Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships open for Bangladeshi applicants

Applications are now open for the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships for the 2027–28 academic year, offering opportunities for eligible Bangladeshi researchers to pursue doctoral studies and research in Switzerland.

The scholarships are designed to promote international academic exchange and research cooperation. The programme is administered by the Swiss Federal Commission for Scholarships for Foreign Students (FCS) and is available to applicants from more than 180 countries, including Bangladesh.

For Bangladeshi applicants, the application deadline is October 30, 2026, according to the Swiss authorities’ country-specific information. Applications are submitted online.

The programme mainly targets early-career researchers who have completed a master’s degree. Research scholarships are available for postgraduate researchers in different disciplines wishing to conduct research at Swiss universities, universities of applied sciences, the two federal institutes of technology — ETH Zurich and EPFL — or research institutes within the ETH Domain.

Applicants seeking a regular PhD generally need the support of an academic supervisor in Switzerland. The supervisor’s support letter is required, while a PhD admission letter is not necessarily required at the application stage. Applicants are responsible for identifying and contacting a suitable academic supervisor.

Under changes introduced by the Swiss government, doctoral students and artists receiving the scholarship will receive CHF 2,450 per month from 2026, while the one-time housing allowance has been increased to CHF 600. The Swiss government will also continue to cover health and accident insurance premiums for scholarship holders from non-EU/EFTA countries.

The authorities have also announced that postdoctoral scholarships will no longer be offered from the 2027–28 academic year. The number of funded scholarship places has been reduced to between 200 and 250 annually, covering new and continuing awards.

Applicants have been advised to carefully check the eligibility requirements, required documents and application procedure for Bangladesh before submitting their applications.

The Swiss authorities have also warned applicants about fraudulent scholarship offers. The official application is free of charge, and applicants should not send money in response to emails or social media offers claiming to provide Swiss Government scholarships.

Application deadline: October 30, 2026. Further details are available through the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships official page.