Master & Doctoral Scholarships, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Japan

GRIPS Admissions Policy

GRIPS Seeks to Cultivate
• Professionals equipped with the skills to identify real policy issues, for the thorough analysis of policies and development of practical solutions, including policy formulation and evaluation
• High-level researchers and experts in policy studies, as well as policy leaders for international organizations, national governments, and societies worldwide

Basic Admissions Policy
• To admit students who are both capable and enthusiastic about acquiring the skills needed to analyze policy issues from an academic standpoint
• To admit not only a significant number of aspiring researchers on an ongoing basis, but also talented young and middle-echelon administrators and professionals who will spearhead policymaking worldwide, including in Japan
• To admit a significant number of foreign students from all over the world
• To admit students of diverse backgrounds without regard to their field of undergraduate specialization

General:

Each academic year, GRIPS admits 250 students for Master’s programs and 24 students for doctoral programs. For those who enter GRIPS in October, the academic year for Master's programs operates from October through next September.

For Master’s programs, deadlines to apply are set by each program in order to accommodate the selection process of scholarship sponsors. Roughly speaking, the deadline to apply for a scholarship is in early November. The final results of screening will be announced by the end of July at the latest.

For the Ph.D. and Doctoral programs, the application deadline varies depending on whether you seek financial aid, and whether you are a current or past GRIPS student. See Ph.D. and Doctoral Programs Summary table for more information.

For further details on the application process, check the "how to apply" section.

Deadlines for 2012 admission:
The application deadline is subject to change on short notice, through directive from the Japanese Government (MEXT). This change is exclusively for MP1, PA, Ph. D. applicants.

• December 2, 2011: Policy Analysis Program, Doctoral Programs and *One-year Master’s Program of Public Policy (MP1) /*for scholarship applicants only. Note: Please make sure to obtain ID & Password for the online application by Entry Form no later than November 25, 2011.
• January 13, 2012: *Two-year Master’s Program of Public Policy (MP2) /*for scholarship applicants only. Note: Please make sure to obtain ID & Password for the online application by submitting the Entry Form no later than January 6, 2012.
• February 23, 2012: Public Finance Program. Note: Please make sure to obtain ID & Password for the online application by submitting the Entry Form no later than February 16, 2012.
• May 14, 2012**: MP1, MP2 and Macroeconomic Policy Program /**for applicants supported with any other scholarship and self-financed. Note: Please make sure to obtain ID & Password for the online application by submitting the Entry Form no later than May 7, 2012.

Notes

1. Letters of recommendation must be submitted in sealed envelopes, signed across the seal. Recommendations should be written by people who have supervised the applicant either in an academic or work capacity. For MP1, MP2 and Doctoral programs, preferably, one letter should be written by a university professor and the other should be written by a senior member of the applicant’s present work place.
2. An official copy means a certified true copy of the original document with an official seal obtained from the administration office of the university attended. A true copy of the original document certified by a notary public may also be accepted. Copies attested by organizations/persons not having notary/legal functions will not be accepted or considered for screening.
3. All documents must be presented in English. Translations in English without an official seal obtained from the administration office of the university attended or without a signature of the recommender or the drawer of the document are not acceptable.
4. Faxed documents and digital copies sent through e-mail are not acceptable.

Admissions Office
National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies
7-22-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-8677 Japan
admissions@grips.ac.jp
Tel: +81-(0)3-6439-6046
Fax: +81-(0)3-6439-6050

visit official website

South Asian and South-East Asian Student Scholarships in Europe

Scholarship Title: EU-funded programme- Erasmus Mundus Action 2 – Scholarship for South Asian Countries

Scholarship Description: The EXPERTS scholarship offers a unique opportunity for full-financed mobility for individuals from the partner countries. EXPERTS is part of the large-scale, EU-funded programme- Erasmus Mundus Action 2.

EXPERTS I  and its successor, EXPERTS  II  are scholarship projects funded by the European Commission targeted at citizens of Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

In accordance with the EMA2 call, the objective of the EXPERTS project is to facilitate collaborations between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from South and Southeast Asia (SSEA) and EU through the exchange of information in science and policy issues while sharing key issues of sustainable development in academic cooperation.

