Overview
VLIR-UOS offers ICP Connect Master's scholarships that cover tuition fees, travel, insurance and living expenses for the full length of the programme. The award is open to students from 30 eligible countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. You use it to study one of the English-taught programmes at a Flemish university or university of applied sciences and arts in Belgium. The scholarship is full funding for the entire Master's programme, which runs 12, 24 or 36 months.
Awarded by
A participating Belgian Flemish university or university college.
Subjects and level
Professional Bachelors (3 years)
Initial masters (2 years)
- International Master of Science in Agro- and Environmental Nematology
- International Master of Science in Rural Development
- Master of Aquaculture (IMAQUA)
- Master of Epidemiology
- Master of Science in Food Technology
- Master of Science in Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management
- Master of Statistics and Data Science
- Master in Sustainable Development
- Master of Transportation Sciences – Road Safety
- Master of Water Resources Engineering (WRE)
- Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Systems
- Master of Science in Sustainable Land Management
- Master of Science in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems (Mundus tropicalis c/o TROPIMUNDO)
Advanced Masters
Awards available
Not specified.
Who can apply
Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Asia: Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam
Latin America: Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Peru
What the award covers
The scholarship pays for tuition fees, travel, insurance and living expenses, which cover board and lodging. VLIR-UOS provides full scholarships only for the whole Master's programme, lasting 12, 24 or 36 months.
Eligibility requirements
- Nationality and country of residence: You must be a national of one of the 30 eligible countries and live in one of these countries (not necessarily the same one) when you apply.
- Age: For a bachelor or initial master programme, you cannot be older than 35 on 1 January of the intake year. For an advanced master, the limit is 45. Bachelor applicants must also be at least 19 years old by 1 January of the intake year.
- Professional background and experience: Priority goes to applicants working in higher education, government or civil society, or aiming for a career in one of these sectors. Private-sector employees and recent graduates with no work experience can also be considered if they show strong motivation and a strong profile.
- Scholarship applications: You may submit only one ICP Connect scholarship application per year.
- Previously awarded scholarships: You must not have received a scholarship from the Belgian government for a study programme before, and you must not have enrolled at a Belgian higher education institution before 1 January of the intake year.
How to apply
Applications are currently closed.
Apply through the university's website (links above) for both admission to the programme and the scholarship itself. When you apply for the programme, state whether you want to apply for a scholarship. The deadline varies by programme, but most fall around 1 February or 28 February 2026. The deadline for the Master of Science in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems is 30 November 2025.
Check the official website and the website of the specific Master's programme you choose for full details on how to apply for this scholarship.
Official website
Official Scholarship Website: https://www.vliruos.be/en/icpconnect-scholarships
Related link: Top 10 Scholarships in Belgium for Foreign Students
