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.

One minute introduction to Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships

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 fellowship, PhD, Postdoc).
  Research scholarships are awarded for research or study at all Swiss cantonal universities, universities of applied sciences and the two federal institutes of technology, as well as the four research institutes. 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 (arts).
  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.

How to apply

Select the continent with your country of origin (this is the country according your passport) for receiving further information and the application documents.

Check the application deadline and the different types of scholarship on offer. These vary according to country. You will also find details where you can get answers to your questions.

Select the continent with your country
 

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 assesses scholarship applications according to three criteria:

1. Candidate profile
2. Quality of the research project or artistic work
3. Synergies and potential for future research cooperation

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 2023-24 academic year by the end of May 2023. Scholarships for the 2024-25 academic year will be advertised online from August 2023.