The project provides the following mobility scholarships from South and South-East Asia to European partner universities (Please note- there are no scholarships from EU to SSEA)-

Undergraduate and graduate students
PhD students
PostDocs
Staff (both academic and administrative)

The EXPERTS aims to establish an innovative framework for capacity development of junior faculty staff, undergraduates, postgraduates, and postdoc researchers through training and upgrading their skills in specified fields of study through a scheme of structured mobility.

Scholarship Application Deadline: 16:00 CET on 10 February 2012

Courses: Undergraduate, Masters, Graduate, PhD and PostDocs

Scholarship Open For International Students: Yes

How to Apply:

Detailed information about the application procedure and documents required can be here.

Evaluation of applications: eligibility check and quality assessment can be found here.

For more Scholarship Information and Application

Reserve Bank of New Zealand University Scholarships, New Zealand

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand offers two scholarships each year to students who are majoring in Economics, Finance or Banking and who are entering their Honours, Masters or final year of PhD study. Students must have attained at least a B+ average and be studying full time over the academic year.

The value of each scholarship will be $10,000. This money will be paid fortnightly during the academic year.

In addition to the $10,000, an offer of employment is provided at the completion of your qualification. It is important to note that a condition of receipt of the scholarship is that you must accept the position with the Reserve Bank and must remain in that position for a specified period of time. Should this condition not be met you will be required to repay the sum of the scholarship payments made to you.

We welcome applications from international students, provided you are legally entitled to work in New Zealand.

Once short listing has been completed, successful applicants will be asked to attend a half day interview process at the Bank in Wellington. This typically takes place at the beginning of February.

For further information please contact:

 

Nikki Chalmers
Human Resources Adviser
Reserve Bank of New Zealand
Telephone: (04) 471 3680
Email: nikki.chalmers@rbnz.govt.nz

Applications for the 2012 Scholarship round close on Wednesday 18 January 2012.

Please download an application form in either word or pdf format.

University of Groningen Talent Grant: Eric Bleumink Fund

 

Selection criteria

Purposes:	Master programme, Master (MSc/MA/LL.M.), Ph.D.
Programmes:	All
Countries of origin:	Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Cape Verde, Central African Replublic, Chad, Comoros, Congo, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, China, Colombia, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kiribati, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Maldives, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Moldova, Mongolia, Macedonia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Morocco, Nepal, Niger, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Namibia, Niue, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Autonomous Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Samoa, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sudan, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tokelau, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tanzania, Togo, Tuvalu, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Wallis and Futuna, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe, East Timor, South Korea

Additional information

Eligible candidates:	Criteria for approval are: (a) academic excellence, shown by academic performance and may be confirmed by letters of recommendation from university professors; (b) contribution of candidate’s education in terms of strengthening the scientific capacity in the candidate’s home country; (c) perspectives to a long-term linkage between the home institution and the University of Groningen Extra criteria for PhD candidates are: applicant should be employed by a research institute of university in one of the listed countries and receive an income from the home institution, application should be supported by this organization, the University of Groningen must be able to provide an academic supervisor who will be responsible for the scientific supervision of the research
Grant information:	The grant is usually awarded for a maximum of 2 years for a Master’s degree programme . The grant covers the tuition fees plus the costs of international travel, subsistence, books, and health insurance.  For specific information, please check the rules & regulations [PDF].
Grant provider:	University of Groningen
Deadline:	Applicants need to meet the deadline of the Master’s programmes. Application forms for Master’s programmes can be found through the website or Admissions Offices . Application deadline for the scholarship is 22 February.
Application:	Applications for student scholarships can be submitted by students from one of the eligible countries for a Master’s or equivalent programme at the University of Groningen. Master's degree programmes: A step-by-step application guide 1. First the candidate should apply for admission to a study programme at the University of Groningen . 2. When the candidate applies for this admission, he or she must indicate on the application form that his/her study performance is excellent and that he/she wishes to be nominated for a Eric Bleumink Fund scholarship. 3. If the study programme agrees with the candidacy for a EBF scholarship, they will send a standard application form including the motivation of the candidate to the Board of the Eric Bleumink Fund prior to 1 March. Per studyprogramme only two candidates can be nominated. 4. The Board of the Eric Bleumink Fund will take a decision during their meeting in March. 5. The studyprogramme and the candidate will both be informed on the decision taken by the Board. 6. If a candidate is selected the coordinator and the candidate will have contact on the details of his or her arrival. If necessary he/she can contact the Board of the Eric Bleumink Fund for extra assistance.
More information:	Website Eric Bleumink Fund. For detailed information regarding the scholarship programme, please contact the office of the Ubbo Emmius Fonds. E-mail: msd@rug.nl. Postal address: Eric Bleumink Fund, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 72, 9700 AB Groningen, The Netherlands.

visit official website

Adelaide Scholarships International (ASI), University of Adelaide

The University of Adelaide offers a scholarships scheme for international students undertaking postgraduate research study. Its purpose is to attract high quality overseas postgraduate students to areas of research strength in the University of Adelaide to support its research effort. The selection for scholarships is extremely competitive.

