Master Scholarships from Swiss Government 2008/2009

Application Deadline: October 31, 2007. The Swiss Government through the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS) is granting a limited number of scholarships to developing countries, among which Indonesia is included. These scholarships are offered to Indonesian postgraduate students wishing to study at a Swiss university. The aim of the scholarship is to enable grantees either to further their education or to undertake research work in the fields in which the universities are particularly active.

The intended study should be useful for the development in Indonesia. In principle, the scholarship holders can study at any national Swiss university or Federal Institute of Technology. The candidates should take into account the possibilities offered by Swiss universities. Following programs are not included in this scholarship:

1. Fine arts and music
2. Undergraduate studies
3. Hotel management studies
4. Student exchange programs
5. Part-time studies
6. On-the-job studies
7. Correspondence courses

The duration of grant is for the nine-month academic year. Under certain conditions, which are justified by FCS and the related university, the scholarship may be renewed.

Conditions

1. Indonesian citizen
2. University degree ( min. Sarjana Strata-1/bachelor degree or equivalent)
3. Candidates must be under 35 years old when applying (birth date after December 31, 1972)
4. Sufficient knowledge of one of the official languages in Switzerland (i.e. German, French or Italian), depending on the location of chosen university, and English for some courses. Each candidates will have to undergo a language test at the Swiss Embassy in Jakarta in order to determine the oral and written language ability.
Note: It is a general requirement that applicants must have proficient knowledge of one of the official languages spoken in Switzerland. In principle this requirement still applies to applicants with good English abilities and also if the intended study program will be held in English. The applicant should fully benefit from the offered scholarship. Without knowledge of one of the national languages it will be difficult to handle daily situations (foreign police, post office, bank, university life, etc). A qualified applicant whose language proficiency is considered inadequate may still be granted a scholarship. This, however, will be subject to the applicant’s attendance of a special three months’ intensive language course at the University of Fribourg. The FCS will also cover the expenses for these courses, which usually start in mid-July.
5. Acceptance letter from the chosen university. Before applying the candidates need to contact the professor or direction of the postgraduate program at the chosen educational institution in order to get a written confirmation of acceptance which must be submitted when filing the application. The requirements to obtain the letter have to be seen in the web site of each universities. Generally the request of the acceptance letter must be completed with a detailed and precise plan of the intended postgraduate study program, curriculum vitae and certified copies of the university diplomas including academic transcripts. A certified translation is required if the originals are not issued in English, German, French or Italian.
6. Detailed study/research plan and motivation describing clearly and precisely the aim of study. The possibilities offered by the Swiss universities should be taken into account, also the possibilities of professional reintegration when returning to Indonesia


Application Procedure

Please note that only applicants who fulfil the above mentioned requirements can obtain scholarship application forms which are available until October 17, 2007. To obtain the forms, the applicants should send a brief request letter which includes this following data and document:

* Complete name
* Date of birth
* Language. Please mention one the official languages in Switzerland which you speak fluently (German, French or Italian, depending on the location of the chosen university).
* Written confirmation from professor/university in Switzerland (by e-mail or fax) stating that your study plan is accepted and that you meet requirements and own a suitable academic background to be accepted as a student. In order to obtain this confirmation please contact directly the university (please take a look at the list of Swiss universities on the web site).
* Intended study field and university in Switzerland
* Copy of research/study plan
* Copy of motivation letter
* Complete correspondence address

Please send the request by post or e-mail to the address below:

Embassy of Switzerland
Cultural Section
Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said, Kav. X 3/2
Kuningan, Jakarta 12950
E-mail: jak.vertretung@eda.admin.ch
Web site: http://www.eda.admin.ch/jakarta

The application will be sent only by post. It must be completed and returned together with supporting documents before October 31, 2007.
All documents must be submitted in quadruplicate (4 sets of copies). Every document set must be prepared in following order:

1. Application form
2. Copies of secondary school certificates
3. Translation of secondary certificates
4. Copies of certificate of bachelor degree from university
5. Translation of the certificate of bachelor degree
6. Academic transcript
7. Translation of the academic transcript
8. Letters of recommendation from 2 professors/lectures in Indonesia
9. Precise and detailed plan outlining the program of the intended study or research in Switzerland
10. Motivation letter
11. Curriculum vitae
12. Acceptance/confirmation letter of an institute or professor of the chosen institution stating that your study plan is accepted and that you meet requirements and own a suitable academic background to be accepted as a student.
13. Medical certificate (on form supplied by the Embassy)
14. Other documents (language certificates, etc.)

Photocopies of any documents such as general certificates of secondary education, university diplomas and transcripts, language certificates, etc. have to be certified as true copies. Certified translations into either English, German, French or Italian have to be attached to those documents which are not originally issued in one of these languages. Please note that only complete and orderly prepared application files will be taken into consideration. If all requirements are fulfilled, the applicants will be selected to be invited by the Embassy in order to take a written and oral language test, as well as a short personal interview. In May 2008 the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS) will announce the accepted candidatures.

Scholarship Amount

CHF 1.920,-/month for post-graduate students
CHF 1.600,-/month for the language course in Fribourg.

Please note that the scholarship recipients are exempted from the general semester fees but NOT for certain postgraduate courses as for example MBA-programmes (which can reach thousands of CHF). The scholarship grant covers only living expenses in Switzerland. Therefore it is highly suggested that the applicant clarify the possibility of tuition fee exemption directly to the university.

Travel Expenses and Insurance

Recipients from Indonesia pay their own travel expenses to Switzerland, but the Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS) pays the return ticket (except for family members). The return travel will not be offered if the grantees extend their stay in Switzerland beyond six months after completion of their studies, or if they take up employment or move to a third country. Health insurance (except for dental care) and accident insurance are provided.

Obligations of a Scholarship Holder

Scholarship holders must live in Switzerland at the study place and must comply with the laws concerning the residence of foreigners in Switzerland and the university regulations. The scholarship holders cannot take family members to Switzerland in the first year of study but they may visit Switzerland on their own costs as a tourist. When accepting the scholarship, candidates may have to give their written agreement to return to Indonesia after completion of the scholarship in Switzerland. Scholarships of the FCS cannot be cumulated with other scholarships. If the scholarship holders have another scholarship or another financial support (such as salary), they are not entitled to be granted a Swiss scholarship.