Opens for applications February 4th
Overview
Swedish Institute Scholarships for the Western Balkans and Turkey are open for citizens of the Western Balkans and Turkey, for master’s degree studies starting in the autumn semester 2019. The scholarships are provided within the SI Scholarships for the Western Balkans and the Swedish-Turkish Scholarship Programme.
We offer scholarships to a number of master’s programmes for full-time degree studies in Sweden starting in the autumn semester 2019. Check the list of master’s programmes that are eligible for scholarships for the Western Balkans and Turkey.
- To begin with, apply for a master’s programme at universityadmissions.se, between 16 October 2018 – 15 January 2019.
- Apply for an SI scholarship between 4-14 February 2019, follow the instructions below.
In this call for applications, up to 12 scholarships will be available for applicants from the six Western Balkan countries, and an estimated 8 scholarships will be available for applicants from Turkey.
What’s included
The scholarship covers
- Tuition fees: directly paid to the Swedish university by us
- Living expenses of SEK 10,000/month
- Travel grant of SEK 5,000
- Insurance against illness and accident
- Membership of the SI Network for Future Global Leaders (NFGL) – a platform to grow professionally and build your network, while in Sweden
- Membership of the SI Alumni Network after your scholarship period – a platform for continued networking and further professional development
The scholarship does not cover:
- Additional grants for family members.
- Application fee to University Admissions.
Scholarship period
The scholarship is intended for full-time one-year or two-year master’s programmes, and is only awarded for programmes starting in the autumn semester. The scholarship is granted for one academic year (two semesters) at a time. It will be extended for programmes longer than two semesters, provided that the student has passed his/her courses/credits.
Scholarship holders enrolled in one-year master’s programmes (60 credits) may apply for a scholarship extension to pursue an unpaid internship in Sweden or in their home country. The internship may last for a period of up to 5 months beyond the ordinary scholarship period.
The scholarship period cannot be changed or extended beyond the awarded scholarship period, nor can the scholarship be transferred to a study programme other than the awarded master’s programme.
The competition for SI scholarships is very high. We recommend that you also look for other scholarship opportunities from your Government, from organisations in your country, or from Swedish universities.
Criteria
Priority will be given to applicants with demonstrated work and leadership experience from civil society.
Read more about the criteria for work and leadership experience
You must be liable to pay tuition fees to Swedish universities, have followed the steps of university admission, and be admitted to one of the eligible master’s programmes by 4 April 2019.
Read more about our criteria regarding University Admissions
Only citizens of one of the six Western Balkan countries or Turkey are eligible for this scholarship programme.
There are also conditions regarding dual citizenship, previous residence and studies in Sweden, and more.
Who we are looking for
The Swedish-Turkish Scholarship Programme and SI Scholarships for the Western Balkans are part of the Swedish government’s international awards scheme aimed at developing global leaders. They are funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden and administered by the Swedish Institute (SI). The programmes offer a unique opportunity for future leaders to develop professionally and academically, to experience Swedish society and culture, and to build a long-lasting relationship with Sweden and with each other.
The goal is to assist the countries in the Western Balkans and Turkey to forge closer links with the European Union. Both programmes are governed by the Results strategy for Sweden’s reform cooperation with the Western Balkans and Turkey and in line with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Thematically the programmes focus on the following Sustainable Development Goals:
- Goal 5: Gender equality
- Goal 10: Reduced inequalities
- Goal 16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
Required documents
You should only submit the required documents listed below in your online scholarship application. We will not consider any other documents than the required ones. You must complete your applications in English. Use our forms and templates provided below and complete them according to the instructions, or else your applications will be disqualified.
- A motivation letter: You must use the SI form for motivation letter for applicants from the Western Balkans and Turkey. You will need to fill in and upload the motivation letter as a PDF-file on the application portal during the application period. The form will be available here in January 2019.
- A Curriculum Vitae (CV): you must use the template for applicants from the Western Balkans and Turkey. The CV should not exceed three pages. Additional pages will not be considered. It must be uploaded as one PDF. The template will be available here in December 2018 (preliminary).
- One or two letters of reference: the letter(s) of reference can be in a free format, or you can use the SI form for applicants from the Western Balkans and Turkey. At least one of the letters must prove your work and leadership experience. If applicable, the letter(s) should certify your involvement in networks or civil society organisations. The letter(s) must be signed by the referee, and if possible stamped with an official stamp of the referred organisation.You can find more information in our FAQ. There will also be an instruction in the form. The form will be available here in December 2018 (preliminary).
- A copy of your passport: your personal data including name, citizenship and photograph must be shown clearly. Copy of your valid passport should be included with the CV as a last fourth page.
Make sure you have a complete application
A complete application must consist of:
- a completed motivation letter in the SI form
- CV in the SI template
- one or two valid and completed letters of reference
- a copy of your valid passport
If your application is missing one of the required documents above, it will be disqualified.
If you apply to several master’s programmes
You need to submit a separate copy of your scholarship application for each eligible master’s programme that you have applied to. For example, if you have applied to the maximum of four master’s programmes on universityadmissions.se, you must submit four separate and complete online scholarship applications. Each application must have all the required documents attached. You may use the same documents for each application, or create unique ones for each master’s programme. You should use the same account at the application portal to submit all your scholarship applications and you should provide the same e-mail address for all your scholarship applications.
Data protection and integrity
The Swedish Institute (SI) is a public agency. As such, all applications received by SI are in the public domain. We use the personal information you give us to process your application. If your application is granted, we will continue to use this personal information in order to handle your scholarship. We deal with this information in accordance with the Swedish Principle of Public Access to Information and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Your personal information is handled by SI employees as well as outside experts who have signed a contract of compliance. For more information please read SI’s privacy policy.
Scholarship & Career 