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Deadline: June 10, 2025
The DAAD Leadership for Africa Master’s Scholarship Programme 2025/2026 is a fully funded scholarship initiative by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) aimed at high-achieving graduates from East Africa. This program offers talented young professionals the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree in Germany, equipping them with leadership skills and academic excellence to contribute to their home countries’ development.
This scholarship is particularly focused on refugees and nationals from selected East African countries who demonstrate strong academic merit and leadership potential. The program covers a wide range of disciplines, except for medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, law, arts, and architecture.
Benefits
Successful applicants of the DAAD Leadership for Africa Master’s Scholarship Programme 2025/2026 will receive:
- Full tuition fees coverage at a German university.
- Monthly stipend to cover living expenses.
- Health, accident, and personal liability insurance.
- Travel allowance for flights to and from Germany.
- German language course (if required) before the start of the program.
- Access to leadership training and networking opportunities.
SEE ALSO: Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program 2025 (Window 2) for Developing Countries Nationals (Fully Funded)
Requirements
The programme targets two groups:
1) Highly qualified refugees who hold refugee status and fulfil the necessary qualifications for Master’s studies in Germany.
Applicants must fulfil the following conditions:
- Holding refugee status in their host countries, being granted before 2nd of April, 2024. Refugee status must be valid at least until April 2026. In case of renewal of status, please provide sufficient proof.
- Country of asylum must be either South Sudan or Uganda.
- Completed Bachelor’s degree at the time of application.
2) Highly qualified graduates from South Sudan or Uganda who fulfil the necessary qualifications for Master’s studies in Germany.
Applicants must fulfil the following conditions:
- Citizenship of either South Sudan or Uganda.
- Country of residence is South Sudan or Uganda.
- Completed Bachelor’s degree at the time of application.
Please note:
- With a Degree in Medicine, you can apply for Public Health or Biomedical Master related programmes only. A Master’s programme in Medicine is not eligible for funding.
- For applicants from artistic disciplines and the field of architecture, the DAAD offers subject-specific scholarship programmes
- Successful completion of a Bachelor’s degree at the time of application that meets the requirements of German universities for admission to a Master’s programme.
- A Bachelor’s degree of at least 2nd class upper division level is required.
- As a rule, not more than 6 years should have passed since the completion of the last academic degree (see important information for scholarship applicants / Section A, point 2).
- Good English or good German language skills
- For Refugees: Copy of Refugee ID card issued before 02.04.2024
What Can be funded
The scholarship includes:
- German language course (up to 6 months) in Germany before the start of the university studies
- Tuition-free M.A. or M.Sc. degree programme at a public or state-recognized university in Germany starting in winter term 2026 (September/October 2026)
Scholarship Worth
- German language course (up to 6 months) in Germany before the start of the study programme, including the coverage of the test fees for a German language certificate (TestDaF or DSH test), pocket money and accommodation (only during the language course). The DAAD will decide whether to fund participation and for how long, based on the applicant’s German language skills and study requirements. Participation in a language course is compulsory.
- Monthly scholarship payments of 992 euros
- Adequate health, accident and private/personal liability insurance in Germany
- Travel allowance
- Yearly study allowance
- If applicable, monthly rent subsidy and monthly allowance for accompanying family members (spouse and/or children)
Please note that family reunions may be delayed or not be possible during the duration of the scholarship, due to the length of the visa process for some home or host countries.
