PhD, research scholarships for Switzerland

The Swiss Government is offering excellence scholarships for Indian scholars in Switzerland. These scholarships are available for pursuing PhD, postdoctoral and research programmes at one of the public-funded universities or recognised institution.

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.

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).

Applicants from outside the home country will often need to meet specific English language/other language requirements in order to be able to study there. Scholarships are offered in diverse fields to help students in upgrading their education.

The PhD scholarships amount to a monthly payment of CHF 1,920. Tuition fees are waived. The postdoctoral scholarships amount to a monthly payment of CHF 3,500 and the research scholarships amount to a monthly payment of CHF 1,920. A master’s degree or equivalent university degree recognised by the Swiss university is must to be eligible for the PhD scholarship. Criteria for the postdoctoral scholarship include a PhD degree and no more than five years passed between the award of the PhD and the application deadline. For the research scholarships, a master’s degree or equivalent university degree is must.

Some of the universities offering these scholarships include University of Basel, University of Bern, University of Fribourg, University of Geneva and University of Lausanne. The application deadline is November 15, 2016. For details visit https://www. sbfi.admin.ch