FEDERAL
COMMISSION FOR SCHOLARSHIPS FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS (DHA/OFES)
The Federal Commission For Scholarships For Foreign
Students (http://www.sbf.admin.ch)
offers two scholarships to Israeli postgraduate students every year. In
addition, some scholarships are offered for fine arts and music to the best
candidates, irrespective of nationality. This offer is limited to countries
which offer reciprocal student programmes.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:
The candidates must
have a good performance capacity and a clear study goal. With the application
they must hand in comprehensive and precise details about the theme and the
orientation of the planned work. It should not involve on-the-job studies,
part-time studies or correspondence courses.
In making their
applications, the students should take into account the possibilities offered
by Swiss universities. Information on the courses given at Swiss universities
(see page 7) as well as schools for fine arts or music can be obtained on
Internet. In their choice of study, candidates should keep in mind employment
possibilities in their own country.
Before applying,
candidates should find out whether the planned study programme or research
project can be carried out in the university concerned by contacting a
professor or those responsible for the postgraduate course. On making contact,
the candidate will have to submit copies of the diploma with grades, a detailed
study plan and curriculum vitae. Should this contact not be made, the
respective institution in the host country or the Swiss embassy can reject the
candidature.
In order to clarify
admission, the universities can request additional information or set certain
conditions.
Candidates who submit
their applications within the frame of a cooperation program between the
academic institution (institute, laboratory, etc.) of their country of origin
and in Switzerland have a certain priority.
On the other hand,
the Swiss embassy or the relevant institution of the host country can reject
candidates who are already in Switzerland or a third country. The CFS does not
give them priority status even though the responsible authorities support them.
Candidates must be
under 35 years of age when applying (1.1.1971 and younger).
Proficiency in
German, French or Italian is required for studies at a Swiss university or art
institution. In some cases the candidate’s knowledge of English will also be
tested.
The Swiss Embassy
sets a preliminary language examination. If satisfactory language ability
cannot be demonstrated, the candidature is basically turned down. If there is
doubt whether the candidate can follow lectures in French or German without
problem, the scholarship is granted only on the condition that the candidate
take a preparatory language course in Fribourg from the middle of July to the
middle of October. They will receive a scholarship for this course and are
exempt from all course fees. Students who have the “Diplôme de langue” of the
Alliance Française or the “DELF 2” or the "Zentrale
Mittelstufenprüfung" (ZMP) of the Goethe Institute or an equivalent
diploma are exempt from attending the language course. A special regulation applies
for eventual Italian courses.
LINKS:
Embassy of Switzerland in Tel Aviv http://www.eda.admin.ch/telaviv
P.O. Box 6068
228, Hayarkon St.
Tel Aviv 61060, IL
Tel. ++972 3 546 44 55 ext. 234
Fax ++972 3 546 44 08
E-Mail: vesna.maslic@eda.admin.ch
Overview of the cantonal universities and Swiss
Federal Institutes of Technology: http://www.eda.admin.ch/telaviv_emb/e/home/educa/univ.html