The University of Ghent is offering Special Research Fund-Doctoral Scholarships for Developing Countries. Ghent University Scholarships are available for PhD students who wish to carry out half of their PhD research at Ghent University and half at a university in a developing country.

With support from its “Special Research Fund” (BOF), Ghent University wishes to support university research groups or research centres in developing countries in their aim to grow into excellent research centres by upgrading local academic personnel. 

Ghent University is a top 100 university and one of the major universities in Belgium. Our 11 faculties offer a wide range of courses and conduct in-depth research in both exact and social sciences. Ghent University aims to encourage its students to adopt a critical approach within a creative, development-oriented educational and research environment.

To be able to determine the proficiency of someone’s knowledge of Dutch or English, Ghent University uses the Common European Framework Reference for Foreign Languages. There are six foreign language proficiency levels and is a basis for the recognition of language qualifications.

Scholarship Description:

• Application deadline: March 6, 2018
• Course Level: Scholarships are available for PhD students who wish to carry out half of their PhD research at Ghent University and half at a university in a developing country.
• Study Subject: No restrictions are imposed on the field of research, nevertheless preference will be given to topics that are relevant for development. Relevance for development measures the degree in which the action of development corresponds with the expectations of the beneficiaries, the needs of the country, global priorities and the policies of partners and donors.
• Scholarship Award: 
  • PhD scholarship at Ghent University  (24 months).
  • 24 months of PhD research will be executed at the partner university in the South, for which no funding is provided through this scholarship. This part of the research (24 months) must be funded (e.g. local PhD scholarship or salary) at the partner institution in the South.
  • The Ghent University promoter receives a bench fee of €15.440 to cover (part of) the operational costs, as well as part of the travelling costs of the student and both the Ghent University and the local promoter.
• Number of Scholarships: Not given
• Nationality: Students of developing country
• Scholarship can be taken in Belgium and Developing Countries

Eligibility for the Scholarship:

• Eligible Countries: Students of developing country can apply for these scholarships.List of Countries: Afghanistan, Kenya, Armenia, Brazil, Angola, Korea, Dem.Rep., Bolivia, China, Bangladesh, Tajikistan, Cameroon, Colombia, Benin, Timor-Leste,Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Yemen, Zambia,  Zimbabwe, Cabo Verde, Cuba, Bhutan, Congo, Dominican Republic, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Burundi, Egypt , Jordan, Cambodia, El Salvador, Mexico, Central African Rep., Georgia, Peru, Chad, Ghana, Suriname, Comoros, Guatemala, Thailand, Congo, Dem. Rep., Guyana, Tunisia, Djibouti, Honduras, Uruguay, Equatorial, Guinea, India, South Africa, Eritrea, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Kosovo, Gambia, Kyrgyztan, Guinea, Micronesia, Guinea-Bissau, Moldova, Haiti, Mongolia, Kiribati, Morocco, Laos People’s Democratic Republic, Nicaragua, Lesotho, Nigeria, Liberia, Pakistan, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, Malawi, Paraguay, Mali, Philippines, Mauritania, Samoa, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Swaziland, Nepal, Syrian Arab Republic, Niger, Tokelau, Rwanda, Ukraine, São Tomé and Principe, Uzbekistan, Senegal, Vietnam, Sierra Leone, West Bank and Gaza Strip, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Tanzania
• Entrance Requirements: Before applying for a PhD scholarship at Ghent university students Always need to find a professor from Ghent University who is willing to act as the supervisor (‘promoter’) of their doctoral research and who agrees to support their application. The best way to do this is by browsing the list of faculties and research topics available on our research directory
  • The proposals must be jointly submitted by a candidate, a promoter at Ghent University and a supervisor at the partner university.
  • No restrictions are imposed on the field of research, nevertheless  preference will be given to topics that are relevant for development
  • Development relevance relates to the extent to which the proposals’ objectives are consistent with beneficiaries’ requirements, country needs, synergy opportunities, global priorities and partners’ and donors’ policies.
  • Candidates need to come from – and have the nationality of – a developing country
  • There must be a guarantee that the candidate will be able to work fulltime on the PhD project for a period of 24 months at the partner university in a selected developing country (South). This implies that the following conditions needs to be fulfilled:
  • there must be a local PhD supervisor at the partner university or research center in the South;
  • A written  statement is requested stating that the candidate is either a funded fulltime PhD student or a staff member at this partner university
  • and will be sufficiently exempted from teaching or other assignments as to be able to fully concentrate on the PhD research in the South.
  • This statement should also mention that the candidate receives a local PhD scholarship or salary for a period of 24 months when working on the PhD at the partner university in the South.
  • This cofunding is only intended for students who  want to obtain a (joint ) PhD degree at Ghent University .
• English Language Requirements: To be able to determine the proficiency of someone’s knowledge of Dutch or English, Ghent University uses the Common European Framework Reference for Foreign Languages. There are six foreign language proficiency levels and is a basis for the recognition of language qualifications.

Developing Countries Scholarships

Application Procedure:

Introduction  The application has to be submitted electronically.

How to Apply: The application has to be submitted electronically.

Application Form

Scholarship Link