Scholarship for Global Professionals

Opens for applications 9 February

Overview What's included Criteria How to apply FAQ

Overview

Sweden invests in global talent to build lasting partnerships for a more sustainable and equitable world. Through this scholarship, you’ll gain access to world-class education, cutting-edge research, and a vibrant network of peers – all while developing the tools to drive change back home.

The scholarship supports full-time, one- or two-year master’s studies at Swedish universities, across a wide range of English-taught programmes. Fields of study include:

Governance
Public Health
Entrepreneurship and Innovation
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)

You will also become part of the SI Network for Global Professionals, a platform for collaboration, learning, and lifelong connection with fellow leaders from around the world.

Be the seed for your country’s future growth. The journey starts in Sweden.

Key dates:

16 October 2025 – 15 January 2026: Apply to Swedish master’s programmes through University Admissions.
Mid-November 2025: SI Scholarship application documents and eligible master programmes are published on this page.
9-25 February 2026: Application portal for the SI Scholarships is open for two weeks.
26 March 2026: University admissions announcement.
23 April 2026: SI Scholarship announcement.

Below you can find more information about our requirements and instructions for applying to the SI scholarship for Global Professionals. Note! The information may be subjected to changes.

What's included

The Scholarship for Global Professionals is a competitive fully-funded scholarship that includes:

Full tuition fee coverage. The fee is paid directly by SI to your Swedish university each semester.
A monthly allowance of SEK 12,000 to cover your living expenses throughout the study period.
A travel grant of SEK 15,000 (*10,000 for scholars from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). This is a one-time payment and does not apply for students already living in Sweden.
Membership in the SI Network for Global Professionals (NFGP) – a platform to help you grow professionally and build a network while in Sweden.
After your scholarship period has ended, you become a member of the Sweden Alumni Network. As a member, you get a unique opportunity for continued networking and professional development.

The scholarship does not…

Include an insurance. We recommend checking with your university to learn more about what insurance coverage they provide for international students.
Provide additional grants for family members.
Cover the application fee to University Admissions.
Allow changes to the study programme. We are only able to support you through the awarded master’s programme.
Allow extensions or changes to the awarded scholarship period.

Criteria

Country of citizenship

You must be a citizen of a country that is eligible for the SI scholarship. However, you do not need to reside in the country at the time of the application.

Master's programmes

The master's programmes you apply for must be eligible for the SI scholarship. The list of programmes will be published in mid-November 2025.

University admission

You must be liable to pay tuition fees to Swedish universities, have followed the steps of University Admissions and be admitted to one of the eligible master's programmes on the day of admissions announcements.

Previous experience

You must have demonstrated work experience (conditions apply to certain regions). In addition, you must have demonstrated leadership experience from your current or previous employer, or from civil society engagement.

Country of Citizenship

Citizens of the following countries are eligible to apply for the SI Scholarship for Global Professionals:

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Georgia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Ukraine, Vietnam, Zambia

You must be a citizen of one of the 33 eligible countries to be eligible to apply. If your country of citizenship is not listed here, we suggest that you look for other scholarships on Study in Sweden’s scholarship database. Please note that you do not need to reside in the country at the time of the application.

If you have dual citizenships that are both eligible for SI scholarship, you should choose only one citizenship when applying for the scholarship. Applicants who use their dual citizenship to submit more than one application will have all applications disqualified.

Eligible programmes

The programmes eligible for the SI scholarship for Global Professionals are English-taught master’s programmes, covering a variety of educational fields.

The list of eligible master’s programmes for the academic year 2026/2027 will be published here mid-November 2025.

To have a successful application, you should have a clear idea of how your education will contribute to the sustainable development of your home country and region. It is up to you to motivate in your scholarship application how your chosen programmes are related to relevant sustainability goals.

University Admissions

Admissions to Swedish university and colleges are managed by the Swedish Council for Higher Education through their portal University Admissions. For any questions or inquiries related to your university application, tuition fees or admittance, please contact University Admissions.

In order to be eligible for the SI scholarship you must:

be liable to pay tuition fees to Swedish universities. Find out if you are liable for tuition fees here,
have paid the application fee for master’s programmes on time. The payment is made to University Admissions. Find all the key dates here,
be admitted (or conditionally admitted) to one of the eligible master’s programmes on the day of admissions announcements. You can only be awarded a scholarship for the master’s programme you are admitted to on the first admissions day. Master’s programmes to which you are listed as a reserve cannot be considered. There are no scholarships available for late admissions.

Read more about the SI selection process under the section ‘How to Apply – SI Screening and Evaluation’ once the call for applications is open.

Previous Experience

Work Experience
To be eligible for the SI Scholarship you must have work experience. However, you do not have to be employed at the time of application. Valid work experience includes both full-time and part-time employment, for instance as an employee, freelancer or employer. You must be able to prove certification for your work experience by using our template forms which can be found under the section ‘How to Apply – Apply for a Global Professionals scholarship’ during the application period. Work experience in line with your chosen field of study will be prioritised.

