402 international students receive the SI Scholarships

Empowering global leaders and changemakers

The Swedish Institute’s scholarship programmes aim to support future global leaders who are committed to working towards a democratic, equal, and sustainable society in their home countries and regions.

In addition to the well-established SI Scholarship for Global Professionals, the Swedish Institute has launched a new initiative for the 2025/2026 academic year: the SI Scholarship Pioneering Women in STEM. Through the new scholarship, the Swedish Institute continues to support global talent and promote gender equality by fostering a more diverse and inclusive STEM sector – empowering women to lead change, tackle global challenges, and develop lasting solutions.

351 recipients awarded the SI Scholarship for Global Professionals

This year, the Swedish Institute received a total of 8,580 applications for the SI Scholarship for Global Professionals. Of these, 5,826 of these candidates were admitted to eligible master’s programmes by 27 March, a requirement to be considered for the scholarship. Recipients are selected based on their academic achievements, professional and leadership experience, and their potential to contribute to sustainable development.

The awarded recipients will attend 28 different higher education institutions across Sweden and are enrolled in 208 different study programmes. Social sciences, engineering and eechnology, and natural Sciences are the most popular fields of study. The recipients come from 33 countries in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America. This year’s budget for the Global Professionals scholarship amounts to approximately SEK 172 million.

51 recipients awarded SI Scholarship Pioneering Women in STEM

The scholarship is available for selected master’s programmes with a focus on one or more of the core STEM fields: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It is open to women from ten countries in Africa and Asia. Recipients have been selected and nominated by the universities.

The awarded recipients will attend 26 different higher education institutions across Sweden and are enrolled in 45 different study programmes. This year’s budget for the Pioneering Women in STEM scholarship amounts to approximately SEK 29 million.

Madeleine Sjöstedt, Director-General of the Swedish Institute, shares the importance of the scholarship and welcomes this year’s recipients: 

’Sweden is an export-dependent country that relies on international cooperation and exchange. Our scholarship programmes are an important way to strengthen ties between Sweden and the rest of the world. By studying in Sweden, these talents gain valuable knowledge and perspectives on sustainable development, while also deepening their understanding of Sweden. We are proud to give a special welcome to this year’s scholars in STEM, and look forward to building meaningful relationships with all of our 2025 scholarship recipients.’

Lists of recipents

SI Scholarships for Global Professionals recipients 
SI Scholarship Pioneering Women in STEM recipients