A number of ASI scholarships may be available in the mid year round of scholarships for semester 2, 2012 to outstanding international students from any country undertaking postgraduate research in any academic discipline.

The ASI provides:

1. Course tuition fees for two years for a Masters degree by Research and three years for a Doctoral research degree (an extension is possible for doctoral programs only);
2. An annual living allowance of approximately $23,728 (2012 value) for the normal duration of the program; and
3. If the award holder holds a subclass 574 visa the award covers the cost of compulsory standard Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) Worldcare policy for the student and their spouse and dependents (if any) for the period of the scholarship. If the award holder does not hold a subclass 574 visa then he/she is responsible for the cost of health insurance.

The scholarship does NOT cover visa application fees.

Applicants should hold at least the equivalent of an Australian First Class Honours degree. This is a four year degree with a major research project in the final year. Other criteria that will be taken into consideration is undergraduate performance, bachelor and honours awards and scholarships, other postgraduate degrees, publications in internationally refereed journals, the presentation of conference papers and relevant industry experience.

Applications for these scholarships are always highly competitive.  Generally ASI recipients have completed a Masters degree including a significant research component and have several publications and relevant work and research experience.

Conditions

• ASI Scholarship will be awarded strictly on academic merit. Extra-curricular achievements will not be considered.
• Citizens and Permanent Residents of Australia, and citizens of New Zealand are ineligible.
• Those undertaking research via remote candidature are ineligible.
• International applicants are not eligible for an ASI if they have already commenced the degree for which they are seeking an award, unless they can establish that they were unable to apply for an ASI in the last round of the previous calendar year.
• International applicants who have not provided evidence of their meeting English language proficiency requirements by the closing date are not eligible for an ASI.
• International applicants must not hold a research qualification regarded by the University of Adelaide to be equivalent to an Australian Research Doctorate degree or, if undertaking a Research Masters degree, not hold a research qualification regarded by the University of Adelaide to be equivalent to or higher than an Australian Research Masters degree.
• Candidates are required to enrol in the University of Adelaide as 'international students' and must maintain 'international student' status for the duration of their enrolment in the University.
• Scholarships holders must commence study at The University of Adelaide in semester 2, 2012. No ASI may be commenced after 30 November 2012.
• Scholarship winners will not be permitted to defer commencement until 2013.
• Applicants who applied in previous international major scholarship rounds are not eligible to apply again.
• The offer of an ASI scholarship is contingent upon a student not being offered another award by the Commonwealth of Australia, The University of Adelaide, or an overseas sponsor. The University reserves the right to withdraw an offer of a scholarship at any time prior to enrolment if it is advised that a awardee has been offered a scholarship equal to or in excess of the financial value of the award offered by the University

Closing Date: 1 May 2012. We strongly recommend that all applicants submit their application and all required documents well before the closing date. Incomplete applications at the scholarship application deadline will not be considered for a scholarship.

Applicants will be notified by the end of June 2012 regarding the outcome of their scholarship application.

Application Form

For more information please visit official website

Erasmus Mundus Scholarships for South-East Asian Students to Europe

Lotus is an Erasmus Mundus Action Two Partnership (EMA2) of European and South-East Asian Higher Education Institutions (HEI) and Associations aiming at fostering mutual enrichment and better understanding between the EU and South-East Asia (China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand), through the exchange of persons, knowledge and skills at higher education level and to co-operate in the following program activities:

• Mobility of undergraduate and graduate students
• Mobility of PhD students
• Post-doc mobility
• Academic and administrative staff mobility

The types of mobility to be funded are:

• For students: undergraduate, master, doctorate and post-doctorate mobility opportunities
• For academic staff: exchanges for the purposes of teaching, practical training and research

This project is to give South-East Asian students and staff the possibility to go to a European University to improve, enrich, learn, experience, …. their own knowledge and skills.