Work experience requirements:

Applicants from – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine – must be able to provide proof of work experience. There is no requirement of number of hours, however applicants with more experience will be prioritised.

Applicants from – Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia – must have at least 3,000 hours of work experience prior to February 2026. You do not have to meet the requirement within one period of employment. The 3,000 hours must have been accumulated from a maximum of three employers.

Note! If you are currently employed, we advise that you discuss your application with your employer. It is your responsibility to ensure that you will be granted leave of absence and that you are released from your work in time for the beginning of your studies. SI will not intervene in this matter.

Note! If you are currently employed, we advise that you discuss your application with your employer. It is your responsibility to ensure that you will be granted leave of absence or that you are realeased from your work in time for the beginning of your studies. SI will not intervene in this matter.

Leadership Experience
Leadership experience involves the experience to lead other colleagues/organisations, mandate to influence the development strategy for the organisation you work at, allocate tasks to colleagues and/or have familiarity with decision-making processes.

In addition to your work experience, you must be able to demonstrate your leadership experience. The experience may be demonstrated through, for instance, previous work experience or involvement in civil society organisations or networks.

The leadership experience has no requirement regarding a minimum number of hours. However, priority will be given to applicants with demonstrated strong and relevant leadership experience from employment.

You are not eligible for the SI Scholarship for Global Professionals if you….

are currently enrolled in or hold a degree from a Swedish university/university college;
have already resided in Sweden for cumulatively two years or more, prior to the scholarship period (starting August 2026)*;
have previously been awarded a Swedish Institute scholarship for studies in Sweden.
have a Swedish or EU/EEA citizenship*, a Swedish permanent residence permit or a temporary work- and residence permit based on work or on family ties with a citizen of Sweden/EU/EEA country who has a temporary or permanent right of residence in Sweden
have dual citizenship in countries not listed on the DAC list of ODA recipients 2025.*

*Exceptions:
1. Ukrainian applicants who reside in Sweden under the Temporary Protection Directive are still eligible to apply to the SI Scholarship.
2. Moldovan applicants with dual citizenship in Romania may apply for a scholarship even though they are EU citizens and must state the citizenship that is eligible for the scholarship when applying to the SI Scholarship.

How to apply

1. Apply for a master's programme - 15 Oct 2025 - 15 Jan 2026

The application process for Swedish universities is managed by University Admissions. It is a centralised process and, on their portal, you can apply for up to 4 master’s programmes. 

Go to UniversityAdmissions.se and apply for your master’s programme(s) by 15 January 2026. The list of eligible programmes for the SI scholarships 2026/2027 can be found here in mid-November.
Once you have submitted your application for master’s at University Admissions, you will get a personal application number consisting of eight digits. Save the number for your application to the SI Scholarship. Your SI scholarship application will be disqualified if you type in the wrong personal application number when applying for the scholarship.

Note! Applicants for Stockholm School of Economics and Konstfack are part of separate intakes and admissions processes. They will not receive an application number.

If you miss the deadlines or fail to follow the application procedure of University Admissions, you will not be eligible for a scholarship.

Do you have any questions related to applications for master’s studies, admissions, the application fee or application number? Please contact University Admissions.

2. Apply for a Global Professionals scholarship - 9 Feb 2026 - 25 Feb 2026

To apply for the SI Scholarship, you must submit the documents listed below. Make sure to read through the instructions carefully. Failing to follow the instructions will result in disqualification. Templates for the listed documents will be published here in mid-November.

Curriculum Vitae

You must use SI’s provided template for CV 2026/2027. The CV should not exceed three pages. It is up to you to decide which of your previous experiences are relevant for your application. Additional pages will not be considered during the evaluation. 

Proof of work and leadership experience

You must use SI’s provided template for proof of work and leadership experience 2026/2027. The work and leadership form should be signed by the referee ad stamped with an official stamp of the referring organisation or a notary office. The form(s) should be typed, then printed, signed, stamped and uploaded as one single PDF-file. You can find instructions in the template form and our Frequently Asked Questions. 

Two letters of references

You are required to submit two letters of reference from two different referees. One of the letters must be based on work experience. The second letter can be based on work experience or engagements outside of work. Note! It is a merit if the second letter is based on your involvement in networks or civil society organisations outside of work.

You must use SI’s provided template for the letter of reference 2026/2027. All letters of reference should first be typed, then printed, and lastly signed by the referee and stamped with an official stamp of the organisation/company or notary office. Scan the letters and upload them to the application portal as one single PDF-file. 

