Scholarships for masters (ICP Connect)

Candidates that meet the following criteria may apply for an ICP Connect scholarship:

• Nationality and country of residence: Candidates’ must be nationals of one of the 29 eligible countries and must be a resident of one of these countries (not necessarily the same country) at the time of application. Check our list of countries eligible for scholarships. 
• Age: Candidates cannot be older than 35 on January 1 of the year of intake for an initial master and 45 for an advanced master.
• Professional background and experience: Preference will be given to candidates employed in higher education, government or civil society, or those targeting a career in one of these sectors. Candidates employed in the private sector or newly graduated candidates with no work experience may also be considered if they provide a strong motivation and profile.
• Scholarship applications: Candidates may apply for only one ICP Connect scholarship application per year.
• Previously awarded scholarships: Candidates may not have previously received a scholarship from the Belgian government to attend a study programme and may not have enrolled in a study programme at a Belgian higher education institution before January 1 of the year of intake.

* Please note that additional criteria may be imposed by individual institutions.

Within the ICP Connect framework, scholars are seen as potential agents of change that may contribute to societal change in their home country (or region) after completing their studies. Scholars are selected following an objective evaluation of their scholarship applications based on the following criteria:

• Motivation: Candidates' motivation and professional goals must reflect their competence in transferring knowledge/skills or setting up extension activities and highlighting themes relevant to sustainable development and pertinent to the study programme. Not only are academic results important, but so are - especially - the potential and commitment of the candidates to become an 'agent of change' after completing their studies.
• Professional experience: Preference will be given to candidates who can demonstrate a greater chance of implementing and/or transferring newly gained knowledge/skills upon completion in a sustainable development context, such as in the higher education sector, government, civil society or the private sector, thereby contributing to positive societal change.
• Gender balance: A balance between male and female candidates awarded ICP Connect scholarships is targeted. VLIR-UOS strongly encourages female candidates to apply. Read more about our gender policy here.
• Regional balance: A reasonable cross-section of scholars from different countries and regions is targeted, provided there are sufficient qualified candidates.
• Leave No One Behind (LNOB): In case of equally qualified candidates, preference will be given to candidates from vulnerable groups.
• Previously awarded scholarship: Preference will be given to candidates who have never received a scholarship to study in a higher income country (bachelor or master). 

VLIR-UOS supports a selection of 10 initial and 5 advanced master programmes. Check out our one- and two-year programmes below.

Advanced masters (one-year)

• Master of Human Settlements
• Master of Development Evaluation and Management
• Master of Governance and Development
• Master of Globalisation and Development
• Master of Cultural Anthropology and Development Studies (CADES)

Initial masters (two-year)

• International Master of Science in Agro- and Environmental Nematology
• International Master of Science in Rural Development
• Master of Aquaculture
• Master of Epidemiology
• Master of Science in Food Technology
• Master of Science in Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management
• Master of Statistics and Data Science
• Master in Sustainable Development
• Master of Transportation Sciences - Road Safety
• Master of Water Resources Engineering

VLIR-UOS scholarships cover tuition fees, travel, insurance and living expenses (board and lodging). We only offer scholarships for the full duration of the Master's programme (12/24 months). It is not possible to apply for a partial scholarship or an extension.

Scholarship costs may change in line with government funding decisions. You can find the current scholarship framework here.

Five steps to apply for a scholarship:

• Confirm your eligibility based on all given criteria.
• Take a look at the selected Master's programmes (15).
• Learn more about the Master's programmes on their respective websites
• If you are interested in a specific programme, go to the website of the university organising this and follow the instructions.
• On the university website, apply for admission to the programme as well as for the scholarship itself. When you apply for the programme, be sure to mention whether you wish to apply for a scholarship. Do not apply for more than one Master's programme per year.

What happens next?

Deadlines are determined by the programme. We receive selection results from the programme organisers.

We will contact selected candidates as well as the candidates on the waiting list by e-mail as soon as possible after selection, no later than mid-June.

For questions regarding your application or selection process, please contact the university directly.

Flanders - the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium - is a great destination for students from around the world. Studying in Antwerp, Brussels, Ghent, Hasselt or Leuven means being welcomed by an open and multilingual society. Our higher education that offers excellent value for money in a financially sound area in the heart of Europe, boasting a high quality of life.

Meet Sesam from Indonesia who got a VLIR-UOS scholarship!