Good news for international students: they can apply for The Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Program (ISP), which was established by His Highness the Aga Khan.
The Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Program (ISP) aims to support gifted, outstanding students from developing countries, who have no other means of financing their studies, to pursue full-time postgraduate studies at reputable higher education institutions of their choice. The ISP is available in: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Canada, Egypt, France, India, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic, Madagascar, Mozambique, Pakistan, Portugal, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Uganda and the USA.
Each year, the Aga Khan Foundation gives a small number of postgraduate scholarships to outstanding students from certain developing countries who have no other way to pay for their studies. The goal is to help them become effective scholars and leaders and prepare them for jobs, mostly within the AKDN. Scholarships are provided on a 50/50 grant or loan basis once a year in June or July through a competitive application process.
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The Aga Khan Foundation prioritizes Master’s-level course requests, but will only consider PhD applications from exceptional students who have been highly recommended for doctoral studies by their teachers and who need a PhD to achieve their career goals (academic or research-oriented).
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Short-term course applications are not considered, nor are applications from students who have already begun their studies.
Scholarship Highlights
- Level of Study: Masters, PhD
- Organization: Aga Khan Foundation
- Study in: Any highly reputable university except universities in UK, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Denmark, The Netherlands, Italy, Norway and Ireland
- Program Period: According to chosen university
- Deadline: 17 March 2023
Also check: USEFP Fullbright Degree Program 2023 Pakistan | Fully Funded Scholarship
Courses Offered:
- Health
- Education
- Culture
- Rural development
- Institution building
- Economic development
- Agriculture and food security
- Civil society
- Enterprise development
- Financial inclusion
- Habitat
- Historic cities
- Humanitarian assistance
- Industrial development
- Infrastructure development
- Media
- Music
- Tourism promotion
Note: List of scholarship links may be helpful.
Also check: University of Guelph-Katherine Fuller Scholarship 2023 Canada | International Students
Benefits
The Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Program provide the recipient with the following benefits:
- The Foundation assists students with tuition fees and living expenses only.
- Funding for PhD programs is only provided for the first two years of study, after which the students are expected to find alternative sources of assistance.
- Financial assistance is provided according to the needs of students.
- Applicants are requested to make every effort to obtain funding from other sources as well, so that the amount requested from the Foundation can be reduced to a minimum.
- Preference is given to those who have been able to secure some funding from alternative sources.
Loan Conditions
Half of the scholarship amount is considered a loan, which must be reimbursed with an annual service charge of 5%. A guarantor is required to co-sign the loan agreement. The payback period is five years and starts six months after the Aga Khan Foundation-funded study period.
Also check: Ruth First Scholarship at Durham University 2023 UK | Fully Funded For Scholarship Southern African Students
Eligibility
To qualify for The Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Program, candidates must fulfill all of the following requirements:
- Required Language: As per chosen institute requirement.
- Eligible Countries: The Foundation accepts applications from nationals of the following countries:
- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Canada, Egypt, France, India, Kenya, Kyrgyz Republic, Madagascar, Mozambique, Pakistan, Portugal, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Uganda and the USA.
- *Note: in Canada, France, Portugal and the USA, applications are accepted from those who are originally from one of the above developing countries, are interested in development-related studies and who have no other means of financing their education.
- Consistently excellent academic records.
- Genuine financial need. Financial assistance is provided according to the needs of students, but the Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Program (ISP) must be considered a resource of last resort. Applicants must demonstrate that they have explored and secured multiple sources of funding. The award funding need is determined individually, by deducting from the eligible student expenses, the total of other grants, loans (if any), parental contribution and student employment income. All students are encouraged to try to reduce the amount requested from the Foundation by applying to other sources of assistance as well.
- Admission to a reputable postgraduate institution of higher learning. The program gives priority to Master’s degree courses but also considers applications for PhD studies. Local/regional universities and distance learning programs are acceptable for the Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Program (ISP) funding, if the quality of the courses is maintained.
- Strong professional experience, extracurricular achievements, volunteer contributions and leadership skills.
- Admission to a highly reputable university or program of study.
- Relevance of the field of study to AKDN’s focus areas.
- Demonstrating thoughtful and coherent educational and career plans,
- Their extra-curricular interests and achievements, potential to achieve their goals and likelihood to succeed in a foreign academic environment.
- Applicants are expected to have some years of work experience in their field of interest.
- Preference is given to students under 30 years of age.
Also check: Federation University International Scholarship 2023 Australia
How to Apply?
Please follow the following application instructions to apply for The Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Program:
- You should have an offer to study at the chosen university.
- Obtain application form from AKF offices or Aga Khan Education Services / Boards in the country of your current residence.
- Sent the completed application to the agency from which it was obtained. They should not be sent to Geneva.
Contacts by Country
Please use the email or mailing address for the country where you currently live. If an email address is not available for the country where you live, then the The Aga Khan Foundation’s International Scholarship Program is not available there.
- Afghanistan: nabi.badakhsh@akdn.org, tel: 0093-790-022-125
- Bangladesh: motilal.hazra@akdn.org, akf.bangladesh@akdn.org, tel: (+880) 9606111000
- Canada: akf.isp@iicanada.net, info@akfc.ca, tel: (613) 2372532
- Egypt: iman.zaki@akdn.org, tel: (2) 02 2506 1570
- France: akeb@franceinstitutions.org
- India: scholarship.esc@djtrust.org, 2023.akfispindia@gmail.com, tel: (11) 47399700
- Kenya: scholarships@akfea.org, tel: + 254 730 717 000
- Kyrgyz Republic: akf.hr.kg@akdn.org, tel: +996 312 97 62 47
- Madagascar: osdrm.akfmg@akdn.org
- Mozambique: akf.mozambique@akdn.org, tel: (21) 490 515/519
- Pakistan: akfisp.pak@akdn.org, tel: (51) 111-253-254
- Portugal: akfportugal@akdn.org, tel: (21) 3949110
- Syria: akeb.syria@gmail.com, tel: (11) 3343610/11
- Tajikistan: scholarship.akftjk@akdn.org, tel: (37) 2277650
- Tanzania: info.afktz@akdn.org, tel: (22) 2668651
- Uganda: akf.uganda@akdn.org
- United States of America: akfisp@usaji.org, scholarships.akfusa@akdn.org, tel: (202) 2932537