Photocopy of your valid passport/National ID card

You must submit a photocopy of your valid passport or National ID card with your scholarship application. It must clearly show your personal data, including your name, citizenship, and photograph. It is your responsibility to ensure that your submitted proof of identification is valid at the time of applying. You will be asked to upload the photocopy in the online application portal.  

Motivation

In the application portal you will be asked to write your motivation for applying for the scholarship. You might also be randomly selected to record a short video presentation. 

Note! You must complete your application in English. Your application will be disqualified should you not follow these instructions and fail to submit any of the abovementioned documents. We will not consider any other documents than the requested ones.

Submit your application for SI Scholarships for Global Professionals

You should only submit one scholarship application in the application portal, regardless how many master’s programmes you’ve applied for at University Admissions, Stockholm School of Economics or Konstfack. Your scholarship application can include up to four eligible master’s programmes, and it should include only one of each of the required documents, no matter how many master’s programmes you’ve applied for.

Our application portal will be open 9 February – 25 February 2026.

Note! Due to the high volume of applications, the online application portal may be under heavy pressure at the end of the application period. We strongly advise all applicants not to wait until the last days to apply. No admission is accepted past the deadline.

Data protection and integrity
The Swedish Institute (SI) is a public agency. As such, all applications received by SI are in the public domain. We use the personal information you give us to process your application. If you are granted a scholarship, we will continue to use this personal information to manage it. We deal with this information following the Swedish Principle of Public Access to Information and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Your personal information is handled by SI employees and outside experts who have signed a contract of compliance. For more information, please read SI’s privacy policy.

3. SI screening and evaluation - 25 Feb 2026 - 25 Mar 2026

Screening
After the application deadline, we carry out a screening of all applications and disqualify those that do not meet the eligibility criteria for the SI Scholarship. If you have failed to follow the instructions for the required documents, for example by providing an incomplete application, using the wrong forms, missing a valid stamp, etc., then your application will also be disqualified. Reasons are given in the instructions in the forms and here on the website. Therefore, you should read through all available information carefully before filling out and submitting your documents.

Evaluation before admissions
We will then go through all the eligible applications and evaluate the information provided in your applications. We give scores with particular consideration for the aim and purpose of the SI Scholarship programme and the government strategy it reports to. We are looking for talented professionals with capability, an existing platform and ambition to contribute to the further development of their home country and region. The quality of the application is crucial in our selection.

4. Notifications from University Admissions - 26 Mar 2026

On the day you receive your notification of selection results from University Admissions, SI will receive the admission results, including your personal information directly from University Admissions.

You will be in the running for the SI Scholarships for Global Professionals if:

You have been admitted or conditionally admitted to an eligible master’s programme on 26 March 2026,

AND

You have not made any changes to your original admissions results (e.g. decline an admissions offer.) If you make any changes to your original admissions results, your application will no longer be in the running for the SI Scholarship.

I’m conditionally admitted, what now?
If you have been conditionally admitted, you will have received information from University Admissions regarding what you need to do to finalise your admission.

I was only listed as reserved or placed on the waiting list…
Those who are not admitted to an eligible master’s programme by this date or are only listed as reserves or are placed on the waiting list will not be considered for the scholarship.

Note! Please check the instructions on how to reply to my admissions offer on University Admissions. Contact University Admissions directly if you have any questions.

5. Final evaluation and announcement of scholarship recipients - 26 Mar 2026 - 23 Apr 2026

After the admissions results are announced by University Admissions on the 26 March 2026, SI finally evaluates the applications that are still eligible for the scholarship. SI receives a separate list of admitted students from Stockholm School of Economics (SSE).

The rigid screening and evaluation process provides us with a shortlist of the best candidates. In the final evaluation, we give priority to certain factors, therefore thoroughly read through the call for applications above, as it explains what we take into consideration. 

We aim at having all genders represented as equally as possible in the final list of scholarship recipients. We also want to include as many of the eligible countries, provided there is a sufficient number of quality applications. We also need to stay within our budget. We may make additional adjustments in the final selection to achieve the distribution we are aiming for. However, we do not have any quotas for specific countries, fields of study, Swedish universities etcetera.  The SI scholarship is highly competitive and the number of recipients from different countries, and to certain programmes/universities may differ from year to year, depending on the quality of the applications received. When all the above factors have been taken into consideration, the final selection of scholarship recipients will be completed. 

Note! Applicants who also qualify for the Pioneering Women in STEM scholarship will be considered under both scholarship programmes.

Announcement of scholarship recipients
The successful scholarship recipients will be announced on 23 April 2026 on si.se. Due to a large number of applications, only those who are offered a scholarship will be notified.

Accept your scholarship offer
Each recipient will receive an official scholarship offer by email by the end of April 2026. The recipient is responsible for ensuring that the email address provided in the application is correct. The scholarship must then be accepted or declined within the deadline stated in the offer. 

Opens in February

The application portal is now closed.