Call for Applications: Banach Nawa Programme

Deadline: 27-Jun-2025

The National Agency for Academic Exchange is seeking applications for its Banach Nawa Programme to support the socio-economic development of developing countries by raising the level of education and professional qualifications of citizens of countries eligible to participate in the programme by offering scholarships for undertaking second-cycle studies in Poland.

The programme is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, implemented as part of the Polish development cooperation programme.

Thematic Scope

• At the stage of applying for financial resources in the Programme, the Applicant selects one of the scholarship paths:
  • Polish language path (for studies in Polish):
    • Preparatory course and second cycle studies
    • Second-cycle studies in Polish (without a preparatory course)
  • English path (for studies in English) – second-cycle studies in English and a course in Polish language and culture

Benefits

• The scholarship of the Director of the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange includes:
  • Monthly scholarship during the regular education period
  • Exemption from fees for education at NAWA preparatory courses or at public universities
  • Lump sum for international travel costs related to coming to Poland to undertake education

Funding Information

• The total allocation for the recruitment is PLN 6.25 million, but the Agency reserves the right to change the amount of allocation of funds.
• The monthly scholarship amounts to PLN 2,500 per month and is paid for a maximum of 12 months in the academic year, starting from the first month of classes at studies and during the NAWA preparatory course.

Eligibility Criteria

• Foreigners who meet all of the following criteria at the time of recruitment may apply for a scholarship in the Programme:
  • Being citizens of one of the following countries: Albania, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Montenegro, the Philippines, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Lebanon, North Macedonia, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Nigeria, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Rwanda, Senegal, Serbia, Tanzania, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam;
  • Not having Polish citizenship and having not submitted an application for Polish citizenship;
  • Planning to start second-cycle studies or a preparatory course in the winter semester of the 2025/26 academic year (from October 2025);
  • At the time of submitting the application to the Programme, they are students of the last semester of first-cycle studies in one of the Programme countries or have obtained a first-cycle diploma in one of the Programme countries no earlier than in 2023.
  • Have not previously obtained a second-cycle or uniform master’s degree diploma;
  • Have not previously received the NAWA Director’s scholarship (NAWA scholarship) under the Programme,
  • Have documented knowledge of:
    • Polish at the level of:
      • At a minimum level of A2 if they plan to take a one-year preparatory course preceding second-cycle studies in Polish;
      • At a minimum level of B2 if they plan to start second-cycle studies in Polish;
      • English at a minimum level of B2 if they plan to start second-cycle studies in English.

Evaluation Criteria

• General assumptions
  • Applications are subject to a formal and substantive assessment.
• Formal assessment
  • The purpose of the formal assessment is to verify whether the applications meet the formal criteria specified in this Announcement.
• Substantive assessment
  • The purpose of the substantive assessment is to verify whether the applications meet the quality criteria specified in the Announcement.

Application Requirements

• A scan of the passport page with the Applicant’s personal data,
• A scan of the first-cycle diploma obtained in one of the Programme countries, together with a supplement containing information on the arithmetic average of grades from the entire course of study and information on grades from completed subjects.
• A document confirming participation in the recruitment for full-time second-cycle studies starting in the winter semester of 2025/26 at a university in Poland selected by the Applicant and supervised by the Minister of Science and Higher Education.
• A scan of a document confirming knowledge of the language in which the Applicant plans to study in Poland.
• A file with a video recording of the applicant’s self-presentation in Polish or English.

For more information, visit NAWA.