. Furthermore, the DAAD pays an annual research grant. However, the universities might charge additional fees not covered by the scholarship (e.g., enrollment fee, semester ticket, etc).

Application

All applicants should state their current work situation at the time of application and a statement of motivation explaining why they are interested in attending a particular postgraduate course with reference to their current employment. Required documents include:

  • DAAD application form (available HERE)
  • Hand-signed Europass CV
  • Hand-signed Letter of Motivation (with reference to current occupation)
  • Research Proposal (if required by university)
  • Academic Letter/s of Recommendation from your university; the letter must have a signature and official stamp and must be of recent date (not in a sealed envelope)
  • Professional Letter/s of recommendation from your employer; the letter must have a signature and official stamp and must be of recent date (not in a sealed envelope)
  • Certificate(s) of Employment from the employer in the home country and if possible, a guarantee of re-employment upon returning home.
  • Proof of Language Skills: English – IELTS or TOEFL (Note: The institutional TOEFL is not accepted.); German – required for courses taught in German; for courses taught in English, if available
  • Certified copies of Academic Degrees
  • Certified copies of Academic Transcripts
  • Certified copy of School Leaving Certificate

Scholarship applicants from developing countries (check HERE) can apply at the German embassy or DAAD regional office, directly at the DAAD in Bonn or directly to the university. The general closing dates for applications are as follows:

  • German Embassy/DAAD Regional Office: 31 July
  • DAAD in Bonn: 31 August
  • University: 30 September or 15 October

If applying to DAAD, please be sure to address applications directly to DAAD Section 431 to the address:
Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst
Kennedyallee 50
53175 Bonn
Postfach 20 04 04
Germany

Please note, that some courses may expect a different age limit, or language skills level, some courses may require additional documents, application closing dates may vary, etc. For detailed information see the relevant course description HERE.

For more information please visit the official website.