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Austria Calls are published periodically on the OeAD Grants.at portal with fixed application windows — confirm the current North-South Dialogue call and your country's eligibility on grants.at

North-South Dialogue Scholarship Programme (OeAD)

The North-South Dialogue Scholarship Programme is an Austrian government scholarship, administered by the OeAD and funded through Austrian Development Cooperation, aimed at students from developing countries pursuing studies relevant to sustainable development at Austrian universities. It provides a monthly stipend of around EUR 1,150 (LKR 397k+) plus accident and health insurance, a possible tuition-fee waiver, and support with accommodation, for the duration of a Master's programme (or the completion phase of a degree) in development-relevant fields. Sri Lanka is an eligible partner-country context for Austrian development cooperation, so Sri Lankan graduates in areas such as environmental management, water and sanitation, renewable energy, agriculture, public health, social sciences or development studies can be well placed. Because eligible fields, partner institutions and quotas are defined per call, and priority partner countries are reviewed periodically, confirm current eligibility and deadlines on the OeAD (Grants.at) website before applying.

OeAD (Austria's Agency for Education and Internationalisation)

Government-funded

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Value

~EUR 1,150/mo + Insurance

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Level

Master's / Degree Completion

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Focus

Development-relevant Study

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Developing-country Applicant

Aimed at graduates from developing countries in the context of Austrian development cooperation. Sri Lankan applicants should verify that Sri Lanka is on the current call's eligible-country list before applying, as this is reviewed periodically.

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Development-relevant Field

Your intended Master's must be relevant to sustainable development — for example environment, water, energy, agriculture, health, education, economics, or social/development studies. Purely commercial or unrelated fields are typically excluded.

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Strong Academic Background

A good Bachelor's degree (typically upper-second/first-class) from a recognised Sri Lankan university in a relevant field, plus admission (or admissibility) to a participating Austrian university programme.

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Language Proficiency

English-taught Master's require IELTS/TOEFL evidence (~6.5); German-taught programmes require German. Sri Lankan applicants from English-medium degrees may qualify for English-taught programmes via an MOI route — confirm with the host university.

account_tree Application Process

Check the current call and eligibility

Review the current North-South Dialogue call on the OeAD Grants.at portal, confirming that Sri Lanka is eligible, the field fits, and you meet the criteria.

Secure Austrian university admission

Apply to a participating Austrian university programme relevant to development, and obtain admission or proof of admissibility as required by the call.

Submit the OeAD scholarship application

Apply through Grants.at within the call window, with CV, motivation letter, transcripts, degree certificate, admission evidence, references and any required development-relevance statement.

Selection and Austrian visa

Selected scholars are notified by the OeAD; you then apply for the Austrian student residence permit/visa using your admission and scholarship confirmation.

Why the North-South Dialogue Programme?

Run by the OeAD and funded by Austrian Development Cooperation, this programme specifically supports talented students from developing countries to gain development-relevant qualifications in Austria. For eligible Sri Lankan graduates, it combines a solid living stipend with insurance and fee support — a purpose-built alternative to the general Ernst Mach grant.