Please bear in mind that the scholarships are only granted to South-East Asian students and staff coming to Europe. The grant covers:

• Monthly subsistence allowance
• Travel ticket
• Insurance
• Tuition fee

To enable students to benefit in a linguistic, cultural and educational way from the experience of pursuing academic studies in another country, all students should have a thorough command of English (this can only be proven by means of internationally recognized documents, p.e. IELTS certificate, TOEFL, First Certificate of Cambridge, an English diploma, a Degree obtained in English). Please note, however, that this also depends on the language requirements of the host universities within the Lotus project.

Objectives

• To promote cooperation between the EU and the Asian countries involved in the project: the project is striving to build structured long-term cooperation between all partners, resulting in a sustainable network. The project offers the perfect opportunity to boost the exchange of know-how for curriculum development, new teaching methods, international relations and university management.
• To enable students to benefit from a study/research period abroad and thus to develop a pool from well-qualified, open-minded and internationally experienced young women/men as future leaders: the project aims to make a bridge between the EU and the Asian countries involved by offering opportunities to young people to come to the EU and build up contacts. To promote the regional cooperation in the Asian countries involved and to train a future generation of academics that foster a culture of sustainable development and durable growth and promote regional integration.
• To improve the transparency and recognition of studies and qualifications: the project is focused on mobility and will give explicit attention to the promotion of recognition of studies systems.
• To contribute to provide good students from vulnerable groups equal chances and thus disseminating EU social and democratic values: 15% of the scholarships is reserved for students from vulnerable groups in the Asian countries involved (refugees, ethnic minorities, internally displaced populations, disabled students, economically disadvantaged students)
• To enhance the skills of staff, who can in their turn contribute to the improvement of the education system in their home country: 22% of the scholarships are reserved for staff exchange. Professors applying will have to argument how their stay will contribute to structural reforms in the Asian countries involved, and this will be evaluated.
• To enhance in the medium term the political, cultural, educational and economical links between the EU and the Asian countries involved: this project contributes to improving mutual understanding between the EU and Asia, by enabling personal contacts.

Eligibility criteria for students 
Asian students who want to participate in mobility to the EU:

• Must be a national of one of the third countries covered by the relevant lot;
• Must have not resided nor have carried out their main activity (studies, work, etc) for more than a total of 12 months over the last five years in one of the European countries;
• For target group 1 (TGI): students need to be registered at one of the third-country HEIs within the partnership. Undergraduate students must have successfully completed at least one year of studies in their home institution;
• For target group 2 (TGII): students need either to be registered in a HEI (not included in the partnership) of the third country concerned by the lot or having obtained a university degree or equivalent by an institution of these third countries. They will need to justify how this study period abroad will benefit them (and their direct socio-economical environment) and include letters of support in their individual application;
• For target group 3 (TGIII): students need to be nationals of one of the third countries concerned by the lot and be part of the vulnerable target groups.
• Must have sufficient knowledge of the language of the courses or of one of the languages currently spoken in the hosting countries.
• No student can benefit from more than one mobility activity in the same project.

Eligibility criteria for staff
In order to be eligible, academic and administrative staff hereafter referred as “staff”:

• Must be a national of one of the eligible countries;
• Must work in or be associated to an HEI within the partnership;
• The mobility assignments must be based on partnership agreements between the members of the partnership;
• The home and host universities and the individual staff must agree on the programme of lectures to be delivered by the visiting staff, on the research activities or on the type of training to be followed;
• The mobility may constitute a post-per-post exchange or a one-way visitor flow to or from a third country.

Priority will be given to mobility that:

• Ensures that the visiting teacher’s contribution will be an integral part of a program of the host institution
• Will lead to the production of new teaching material
• Will be used to consolidate and extend links between departments and faculties and to prepare for future cooperation projects between the home and host university (joint projects, joint degrees etc.)
• Will help strengthen the international cooperation departments in the foreign universities
• Will lead to progress in the application of ECTS (European Credit Transfer System) and other systems for recognition of studies and qualifications in the partner institution
• Will improve the university – enterprise cooperation
• Will help to start up Doctoral Schools
• Will lead to the improvement of quality assurance mechanisms at universities.

