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Scholarships aimed at international postgraduate students to be renewed at the turn of the year

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EDUFI Fellowship and the Finnish Government Scholarship Pool will be merged into one scholarship programme.
Kuvituskuva. Lyhty.

EDUFI Fellowship and the Finnish Government Scholarship Pool, the Finnish National Agency for Education’s scholarship programmes aimed at international postgraduate students, will merge as from 1 January 2021.

EDUFI Fellowship scholarships are intended especially for supporting the work carried out on their dissertations by international doctoral students in Finland. Scholarships from the Finnish Government Scholarship Pool programme have been awarded to fund doctoral level postgraduate studies and research at universities and state research institutes in Finland.

The reform will make it easier and faster for the applicant to apply for the scholarship as the application and decision-making processes will be uniform and lighter.

The scholarship is granted especially to support work at the initial stage of the dissertation

The new programme entitled EDUFI Fellowship is largely similar to its predecessor. The scholarship can be applied for by a representative of a Finnish university. The funding is targeted at supporting the work of international doctoral students who work on their dissertation, conduct research at state research institutes or complete a double degree.

The primary purpose of the programme is to increase international mobility and assist doctoral students at the initial stage of their work. For justified reasons, visits to Finland for a maximum of approximately six months can also be funded for persons completing a doctoral degree at a foreign university.

As there will be a rolling deadline in the new programme, scholarship applications can be submitted throughout the year. The Finnish National Agency for Education makes efforts to take the decision on awarding the scholarship within three months of receiving the application. Every year, the programme provides funding to more than 100 scholarship recipients.

Increasing awareness of Finland

The renewing programme is aimed at strengthening Finland's position in the competition for competent workforce in the international labour markets as well as increasing awareness of Finnish education and research in the world.

– The aim is to further intensify the cooperation between the Finnish National Agency for Education and the areas in which the Team Finland Knowledge network operates and to promote the goals of the Talent Boost programme in attracting international specialists, says Päivi Jokinen, Programme Manager for Internationalisation services for higher education studies.

The task of the specialists of the Team Finland Knowledge network is to enhance Finland’s cooperation in the fields of education and research and promote the export of Finnish knowledge, expertise and educational innovations across the world.

The Talent Boost programme coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Ministry of Education and Culture in turn is aimed at making Finland an internationally attractive place to work, study, conduct research and do business.

Further information:

Päivi Jokinen, Programme Manager, Finnish National Agency for Education. tel. +358 29 533 8518, firstname.lastname [at] oph.fi