In-Country/In-Region Programme Sub-Saharan Africa
Real stories: Scholarship Benefits & Application Tips
Background
In many developing countries, top-level university teachers are scarce, especially in development-related subjects. This limits the quality of university education: due to the small number of highly qualified lecturers, it is not possible to provide enough adequate study places. A well-developed higher education sector is essential for training the professionals and managerial staff that can be highly conducive to the political, economic, and social success of developing countries.
The In-Country/In-Region programme in developing countries ought to contribute to train highly qualified professionals and managerial staff for sustainable development in the partner countries and for the development of top-quality, cosmopolitan universities. The programme thus offers scholarships to future academic and professional leaders from developing countries for postgraduate courses and for doctorates. They study at universities in their home country or at highly qualified institutions in the region.
The partner universities and partner institutions in the respective countries are intermediaries but profit directly from the programme through tuition fees. The regional focus of the programme is Sub-Saharan Africa; however, very similar programmes are run in Central America, South America, South and South-East Asia, and the Middle East.
Programme Objectives
By training future academic and professional leaders, the programme contributes to the following long-term impacts:
- Qualified professionals’ involvement in the solution of development-related problems in developing countries
- Graduates strengthening education and research in developing countries
- Structural strengthening and regional networking of partner institutions and partner universities
To achieve these long-term impacts, the following outcomes have been formulated as programme objectives:
Programme objective 1: Graduates are qualified to take on responsible positions in or for their region of origin. Supported study courses equip graduates for taking on positions of responsibility in development-related areas in teaching and research.
Programme objective 2: The participation of women and underprivileged groups is reinforced.
Programme objective 3: Organisational, financial and personal capacities of partner institutions are strengthened.
This programme strongly encourages mobility of Sub-Saharan Africans to study in participating host institutions within the Sub-Saharan region.
Current Calls for Applications
Please note the calls for the In-Country/In-Region Scholarship Programme are currently open. The application deadline is 12 November 2026.
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Institut International d'Ingenierie de l'Eau et de l'Environnement (2iE) - Master of Science in Water and Environmental Engineering
The DAAD cooperates with Institut International d’Ingenierie de l’Eau et de l’Environnement (2iE), Burkina Faso, by offering up to five (5) In-Country and eight (8) In-Region scholarships for Master studies at the university for the intake 2027 (September 2027).
Click on “Apply” for further details from the call for application document for this study programme.
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West African Center for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana - Master of Philosophy in Seed Science and Technology
The DAAD cooperates with West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI), University of Ghana, Ghana, by offering up to three (3) In-Country and eight (8) In-Region scholarships for Master studies at the university for the intake 2027 (November 2027).
Click on “Apply” for further details from the call for application document for this study programme.
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West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), University of Ghana - Master of Philosophy in Molecular Cell Biology of Infectious Diseases
The DAAD cooperates with West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), University of Ghana, Ghana, by offering up to three (3) In-Country and eight (8) In-Region scholarships for Master studies at the university for the intake 2027 (October 2027).
Click on “Apply” for further details from the call for application document for this study programme.
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University for Development Studies (UDS) - Master of Philosophy in Agricultural Economics
The DAAD cooperates with University for Development Studies, Ghana, by offering up to three (3) In-Country and eight (8) In-Region scholarships for Master studies at the university for the intake 2027 (September 2027).
Click on “Apply” for further details from the call for application document for this study programme.
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Jimma University - Master of Science in Environmental Health
The DAAD cooperates with Jimma University, Ethiopia, by offering up to five (5) In-Country and eight (8) In-Region scholarships for Master studies at the university for the intake 2027 (October 2027).
Click on “Apply” for further details from the call for application document for this study programme.
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Chuka University - Master of Science in Plant Breeding
The DAAD cooperates with Chuka University, Kenya, by offering up to three (3) In-Country and eight (8) In-Region scholarships for Master studies at the university for the intake 2027 (September 2027).
Click on “Apply” for further details from the call for application document for this study programme.
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Moi University - Master of Education in Research
The DAAD cooperates with Moi University, Kenya, by offering up to three (3) In-Country and eight (8) In-Region scholarships for Master studies at the university for the intake 2027 (September 2027).
Click on “Apply” for further details from the call for application document for this study programme.
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University of Rwanda - Master of Science in Electrical Power Systems
The DAAD cooperates with University of Rwanda, Rwanda, by offering up to five (5) In-Country and eight (8) In-Region scholarships for Master studies at the university for the intake 2027 (September 2027).
Click on “Apply” for further details from the call for application document for this study programme.
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Ardhi University - Master of Science in Geomatics
The DAAD cooperates with Ardhi University, Tanzania, by offering up to five (5) In-Country and nine (9) In-Region scholarships for Master studies at the university for the intake 2027 (October 2027).
Click on “Apply” for further details from the call for application document for this study programme.
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Busitema University - Master of Science in Climate Change and Disaster Management
The DAAD cooperates with Busitema University, Uganda, by offering up to five (5) In-Country and nine (9) In-Region scholarships for Master studies at the university for the intake 2027 (October 2027).
Click on “Apply” for further details from the call for application document for this study programme.
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Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) - Master of Science in Environmental Health
The DAAD cooperates with Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) by offering up to five (5) In-Country and eight (8) In-Region scholarships for Master studies at the university for the intake 2027 (September 2027).
Click on “Apply” for further details from the call for application document for this study programme.
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Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) - Master of Science in Aquaculture and Fisheries Science
The DAAD cooperates with Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Malawi, by offering up to five (5) In-Country and seven (7) In-Region scholarships for Master studies at the university for the intake 2027 (August 2027).
Click on “Apply” for further details from the call for application document for this study programme.
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Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) - Master of Science in Irrigation Engineering
The DAAD cooperates with Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Malawi, by offering up to five (5) In-Country and seven (7) In-Region scholarships for Master studies at the university for the intake 2027 (August 2027).
Click on “Apply” for further details from the call for application document for this study programme.
Closed Calls for Applications
Below you will find a list of the study programmes funded under this scholarship programme not currently open but will be open in spring 2027.
(Post)graduate programmes below in Southern Africa for which DAAD scholarships are offered are now closed. Review the call for applications documents for the programme of interest along with the application information:
| Country | Institution | Programme | Start of Study |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | University of Cape Town (UCT) | Master of Philosophy in Urban Studies – Southern Urbanism | February 2027 |
| University of Pretoria (UP) | Master of Science in Mathematics | February 2027 |
(Post)graduate programmes below in West and Central Africa for which DAAD scholarships are offered are now closed:
| Country | Institution | Programme | Start of Study |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta Nigeria (FUNAAB) | Master of Science in Physics | March 2027 |
When to Apply
The call for scholarship applications for West, Central, and Eastern Africa study programmes is generally open in the last third of each year. Please visit this page during this period (Sept-Dec) to see the exact deadlines for the call for the next intake year!
For the other Southern Africa study programmes, the call for scholarship applications usually in the first third of each year. Please visit this page during this period (Feb-Apr) for the exact deadlines.
Please note that In-Country scholarships for students from South Africa are administrated by NRF (https://www.nrf.ac.za/)
Please check the call for application documents on this page during the periods mentioned above to confirm the next call.
DAAD Scholarship database: daad.de/go/en/stipa10000486
