Deadline: varies by programme, from 30 November 2026 to 28 February 2027
Belgium's VLIRUOS is offering fully funded ICP Connect scholarships for bachelor's and master's programmes at Flemish universities starting in September 2027, but only for citizens of 25 eligible countries. Sierra Leone is not on the list.
KU Leuven University Library, Leuven, Belgium (file photo). Photo: Theedi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Host: VLIRUOS (Flemish universities and university colleges, Belgium)
- Country: Belgium
- Level: Professional bachelor's (3 years), initial master's (2 years), advanced master's (1 year)
- Funding: Fully funded
- Open to: Nationals of 25 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America (list below)
- Programmes start: September 2027
- Deadline: set by each programme (see table below)
About the scholarship
The ICP Connect scholarships are funded by VLIRUOS, which supports partnerships between Flemish (Belgian) universities and the Global South. Scholars are expected to become "agents of change" who use their skills to support sustainable development in their home countries after graduating. All programmes are taught in English.
What it covers
- Tuition fees
- Travel
- Insurance
- Living expenses (board and lodging)
The scholarship covers the full length of the programme (12, 24 or 36 months). Partial scholarships and extensions are not available.
Who can apply
Eligible countries (25):
- Sub-Saharan Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Niger, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe
- Middle East and North Africa: Morocco, Palestine
- Latin America and Caribbean: Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Peru
- South East Asia: Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam
You must hold citizenship of one of these countries and live in one of them when you apply. Other requirements:
- Age: no older than 35 on 1 January 2027 for bachelor's and initial master's programmes, or 45 for advanced master's. Bachelor's applicants must be at least 19.
- Background: preference goes to people working in, or aiming for, higher education, government or civil society. Recent graduates and private-sector workers can be considered with strong motivation.
- One application only: you may apply for just one ICP Connect scholarship per year.
- No previous Belgian scholarship and no earlier enrolment at a Belgian higher education institution.
Women are strongly encouraged to apply. Individual universities may add their own entry requirements.
Programmes and deadlines
- Bachelor of Applied Computer Science (Thomas More, Geel): 15 January 2027
- Bachelor of Hotel Management (VIVES): 31 January 2027
- MSc Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems (VUB and partners): 30 November 2026
- MSc Food Technology (KU Leuven and Ghent University): 1 February 2027
- MSc Marine and Lacustrine Science and Management (VUB, UGent, UAntwerp): 1 February 2027
- MSc Transportation Sciences: Road Safety (UHasselt): 1 February 2027
- MSc Sustainable Land Management (UGent and VUB): 1 February 2027
- MSc Aquaculture (Ghent University): 28 February 2027
- MSc Nutrition and Food Systems (Ghent University): 28 February 2027
- Advanced masters at the University of Antwerp (Development Evaluation and Management; Globalisation and Development; Governance and Development): deadline not yet listed. Check the programme page.
Several programmes, including Epidemiology, Water Resources Engineering and Statistics and Data Science, are not offering VLIRUOS scholarships for 2027-2028.
How to apply
- Confirm you meet the nationality, residence and age rules above.
- Choose one programme from the official VLIRUOS list.
- Apply through that university's website for both admission and the scholarship, and tick that you are applying for a scholarship.
- Selected candidates and those on the waiting list are contacted by email by mid-May 2027.
VLIRUOS is holding an online information session on 26 November 2026 (14:30-16:30 CET); registration is on its website.
Sources
Verified by Faddabah Newsroom against the official VLIRUOS website on 5 November 2026. Faddabah Newsroom never charges application fees and never asks for passwords or payment. Beware of anyone who does.
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