Each year the Swiss Confederation awards Government Excellence Scholarships to promote international exchange and research cooperation between Switzerland and over 180 other countries. Recipients are selected by the awarding body, the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS).
The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships are aimed at young researchers from abroad who have completed a master’s degree or PhD and at foreign artists holding a bachelor’s degree.
Types of scholarship
- The research 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 to pursue research or further studies at 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. Only candidates nominated by an academic mentor at one of these higher education institutions will be considered. - Art scholarships are open to art students wishing to pursue an initial master’s degree in Switzerland.
Art scholarships are awarded for study at any Swiss conservatory or university of the arts. This scholarship is available to students from a limited number of countries only.
Selection criteria
The FCS assesses scholarship applications according to three criteria:
a) Candidate profile
b) Quality of the research project or artistic work
c) Synergies and potential for future research cooperation
Application procedure
Interested?
Select your country of origin according to your passport:
Countries A – L / Countries M – Z
Check the application deadline and the different types of scholarship on offer. These vary according to country. You will also find details of what to do next and where to get more information.
Selection
Applications are subject to preliminary selection by the relevant national authorities and/or the Swiss diplomatic representation. The short-listed applications are then assessed by the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS), which takes the final decision.
The FCS is composed of professors from all Swiss public universities. Scholarship awards are decided on the basis of academic and scientific excellence.
Awards
The FCS will announce its decisions regarding the new scholarship awards by the end of May at the latest.
Outlook
The FCS will select scholarship holders for the 2020-21 academic year by the end of May 2020. Scholarships for the 2021-22 academic year will be advertised online from August 2020 (to be confirmed).
The State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation issues this warning regarding false advertisements for Swiss government scholarships sent by email or on social media. Fraudsters are offering fake scholarships in an attempt to get their victims to transfer money (e.g. by claiming that this money is required for visa or social insurance costs).
