Leadership for Africa” Programme for Chad, DR Congo, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo: Master’s Degree Scholarships in Germany

Are you a young national scholar or a refugee from Chad, DR Congo, Niger, Nigeria, or Togo seeking to advance your academic qualification in Germany? The “Leadership for Africa” (LfA) scholarship programme aims to support you in your academic journey. The programme seeks to develop future leaders who will be essential to the development of their home countries.

We offer scholarships to qualified applicants in all fields of study except Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry, Law, Arts, and Architecture. Successful candidates will benefit from a complementary training programme in good governance, civil society, and career development, which must be completed alongside the regular studies.

Who can apply? The programme targets two groups:

1. Highly qualified refugees who hold refugee status and fulfil the necessary qualifications for Master’s studies in Germany. Applicants must fulfil the following conditions:

• Holding refugee status in their host countries, granted before 3rd April 2022
• Country of asylum must be either Chad, DR Congo, Niger, Nigeria, or Togo
• Completed Bachelor’s degree at the time of application

2. Highly qualified graduates from Chad, DR Congo, Niger, Nigeria, or Togo who fulfil the necessary qualifications for Master’s studies in Germany. Applicants must fulfil the following conditions:

• Citizenship of either Chad, DR Congo, Niger, Nigeria, or Togo
• Country of residence is Chad, DR Congo, Niger, Nigeria, or Togo
• Completed Bachelor’s degree at the time of application

Please note: If you have a degree in Medicine, you can apply for Public Health or Biomedical Master-related programmes only. A Master programme in Medicine is not eligible for funding. For applicants from artistic disciplines and the field of architecture, we offer subject-specific scholarship programmes (see separate DAAD scholarship offers in the scholarship database).

What can be funded? The scholarship includes:

• German language course (up to 6 months) in Germany before the start of the university studies
• Tuition-free M.A. or M.Sc. degree programme at a public or state-recognized university in Germany starting in the winter term of 2024 (September/October 2024)
• Additional mandatory training programme LEAD!
• Monthly scholarship rate payments of 934 EURO
• Adequate health, accident, and private/personal liability insurance in Germany
• Travel allowance
• Yearly study allowance
• If applicable, monthly rent subsidy and monthly allowance for accompanying family members (spouse and/or children)

Please note that family reunions may be time-delayed or even not be possible during the duration of the scholarship, due to the duration of the visa processes for some home or host countries.

Duration of the funding Generally, selected candidates will start their German language course in April 2024 at the earliest and take up their studies at a German institution of higher education by approximately October 1st, 2024. The duration of funding is determined by the standard period of study of the chosen programme. In general, eligible Master’s programmes require two years of full-time study.

Selection The pre-selection process is based on the submitted application documents. Only complete applications with all mandatory documents will be considered. Pre-selected candidates will be invited to a (digital) interview with an independent selection committee of university professors.

In addition to previous achievements in university (Bachelor’s degree), language skills, and general motivation, the main selection criterion is a convincing description of the planned studies in Germany and the suitable choice of study programmes in the DAAD form “Study course profile”. To ensure equal opportunities, social criteria such as special challenges or circumstances in the applicant’s personal, family or educational background are also considered. Gender, geographic, and subject diversity will also be taken into account during the selection process.

How to apply? The application process consists of two steps. First, applicants must submit their application documents through the DAAD portal by 15 June 2022. Second, pre-selected candidates will be invited to a selection interview, which will be conducted either online or in person.

For more information and to apply, please visit the DAAD scholarship database and search for “Leadership for Africa”. If you have any questions, please contact the DAAD at africaprog@daad.de.

We look forward to receiving your application!