Ghent University PhD Scholarship for Developing Countries, 2023

Applications for the 2023 Ghent University PhD Scholarship for Developing Countries is now open. With support from its “Special Research Fund” (BOF), Ghent University grants Ph.D. scholarships to promising Ph.D. students from developing countries who wish to carry out half of their Ph.D. research at Ghent University and half in a university in a developing country. No restrictions will be imposed relating to the fields of research, nevertheless, preference will be given to topics that are relevant for the South-North Context

These grants take the form of a so-called “sandwich” scholarship: the candidate obtains from Ghent University a scholarship for 24 months to work (within a span of 48 months) on the Ph.D. at Ghent University. The candidate must take up this 24-month scholarship in Ghent in a minimum of two separate stays: one at the start and one at the end of the PhD. The scholarship holder will receive a monthly income from Ghent University only during their stay at Ghent University. The rest (24 months) of the Ph.D. research will be carried out at the partner university in the South, for which no funding is provided through this scholarship

Founded in 1817, Ghent University (UGent; Dutch: Universiteit Gent) is a public research university located in Ghent, Belgium. Ghent University is one of the biggest Flemish universities with a total of 44,00 students and 9,000 staff. Its 11 faculties offer wide academic programs, including courses in every scientific discipline. The university has an average research investment of £180million per year. UGent consistently ranks among the top 100 universities in the world with a global reputation that attracts talented students and teachers. UGent counts among its alumni world-class scientists such as Robert Cailliau, who collaborated with Tim Berners-Lee in developing the internet, and the astronaut Dirk Frimout.

Program Details

• Host Institution: Ghent University, Belgium.
• Fields of Study: PhD Programs at the University.
• Number of awards: Not Specified.
• Duration: 24 months at Ghent University (North) and 24 months the partner university in the South.
• Target group: Open to citizens of developing countries. Please find the full list below.

Ghent University PhD Scholarship Benefits

Selected candidates for this scholarship to study in Europe will have the following benefits:

• The amount of the scholarship is approximately € 2.352 per month for the part of the PhD done in Ghent.
• The Ghent University promoter receives a bench fee of €310/per month of research in Ghent + €8000 travel budget to cover (part of) the operational costs, as well as part of the traveling costs of the student and both the Ghent University and the local promoter.
• 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 a partner institution in the South.

Eligible Countries for the Ghent University Scholarship

Please find below, the list of developing countries that are eligible for the Ghent University PhD Scholarship program.

Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia,

Madagascar, Malawi, Mali Samoa, Mauritania, Micronesia, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tokelau, Tunisia, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, West Bank and Gaza Strip, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Ghent University PhD Scholarship Eligibility

To apply for this university scholarship, candidates must meet the following requirements:

• come from – and have the nationality of – one of the selected countries in the South.
• have the full support (and invitation) of a Ghent University professor who is willing to act as the supervisor of their PhD in Ghent. Without this support, students cannot apply for this scholarship.
• intend to obtain a Ghent University PhD degree, exchange PhD students are not eligible.
• prove that they will be able to work on the PhD project for 24 months at a university or research centers situated in one of the selected countries (see full list above) and will dispose of sufficient financial means. This implies that there must be:
  1. A local PhD supervisor at the university or research centre situated in one of the selected countries (‘South’).
  2. A written and signed statement from that university’s authorities stating that the candidate is either a PhD student or a staff member of this university/research centre and will receive a full-time scholarship or fulltime salary for a period of 24 months when working on the PhD at the partner university in the South.
  3. The partner university in the South must guarantee in this statement that the candidate will be sufficiently exempted from teaching or other assignments as to be able to fully concentrate on the PhD research while working in the South.
  4. Research proposals must be relevant for the North-South context.

Mobility scheme of the scholarship

The following mobility scheme is mandatory:

• Students need to start and end with a research stay of 3-12 months in Ghent.
• The first research stay in Ghent needs to be started between 1 October 2023 and 29 February 2024.
• At least 24 months of a locally funded research stay in the South must be scheduled between the first and last research stay in Ghent.

Similar opportunities

1. Lester B. Pearson scholarship for international students to study in Canada;
2. ENS International Selection Scholarship for All;
3. Singapore University of Technology and Design Scholarships.

How to Apply for the Ghent University PhD Scholarship

Interested candidates need to click here to download the application form. They must then fill it and send it to the following email address: [email protected].

The Ghent University supervisor must submit the following 2 documents:

• An advice on the candidate, stating the supervisors’ opinion on the capability of the candidate as a future researcher (Please click here to download the form)
• An advice on the ethical and biosafety context of the proposed research project (Please click here to download the form).

The applications for doctoral grants for candidates from developing countries must be submitted in English.

The deadline to submit applications for this scholarship program is February 2, 2023 at 23:59 (Belgian time). It is important to visit the official website for detailed information on the Ghent University PhD Scholarship. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.