Applications open for ThinkSwiss Research Scholarships

The ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship program Asia-Pacific is funded by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and is supported by Swissnex in India and the Embassies of Switzerland in Australia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam. The programme aims to promote research opportunities in Switzerland for Indian, Australian, Singaporean and Bruneian students to foster the exchange between Swiss and Asia-Pacific universities & institutions.

Funding Information

• The ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship provides a prorated amount based on the length of your stay (a maximum of up to three months). The students will get a stipend of 60 CHF/day from the start to the last day in the University, +2 days for arrival and departure up to a maximum of 90 days (5,400 CHF maximum).
• They cannot extend the length of scholarship support. Students are free to organise additional funding from other sources for a longer research stay.

Eligibility Criteria

• To apply for a ThinkSwiss Scholarship, you must:
  • Currently be enrolled at an accredited Indian, Australian, Singaporean or Bruneian university/institute.
  • Be a Master’s degree student or a Bachelor’s degree student who has completed the 2nd year by the time the research stay in Switzerland begins.
  • Provide written confirmation from a professor at a Swiss university or research institute mentioning they have accepted you for a research stay in their group/lab.
  • Foreign language skills are not required for a research stay in Switzerland, as the working language will generally be English. Knowledge of any Swiss national language would, of course, be helpful for daily life.
  • The scholarship supports research at public universities and public research institutions. They do not support research stays at private higher education or research institutions.
  • Please note that:
    • Doctoral and postdoctoral candidates are not eligible to apply.
    • They specifically encourage Indian applicants with an interest in Antimicrobial Research (AMR), One Health, biodiversity or climate change and action to apply. (The University of Lausanne is not part of this programme for Indian students.) They are subject-agnostic as far as Australian, Singaporean and Bruneian applicants are concerned.
    • Students applying to ETH Zurich should also register themselves as an ‘individual collaborator’ on the university website.

Application Requirements 

• Each application must contain the following:
  • A cover letter (maximum of two pages)
  • A CV (maximum two pages)
  • A copy of your current university transcripts (they accept photocopies of official transcripts issued to the student)
  • A letter of acceptance from the professor and/or host institution in Switzerland. Please request a confirmation letter on the university/institute letterhead from the host professor.
  • A letter of recommendation from a current professor who can attest to the applicant’s abilities.

For more information, visit Swissnex.