Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships - Eligibility, Application, Selection Process

Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships- The Swiss Confederation awards the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship every year to students from over 180 countries with the aim of promoting international exchange and cooperation in research between these countries and Switzerland. The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship awardees are selected by the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS). Among the many scholarships to study in Switzerland, this scholarship is awarded to international students who have completed their master’s degree and are planning to do doctoral or post-doctoral research in Switzerland. It is also given to students who wish to do a master’s degree in arts. The application for the scholarship for 2024-25 starts in August 2023. Read further for more details on the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship.

This Story also Contains

1. Application process for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships
2. Documents required for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships
3. Eligibility criteria-Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships
4. Selection process for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship
5. Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for Indian nationals
6. Scholarship amount

Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships- Highlights

Research scholarships are awarded to postgraduate researchers from any field who intend to study in cantonal universities, universities of applied sciences, four institutes of research and two federal institutes of technology.

The art scholarship is awarded to students who wish to do a master’s course in arts at any university of arts or Swiss conservatories in the country. It is open to students from a limited number of countries.

Application process for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships

• Students must check the different scholarship options available on the official website.

• They must select their country of origin from the list of countries on the official website.

• The next step is to check the list of scholarships available in their country and the application deadlines specific to their country.

• The deadline for submitting the application package is usually in early August.

• Students can expect to tentatively receive the application package from the Swiss representation in September.

• The application package submission deadline is usually between September and December.

• The selection of scholarship awardees by the FCS is made by the end of May.

• The scholarship will begin next September at the university where the student will study.

Since the Swiss Government Excellence scholarships deadline and the available scholarships vary for each country, students are advised to check the specific details related to their country on the Swiss Government Excellence scholarships official website before submitting their application.

Documents required for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships

Students must submit the following documents for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships

• FCS application form that has been typed and printed and signed by the student.

• Resume with details of academic publications and awards.

• Research proposal filled in the FCS research proposal form. This should be a maximum of five pages.

• Letter of motivation.

• Copies of mark sheets and certificates of the courses from the universities/colleges that students have attended previously with the most recent one being first. If the certificates are in a language other than English they must be translated into English. Original certificates should not be submitted.

• Copy of the letter from an academic host professor at the selected Swiss university which gives the reasons why he or she is willing to support the student’s research. This should also contain a short CV of the professor.

• A brief CV of the academic mentor from the university in the home country of the student.

• Two LORS which are confidential and from two different professors in the student’s field.

• A signed medical certificate using the FCS health certificate format.

Eligibility criteria-Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships

Here are the eligibility criteria for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for PhD and post-doctoral research courses.

• The student must have completed his master’s degree or an equivalent degree before July 31, 2022, and the degree must be recognised by the Swiss university.

• The degree must be submitted to the Federal Commission for Scholarships as proof before the start of the scholarship.

• Students must be born after December 31, 1987.

• Applicants must submit a letter from an academic host professor which should include a short CV of the professor at the chosen Swiss university with a confirmation of why the professor is willing to support the research. Without this letter, the application will not be considered.

• Students must submit a research proposal which should include a time frame. This is the most important part of the application and the applicant should pay specific attention to this part.

• Students should have the necessary language skills which are required for their research.

• Students who have stayed in Switzerland for more than one year before the beginning of the scholarship in September are not eligible.

• Students who have benefitted from a Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship previously are also not eligible.

• Students selected for the scholarship are expected to stay in Switzerland during the period of their scholarship.

Selection process for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship

The applications of students are evaluated by the authorities and the Swiss representation. The shortlisted applications are evaluated by the FCS which takes the final decision on approvals.

Applications for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships are assessed based on the candidate’s profile, the quality of the student’s research project and its research potential. The FCS includes professors belonging to all the public universities in Switzerland.

Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for Indian nationals

The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for Indian nationals are open to master's students, as well as those pursuing doctoral studies, fellowships, and postdoctoral positions. This integration opens the door for many students to explore educational paths in Switzerland.

The beneficiaries of these scholarships will receive benefits such as round-trip airfare, monthly allowance to cover living expenses, housing allowance to facilitate accommodation, card public transport half the price of a year's fare and tuition.

Scholarship amount

The scholarship amount of the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships will vary based on the type of scholarship. Here are more details:

• Post-doctoral scholarship- 3,500 Swiss francs per month

• Research scholarship- 1920 Swiss francs per month

• PhD scholarship- 1920 Swiss francs per month

• Arts scholarship- 1920 Swiss francs per month

Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships-Benefits

• Health insurance is provided to scholarship awardees from non-EU and non-EFTA countries.

• Scholarship awardees from these countries also receive a lump sum towards flight allowance for the trip back to their country of origin once the scholarship ends.

• A housing allowance of 300 Swiss francs is paid at the beginning of the scholarship.

• Family allowance is not provided.

• A halfway fare for one year for public transportation.

• Support services for trips and sightseeing tours organised for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship are provided by the Swiss government.

• Some benefits may be country-specific, awardees will have to refer to the specific country fact sheet for more details.

The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship is one of the top scholarships to study abroad. It aims to encourage research scholars from various countries to pursue research in fields that Swiss universities are well known for.