Please note that the Lotus project only funds mobilities to nationals from South-East Asia and China to the 9 European partner universities. The partner Universities within the Lotus project are:

EU Universities:

1. Ghent University (Belgium)
2. Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium)
3. University of Goettingen (Germany)
4. Sciences Po (France)
5. Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (The Netherlands)
6. University of Porto (Portugal)
7. Uppsala University (Sweden)
8. University of Lubljana (Slovenia)
9. University of Kent (UK)

South-East Asian Universities:

1. University of Health Sciences Phnom Penh (Cambodia)
2. Nanjing University (China)
3. Peking University (China)
4. Sichuan University (China)
5. Bandung Institute of Technology (Indonesia)
6. University of Gadjah Mada (Indonesia)
7. West Yangon Technological University (Myanmar)
8. Thammasat University (Thailand)
9. Can Tho University (Vietnam)
10. Hanoi University of Science and Technology (Vietnam)
11. Hue University (Vietnam)

Scholarships
Subsistence allowance:

• 1000 € per month for undergraduate and graduate students
• 1500 € per month for doctorate students
• 1800 € per month for post-doctorates
• 2500 € per month for academic staff

Insurance costs:

• All grant holders are subscribed to a central group policy. The policy can be found on the website.

Tuition fees/registration fees:

• The tuition fees are covered by the project.

Travel costs:

• One return ticket will be provided by the coordinator by means of booking via a central travel agency. Self-purchased tickets will not be reimbursed.
• Travel Costs: depending on the distance.

Before applying online:

• Make sure to read the eligiblity criteria in order to define the Target Group and mobility type you want to apply for;
• Check the language and the admission requirements of the requested host universities;
• Consider contacting the department where you would like to study: this way you will obtain more information on their study opportunities and formalities;
• Know that for exchange students the online application form is valid for application at both home and host institution;
• Remember that the online application forms of all Target Group 1 students will be screened and validated by the International Relations Office (IRO) or the contactperson of their university.
• Bear in mind that all full degree seeking students, i.e. those who intend to obtain a diploma at the host university of their choice, will have to apply both online to the Lotus consortium for a scholarship, and then – if they are selected – also follow the standard individual application procedure at their host university.

The deadline for application has been set on December 23rd, 2011, so all applications should be submitted before that date.

The Lotus II project will run from 15th July 2011 until 14th July 2015 and is financed by the European Commission.

For further information about scholarships visit official website

Sustainable Water Management: Scholarships & Research Grants for Foreigners 2012

Study Scholarships and Research Grants for Foreigners 2012

·        Background of Programm

One of the priority funding points to which the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) attaches particular importance in its Framework Programm on "Research for Sustainable Development is Sustainable Water Management (NaWaM): "One of the major challenges of the future is to ensure the supply of clean water to the world population. Population growth, water pollution and the increasing water consumption per capita have a strong impact on water quality. In addition, expansive climate changes and change in land use influence global and regional water cycles and thus question the medium and long-term availability of water."

·        Funding

Scholarships and Grandts will be funded by “Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD) / German Academic Exchange Service”.

·        Who can apply?

The programm section on "Study Scholarships and Research Grants for Foreigners" offers highly-qualified Students and Doctoral Students from Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Iran, Jordan, Vietnam and Indonesia, the opportunity to study in specialised relevantly selected English-spoken Master's programmes at German universities, or, for carrying out their PhD projects in the thematic field of "Water in Urban Areas" in Germany.

·        Study Programm

A.   Master’s Programmes

Applicants have the opportunity to study in one of the following programmes related to the field of Sustainable Water Management. 

1.   Master's Programme Hydro Science and Engineering

Higher Education Institution: Technische Universität Dresden

2.   Water Resources and Environmental Management

Higher Education Institution: Leibniz- Universität Hannover 

3.   Water Resources Engineering and Management

Higher Education Institution: University of Stuttgart 

4.  Water Science

Higher Education Institution: University of Duisburg-Essen    

Please choose a corresponding degree programme that meets your expectations and indicate this programme as well as an alternative programme in your application documents. The whole support is structured to run for a period of at least 31 months.

B.   Doctorate

The choice of Host University and Scientific Supervisor lies with the applicants themselves. The whole support is structured to run for a period of at least 43 months.

·        What will be funded?

