The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2021 is awarded each year by the Swiss confederation to promote international exchange and research cooperation between Switzerland and over 180 other countries. Candidates are selected by the awarding body, which is the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS).
The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships is targeted at young researchers from abroad who have completed a master’s degree or Ph.D. and at foreign artists holding a bachelor’s degree.
Types of Scholarship at Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2021
There are different types of Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2021 they include the following:
The research scholarship
This scholarship is available to post-graduate researchers in any discipline (who hold a master’s degree as a minimum), who are planning to come to Switzerland in a bid to pursue research or further studies at the doctoral or post-doctoral level.
Research scholarships are awarded for research or study at all Swiss cantonal universities, universities of applied sciences, and the two federal institutes of technology. It only considers candidates who are nominated by an academic mentor at one of these higher education institutions.
Art scholarship
The art scholarship is open to art students who wish to pursue an initial master’s degree in Switzerland.
Art scholarships are awarded for study at any Swiss conservatory or university of the arts. The art scholarship is available to students from a limited number of countries only.
Selection Criteria
FCS assesses scholarship applications according to three criteria:
They are:
- Candidate profile
- Quality of the research project or artistic work.
- Synergies and potential for future research cooperation.
Selection
Applications are subject to preliminary selection by the relevant national authorities and/or the Swiss Diplomatic Representation.
Short listed applications are thereafter assessed by the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS), which is the body that takes the final decision.
The FCS comprises of professors from all Swiss public universities. Scholarship awards are decided on the basis of academic and scientific excellence.
Scholarship Coverage
The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2021 offers recipient the following benefits:
- The scholarship value is at a monthly payment of CHF 1,920.
- For non-EU and non-EFTA, grantees only: the FCS pays a mandatory Swiss health insurance.
- No family allowances.
- Scholarship holders from non-EU and non-EFTA countries get a flight allowance (lump sum) for a ticket back to their country of origin (offered 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.
- The following are organized for Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship holders: support services and various trips, dinners and sightseeing tours.
- Candidates are advised to refer to the country-specific fact sheets for exact scholarship benefits.
Eligibility Criteria For Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2021
In order to qualify for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships 2021, candidates must fulfil all of the following requirements:
- Required Language: English
- Eligible Countries: All world countries
- Master’s degree or an equivalent University Degree achieved before 31 July 2021 (degree certificate) recognized by the Swiss University. As a proof, the degree must be submitted to the Federal Commission for Scholarships before the commencement of the scholarship.
- Applicants must be born after 31 December 1985
- Applicants that have been in Switzerland since more than a year at the beginning of the scholarship in September are not qualified.
- Applicants are to provide a letter from an academic host professor (including her/his short CV) at the chosen Swiss university confirming why she/he is willing to supervise as well as support the research. Without such support, the application will not be accepted.
- Applicants are to have a research proposal including a time frame. This is the centerpiece of the application. The applicant is advised to devote all the required attention to it.
- An applicant must be in command of the necessary language skills needed for the research/studies.
- Candidates who have already benefited from a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship are not eligible to apply for a second scholarship.
- Scholarship holders are expected to move to Switzerland during their grant period.
Awards
It is the FCS that announces its decisions as regards the new scholarship awards by the end of May at the latest.
Outlook
The FCS selects scholarship holders for the 2021-22 academic year by the end of May 2021. While scholarships for 2022-23 academic year will be advertised online come August 2021.
Caution!!!
This is a warning of fraud attempts as regards the Swiss Government Scholarships.
The State Secretariat for Education, Research, and Innovation issue this warning as regards the false advertisements for Swiss government scholarships sent by email or on social media. There are fraudsters who are offering fake scholarships in a bid to get their victims to transfer money by claiming that the money is required for Visa or social insurance costs.
The Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS) therefore recommends that members of the public are to ignore these fraudulent offers and above all should not transfer any money. The application process for a Swiss government scholarship is free of charge.
Swiss Government Scholarships are offered by the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students exclusively through Switzerland’s official diplomatic representations in the applicant’s countries of origin.
