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The scholarship programme “Leadership for Africa” (LfA) aims to support the academic qualification and advancement of young refugees and national scholars from Cameroon, Senegal, and Togo at higher education institutions in Germany. Applications are now open for this programme.
Opportunity Details
In times of conflicts and displacement, this programme intends to contribute to the education of future leaders, who will be essential for the further development of societies in Africa and beyond. “Leadership for Africa” offers scholarships for Master's studies in Germany to qualified applicants in all fields of study except for Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Dentistry, Law, Fine Arts and Architecture as well as Nursing, Midwifery or similar health care-related academic fields.
What can be funded?
The scholarship includes:
Duration of the funding
Generally, selected candidates will start their German language course in April 2026 at the earliest and begin their studies at a German institution of higher education by around 1 October 2026. The duration of funding is determined by the standard period of study of the chosen programme. In general, eligible Master’s programmes require two years of full-time study.
Value
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:
2) Highly qualified graduates from Cameroon, Senegal, or Togo who fulfil the necessary qualifications for Master’s studies in Germany.
Applicants must fulfil the following conditions:
Please note:
A pre-selection will be conducted based on the submitted application documents. Only complete applications with all mandatory documents will be considered. Preselected candidates will be invited to an (digital) interview with an independent selection committee of university professors.
Selection Criteria
In addition to previous achievements in university (Bachelor's degree), language skills and the general motivation, the main selection criterion is a convincing description of the planned studies in Germany and the suitable choice of study programmes in the DAAD form "Study course profile".
To ensure equal opportunities, social criteria such as special life circumstances, migration background or students from non-academic families may also be considered. Criteria such as social engagement, as indicated in the application form, are also taken into account.
For further information on the selection procedure, please refer to the Important Scholarship Information, Section E.
For applicants from artistic disciplines and the field of architecture, the DAAD offers the following scholarship programmes:
1. Register in the DAAD portal (Read notes about registering in the portal >>)
2. Applying online in the DAAD portal (Read notes on applying in the portal >>)
Please note:
If you have any technical questions or problems your local information and advice centres could not help you with, please do not hesitate to contact [email protected] via e-mail.
You can also reach the technical portal hotline by telephone on weekdays from 9-12 and 14-16 (CET/CEST) by dialling +49 228 882-8888.
Please consider possible processing times of your request when you are planning your application.
Application documents
Please note that all documents must be uploaded to the DAAD portal. Incomplete applications will be formally rejected and will be excluded from the application process.
The following documents may be scanned in non-certified form and uploaded to the DAAD portal. If you submit documents in your national language, you must include English or German translations.
Note: The DAAD reserves the right to request certified copies of the documents or the originals at any time in the application process.
Required documents:
Optional:
Other documents that might be of relevance to your application (e.g., certificates of employment and/or internship, proof of former scholarships, extracurricular engagement, recommendation letters, (expired) admissions to a German Master's programme).
Please note
Applications have to be submitted exclusively to the DAAD portal.
Applications submitted through other channels or to other authorities will not be considered.
The DAAD portal closes at 24.00 hrs. Central European Summer Time (CEST) on the last application day.
Incomplete applications cannot be considered. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that their applications are complete.
Please note that the "Application portal" tab in the scholarship database only appears while the current application period is running. Once the application deadline is expired, the portal for this programme is not accessible until next year’s application period.
Apply for Leadership for Africa Masters Programme