GERMANY: DAAD Leadership for Africa Scholarship Programme 2025/2026 for East African Master’s Students (Fully-Funded)

The DAAD has launched its new scholarship programme “Leadership for Africa” with funding from the German Foreign Office.

Application Deadline: 10th June, 2025

About the Award: Applications are now open for the 2025/2026 DAAD Leadership for Africa Master’s Scholarship Programme. The scholarship programme “Leadership for Africa” (LfA) aims to support the academic qualification and advancement of young refugees and national scholars from South Sudan and Uganda at higher education institutions in Germany.

In times of conflicts and displacement, this programme intends to contribute to the education of future leaders, who will be essential for the further development of societies in Africa and beyond.

“Leadership for Africa” offers scholarships for Master’s studies in Germany to qualified applicants in all fields of study except for Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry, Law, Fine Arts and Architecture as well as Nursing, Midwifery or similar health care-related academic fields.

Type: Masters

Eligibility: 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, being granted before 2nd of April, 2024. Refugee status must be valid at least until April 2026. In case of renewal of status, please provide sufficient proof.
• Country of asylum must be either South Sudan or Uganda.
• Completed Bachelor’s degree at the time of application

2) Highly qualified graduates from South Sudan or Uganda who fulfil the necessary qualifications for Master’s studies in Germany.Applicants must fulfil the following conditions:

• Citizenship of either South Sudan or Uganda.
• Country of residence is South Sudan or Uganda.
• Completed Bachelor’s degree at the time of application.

Please note:

• With a Degree in Medicine, you can apply for Public Health or Biomedical Master related programmes only. A Master’s programme in Medicine is not eligible for funding.
• For applicants from artistic disciplines and the field of architecture, the DAAD offers subject-specific scholarship programmes
• Successful completion of a Bachelor’s degree at the time of application that meets the requirements of German universities for admission to a Master’s programme.
• A Bachelor’s degree of at least 2nd class upper division level is required.
• As a rule, not more than 6 years should have passed since the completion of the last academic degree (see important information for scholarship applicants / Section A, point 2).
• Good English or good German language skills
• For Refugees: Copy of Refugee ID card issued before 02.04.2024

Selection: A pre-selection will take place based on the submitted application documents. Preselected candidate will be invited to an interview with an independent selection committee of university professors in Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda or Sudan. Please note: Preselected candidates must present originals of all previously submitted documents at the interview.

Eligible Countries: African countries

To be Taken at (Country): Germany

Number of Awards: Not specified

Value of DAAD Leadership for Africa:

• If necessary: Language course (2, 4 or 6 months) in Germany before the start of the study programme including the coverage of the test fees for a German language certificate. Participation in the language course is mandatory.
• Accompanying study programme
• Monthly scholarship rate payments of 992 EURO
• Adequate health, accident and private/personal liability insurance in Germany.
• Travel allowance.
• One-off study allowance.

If applicable, family allowance and monthly rent subsidy.

Duration of Award: The duration of funding is determined by the standard period of study of the chosen program. In general, Master’s programs require two years of full-time study.

How to Apply for DAAD Leadership for Africa: See information to apply

• It is important to go through all application requirements in the Award Webpage (see Link below) before applying.
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