SEAMEO-SEARCA offers In-Country/In-Region Scholarship Programme

Deadline: 31-Oct-21

The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) is offering In-Country/In-Region Scholarship Programme.

DAAD’s partnership with SEARCA started in school year 1975-1976 through a support to the Center’s graduate scholarship program leading to Masters and PhD degrees in agriculture. The first 15 beneficiaries of the DAAD support were graduate students from Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Ten scholarship recipients pursued their Master’s degree, while five pursued their PhD.

Objectives

To achieve these long-term impacts, the following outcomes have been formulated as program objectives:

Graduates are qualified to take on responsible positions in or for their region of origin
The participation of women and underprivileged groups is reinforced
Organizational, financial, and personal capacities of partner institutions are strengthened

Priority Areas

The research topic must be in line with SEARCA’s overarching theme of Accelerating Transformation Through Agricultural Innovation (ATTAIN) with the following priority areas:

Agri-Business Models for Increased Productivity and Income
Sustainable Farming Systems and Natural Resource Management
Food and Nutrition Security
Transformational Leadership for Agricultural and Rural Development (ARD)
Gender and Youth Engagement in ARD
Enhanced ARD towards Climate Resilience
EcoHealth / One Health Applications to ARD

Scholarship Benefits

Covers tuition and other school fees; study and research allowance; printing allowance; stipend for food, lodging and incidental expenses; travel allowance (In-Region only); and insurance.

DAAD In-Country / In-Region scholarship holders are also encouraged to apply for a research grant in Germany for 2 to 6 months, at the time of application. The short-term research scholarship includes:

A monthly scholarship payment for living costs
Health / accident / personal liability insurance
A flat-rate travel allowance

Impacts

By training future academic professionals and leaders, the DAAD In-Country / In-Region Scholarship Program contributes to the following long-term impacts:

Qualified professionals’ involvement in solving development-related problems
Graduates strengthening education and research in Southeast Asia
Structural strengthening and regional networking of partner institutions and universities

Eligibility Criteria

Open to nationals of SEAMEO member countries who are employees of academic or research institutions or government agencies (priority is given to regular employees).
Must not be more than 35 (Master’s Degree) or 40 (PhD) years of age at the time of application.
Have completed their last university degree not more than 6 years ago at the time of application.

Application Procedure

The required documents to be submitted should be in English:

DAAD-SEARCA Application form;
Admission notice or proof of application to the university;
Recommendation letter by university teachers (one for MS, two for PhD);
Official original / certified true copy of transcript of academic records of each degree completed (BS transcript for MS applicants and BS and MS transcripts for PhD applicants);
Letter of motivation (mentioning the planned research in Germany, if applicable);
Certification of employment;
Copy of bio-page of the passport;
Hand signed curriculum vitae;
Certification from a medical doctor that the applicant is in good physical and mental health condition and is fit to undertake graduate studies;
Official endorsement from the employer;
Study plan; and
Results of Test of English as a Foreign Language: TOEFL iBT result (80) or IELTS results (6.0). The TOEFL results must be issued by Princeton, New Jersey, USA. Check the schedule and venue of TOEFL tests in your country. If this is not available at the moment, a certification from the previous study post that the applicant’s English proficiency is in the level of IELTS 6.0 may suffice.
For PhD candidates, submit the following additional documents:
- Declaration of acceptance from the academic supervisor
- Detailed and precise PhD proposal, including detailed work and time table (mentioning the planned research in Germany, if applicable)
- Abstract of the proposal on one page (please include name and title of proposal).