ARES International Training Scholarships 2026–2027 – Advanced Degrees & Continuing Training in Belgium

The International Training Scholarships, offered by ARES (Académie de Recherche et d’Enseignement Supérieur) under Belgium’s Wallonia–Brussels Federation, aim to strengthen professional skills and leadership among candidates from eligible developing countries.

What’s on Offer?

1. Specialised Bachelor’s & Master’s Programmes (1 Year)

• Includes one advanced bachelor programme and multiple specialised master’s fields such as:
  • Human Rights
  • Risk & Disaster Management in the Anthropocene
  • Integrated Health Risk Management
  • International & Development Economics
  • Microfinance
  • Public Health Methodology
  • Health Policy & Systems Evaluation
  • Transport & Logistics
  • Social Innovation Design
  • Water–Energy–Food Nexus

2. Continuing Education Courses (2–6 Months)

• Select programs include:
  • Data Science for Global Health
  • Digital Pedagogy in Higher Education
  • Transitional Justice
  • Managing Human Dimensions of Sustainable Development Projects
  • Quality Assurance in Pharmaceuticals
  • Open-Source Geographic Information Systems

Key Dates & Application Process

• Application Opens: 4 August 2025
• Deadline: 19 September 2025, 12:00 PM (Belgian time, UTC+1)
• Application Portal: Submit via the official GIRAF platform—avoid emailing personal documents.

Who Is Eligible?

You must:

• Be a permanent resident working in one of the 31 ARES partner countries (including Palestine, regardless of residency).
• Hold a degree equivalent to:
  • 300 ECTS (second-cycle) for master’s/continuing education
  • 180 ECTS (first-cycle) for specialized baccalaureate
• Have at least two years of relevant professional experience post-graduation.

Eligible countries span Africa, South America, Southeast Asia, and include: Benin, Bolivia, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Haiti, Nepal, Philippines, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, and more.

Coverage & Benefits

For bachelor’s and master’s programmes, the scholarship includes:

• Tuition fees
• International travel (economy fare)
• Monthly subsistence allowance
• Visa-related expenses (up to €200)
• Insurance
  For continuing education:
• Travel, subsistence, insurance, and mission-related costs

Why It Matters

• Provides access to specialized education in high-impact fields at institutions in Belgium’s French-speaking federation.
• Emphasizes capacity-building: scholars are expected to act as “agents of change” upon returning to their home countries.
• Encourages diversity in academic fields and geographic representation. Selection prioritizes academic merit, professional experience, and potential societal impact.

Official Link