Ministry of Education, Youth Development, Sports

and Digital Transformation

PRESS RELEASE

THE SWISS GOVERNMENT EXCELLENCE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR FOREIGN SCHOLARS FOR THE 2027-2028 ACADEMIC YEAR

The Department of Education and Digital transformation wishes to inform the public that the Swiss Government has announced the 2026 Call for Excellence Scholarships for Foreign Scholars for the academic year 2027-2028 for research, PhD and post-doctoral studies.

The Swiss Confederation awards Government Excellence Scholarships to promote international exchange and research cooperation between Switzerland and over 180 countries.  Recipients are selected by the awarding body, the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS).  Scholarship offers include:

• Research scholarship is available to post-graduate researchers in any discipline (who hold a master’s degree as a minimum) who are planning to pursue research or further studies at doctoral or post-doctoral level in Switzerland.  These 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.  These scholarships are awarded for study at any Swiss conservatory or university of the arts, and is available to students from a limited number of countries only.

Application Procedure

For additional information on the scholarships offered, participating universities and their respective deadlines please visit the following link:  https://www.sbfi.admin.ch/en/swiss-government-excellence-scholarships-at-a-glance. 

Interested persons who wish to apply for this scholarship should complete the application at:  click here

Candidates should pay careful attention to the deadlines of each scholarship.

The FCS assesses scholarship applications according to three criteria: -

• Candidate profile
• Quality of the research project or artistic work
• Synergies and potential for future research cooperation

Applicants should note that scholarship awards are decided on the basis of academic and scientific excellence.

The FCS will announce its decision regarding the scholarship awards by the end of May 2027 at the latest.

Deadline to apply is November 22, 2026.

…  End of Press Release …