A.   Master’s Program

Funding is provided for an obligatory four-month intensive language course (start: June 2012), a generally two-year Master's programme (start: October 2012), and an obligatory, at least three month, Internship in a company engaging in commercial business and industry, in the specialized authorities of the Federation and Federal States, and in the management and regulation of resources in corporations under public law, or in research institutions in Germany. The support includes:

-      Monthly installment : 750 Euros

-      Annual study & Research Costs : 460 Euros

-      Health insurance

-      Possible tuition fees

-      Family accompanying surcharge

-      Outward & return travel

B.   Doctorate Program

Funding is provided for an obligatory four-month intensive language course, a generally three-year doctorate/PhD and an obligatory at least three-month internship in a company engaging in commercial business and industry, in the specialized authorities of the Federation and the Federal States, and in the management and regulation of resources in corporations under public law, or in research institutions in Germany. The support includes:

-      Monthly installment : 1000 Euros

-      Annual study & Research Costs : 460 Euros

-      Health insurance

-      Possible tuition fees

-      Family accompanying surcharge

-      Outward & return travel

-      The host institutes in Germany receive a monthly Research Costs Surcharge amounting to 200 Euros per scholarship/grant.

·         Application & Requirements

The application documents must be submitted in full in duplicate. Applicants are kindly requested to use the Form "Application for Research Grants and Study Scholarships"

Please visit the official website to see the detail required documents that must be included with the application. It depends on the program that you choose.

·        Deadline of Application

At the latest by 31 December 2011 the full and complete documents must have been received in Almaty, Ulan Bator, Amman, Tehran, Hanoi and Jakarta .

More information about this programmes, please visit this link:

http://www.daad.de/deutschland/foerderung/ausschreibungen/18843.en.html

Go to Germany for pursuing a doctorate

Go to Germany for pursuing a doctorate...   

"Germany, as one of the leading researching nations in the world. Its science and research sector is renowned for its outstanding infrastructure, a widely diverse spectrum of research areas and well-equipped facilities and institutes. In addition, many organizations offer numerous grants and scholarships to foreign doctoral candidates".

It is a good choice to choose Germany for studying. Here are some good reasons to pursue a PhD in this country:  

1. Outstanding reputation of German doctoral degrees

The German doctorateenjoys an outstanding reputation in all disciplines. German universities and research institutes offer young academics the chance to attain their doctorate in different ways. Especially in recent years, a large number of structured PhD programmes have been established throughout Germany. Coupled with intensive supervision, they provide foreign graduates attractive opportunities to pursue doctoral degrees in research teams within a clearly defined period of time. 

2. Excellent research institutes and facilities

•   German universities– Where research and teaching unite: German universities do not merely regard themselves as "schools” for students and doctoral candidates, but as places where research and instruction are united. Approximately 240,000 international students and 17,000 international doctoral students are currently enrolled at German universities. These universities offer a large selection of subjects, excellent research facilities and well-trained academic personnel. Together with the US and Great Britain, Germany is one of the most attractive places of universitystudy and research among foreign students in the world.

•   Excellent non-university research organisations: The well-developed network of German universities and non-university research organisations is one of the main reasons why Germany is so attractive to international researchers. These non-university organisations include such renowned institutions as the Max Planck Society, the Leibniz Association (WGL), the Helmholtz Association and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft. With hundreds of research institutes, tens of thousands of employees and research funding budgets in the billions, these organisations represent one of the driving forces behind the German science and research sector.

•  Intensive industrial research: Along with some 750 publicly financed research organisations, there is a wide range of industrial research facilities in Germany which work closely with universities and research institutes. German corporations are among the biggest investors in research in the world. Their combined R&D budgets account for around 70 % of Germany’s total investment in this sector.

3. Good funding opportunities for foreign doctoral candidates

Germany offers foreign doctoral candidates a wide variety of funding opportunities. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is Germany’s largest scholarship provider – especially to international doctoral candidates, who received 2,900 DAAD scholarships and grants just in 2010 alone. Furthermore, an extensive range of foundations and other funding and research organisations also offer grants to highly qualified foreign doctoral candidates.

4. High standard of living

Germany is known for its high quality of life and cultural diversity. Situated at the heart of Europe, visitors can take advantage of numerous recreational activities. Historically known as the land of "poets and philosophers”, Germany is home to a vibrant art and cultural scene with numerous concerts, museums and major events. Germany’s countryside is just as diverse, offering vacationers a wide range of outdoor activities – from swimming in the Baltic and North Sea, to hiking in the Alps.

For more detail information, please visit this link:

http://www.daad.de/deutschland/forschung/ueberblick/13618.en.html