KAAD Scholarship Programme 1 2026

The KAAD Scholarship Programme 1 supports academically talented students, graduates, and researchers from developing and emerging countries who wish to pursue postgraduate studies or research in Germany.

Eligibility Criteria for KAAD Scholarship Programme 1:

Applicants must:

• Come from and currently reside in a developing or emerging country in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, or Latin America.
• Hold a university degree.
• Have professional experience in their home country.
• Intend to pursue a Master's degree, PhD, other postgraduate studies, a postdoctoral project, or a research stay (2–6 months for academics) at a German university.
• Be of the Catholic faith or generally belong to a Christian denomination (especially applicants from the Near and Middle East). Applicants of other religions may be considered if proposed by Catholic partners and willing to engage in interreligious dialogue.
• Demonstrate above-average academic or research potential.
• Show commitment to returning to and contributing to their home region after completing their studies.
• Demonstrate religious and social commitment or willingness to engage in interreligious dialogue.
• Possess German language skills of at least B1 level (or A2 for English-language programmes) and participate in the KAAD educational programme.

Application Process:

• Contact the relevant KAAD partner committee in your region.
• Prepare and submit the required application documents through the partner committee.