Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship for Top Scholars

Application for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2023-24 Foreign Scholars and Artists are welcome to study at any of the ten Swiss Public Universities, two Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology, public teaching and research institutes, and universities of applied sciences. The Swiss Confederation awards Government Excellence Scholarships each year to promote international exchange and research cooperation between Switzerland and more than 180 other countries.

Overview

The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships are intended for young foreign researchers with a master’s or PhD degree, as well as foreign artists with a bachelor’s degree.

You can apply for either of the two types of scholarships.

1. The research scholarship: is available to post-graduate researchers in any discipline (minimum master’s degree) who plan to come to Switzerland to conduct research or further their studies at the doctoral or post-doctoral level (research fellowship, PhD, Postdoc).
   All Swiss cantonal universities, universities of applied sciences, and the two federal institutes of technology, as well as the four research institutes, offer research scholarships for research or study.
2. Art scholarships: Available to art students pursuing an initial master’s degree in Switzerland (arts). Scholarships for study at any Swiss conservatory or university of the arts are available. This scholarship is only available to students from a select few countries.

Level/Field of Study

The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship is open to postgraduate students who intend to study at any of the accredited universities in Switzerland. There are no restrictions as to the course of study.

Host

The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship is organised and funded by The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) of the Government of Switzerland.

SERI is the federal government’s specialised agency in charge of national and international education, research, and innovation policy. They work with partners to ensure that Switzerland remains one of the top countries in the field of ERI. Its work includes federal subsidies to cantons for grant expenditures for Swiss students.

It is also in charge of allocating and awarding postgraduate study grants at the European University Institute in Florence, the College of Europe in Bruges, and Campus Natolin.

Eligibility for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship

You must meet the following requirements to be considered for the Excellence Scholarship:

• Hold a university degree (bachelor/Master’s) at the time the scholarship begins.
• Be able to demonstrate their academic abilities as well as their goals.
• You must be under the age of 35.
• Be sufficiently fluent in the language of instruction (French, German, Italian, or English)

Deadline for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship

The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship deadline is 30th November 2024.

Selection Criteria

Preliminary selection is made by the relevant national authorities and/or the Swiss diplomatic representation. The applications that are shortlisted are then evaluated by the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS), which makes the final selection.

The FCS evaluates scholarship applications based on three criteria:

• Candidate profile
• Quality of the research project or artistic work
• Synergies and potential for future research cooperation

The FCS is made up of professors from all of Switzerland’s public universities. Scholarships are awarded based on academic and scientific excellence.

Scholarship Award

The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships will be available for the duration of your studies with the following benefits

• Full Tuition fee
• Monthly Stipend.
• Accommodation

How to Apply for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship

Interested applicants must select the continent that corresponds to their country of origin (as indicated on their passport) in order to receive additional information and application documents.

Check the application deadline and the various types of scholarships available. These differ depending on the country. You will also find information on how to get answers to your questions.

To begin the application process, click the link below.