ARES Scholarships in Belgium for Developing Countries       

• ARES, or the Academy for Research and Higher Education, is the federation of higher education institutions (HEIs) of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB) in Belgium.
• The ARES International Training Program aims to build the capacity of young professionals from partner countries by providing them with specialized training or continuing education in Belgium.

Scholarship Overview

• The ARES Scholarships give nationals of ARES partner countries the opportunity to pursue a specialized bachelor’s degree, a specialized master’s degree, or continuing education diploma at an FWB institution in Belgium.
• The specialized bachelor’s program and the master’s program both last one year, while the continuing education programs last two to six months.

The objectives of the continuing education programs are:

• To increase the level of qualifications of participants
• To highlight international themes
• To empower people in their countries of origin
• To strengthen interpersonal and professional networks
• To promote the expertise and experience of participants of training courses
• To improve the capacity of the home institutions of scholars
• To enable scholarship holders to become agents of change in their home institutions and in society, in favor of development

Host School(s)

• Participating higher education institutions of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB) in Belgium

Fields of Study

Specialized Bachelor’s Degree Program

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Data Analysis

Master’s Degree Programs

• Master’s degree in Human Rights
• Master’s degree in Risk and Disaster Management in the Anthropocene Era
• Master’s degree in Integrated Health Risk Management
• Specialized Master in International and Development Economics
• European Microfinance Program
• Specialized Master in Public Health Methodology
• Master of Public Health Sciences – Analysis and Evaluation of International Health Policies, Programs and Systems
• Master’s degree in Transport and Logistics
• Specialized Master’s Degree – Social Innovation Design
• Master’s degree in Water-Energy-Food Nexus

International (Continuing) Education Programs

• University Certificate in Data Science for Global Health
• International Training in Digital University Pedagogy
• Interuniversity and Interdisciplinary Certificate in Transitional Justice
• Continuing Education – Understanding and Managing the Human Dimensions of Sustainable Development Change Projects
• Continuing Education in Quality Assurance and Quality Control of Medicines and Health Products
• Continuing education in Free Geographic Information Systems

What does the scholarship cover?

• International travel expenses
• Subsistence allowance
• Exceptional costs associated with visa applications (only for bachelor’s degrees and specialized master’s degrees)
• Tuition fees (only for bachelor’s degrees and specialized master’s degrees)
• Indirect mission expenses (for continuing education only)
• Insurance costs

 NOTE

• The scholarship duration for bachelor’s and specialized master’s degrees is a maximum of 12 months, while for continuing training programs, it ranges from two to six months.

How many scholarships are given?

• 150 scholarships to students pursuing master’s courses, and around 70 scholarships to participants in the training programs.

Which countries are targeted?

• Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cuba,
• Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Haiti, Indonesia,
• Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Peru,
• Philippines, Republic of Guinea (Conakry), Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa,
• Tanzania, Palestinian Territories, Tunisia, Uganda, Vietnam, Zimbabwe.

Am I Eligible to Apply?

To qualify for this scholarships, you must:

• be a national of, reside in, and work in one of the 31 eligible countries;
• be a holder of a diploma comparable to a 2^nd cycle diploma (300 ECTS credits) from a Belgian university for specialized masters and continuing education courses;
• demonstrate at least two years’ relevant professional experience in one of the ARES partner countries;
• complete the application form in the language in which the course is given and be able to demonstrate good written and spoken knowledge of that language.

NOTE:

• Knowledge of French enables better integration in everyday life in Belgium.

How to Apply – Next Steps

• Apply online via the GIRAF platform using the following steps
  1. Have a GIRAF account (create one or use your account if it has already been created and validated by ARES)
  2. Access the application form by clicking on “Application for international training” > “My tasks” > “Competitive calls”.
  3. Fill in the form. You will find it under “My tasks”. 
  4. Submit your application by clicking on “Submit my application”. Once submitted, you will be able to view your file in the “My submitted files” table. You will, however, no longer be able to modify it.
  5. Apply for just one course.

Required Documents

• 2 recommendation letters (academic and/or professional).
• Certified copies of original diplomas.
• Certified copies of original transcripts for all years.
• Proof of occupancy for the last 5 years
• Certificate of nationality or copy of passport.
• Pre-project (for certain courses – see course-specific admission conditions)

Selection Criteria

• The quality of the applicant’s academic career
• Not having previously received any scholarship
• Professional experience
• Membership of an ARES partner institution
• Potential to be an agent of change in the society
• Diversity in nationality selected
• Gender
• Ability (personal and professional) to ensure the transfer of knowledge and skills acquired

 Closing Date

• October 18, 2025

How do I get more information?

• Website: ARES Scholarships in Belgium for Developing Countries