Swedish Institute Scholarships for Global Professionals (SISGP)
The Swedish Institute Scholarships for Global Professionals (SISGP) is Sweden's flagship government scholarship — funded by the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and administered by the Swedish Institute. It covers full tuition, a monthly SEK 10,000 living stipend, a one-time SEK 15,000 travel grant, comprehensive insurance, and membership in the SI Network for Future Global Leaders (an active alumni mentoring community). Sri Lanka is on the eligible-countries list. Selection is values-driven — the Swedish Institute looks for emerging leaders committed to sustainable development, gender equality, democracy, and human rights. Sri Lankan applicants with NGO experience, climate work, gender-justice advocacy, or sustainable-business backgrounds are well-positioned.
Swedish Institute
Government-funded
emoji_events Award Overview
Tuition
Fully Funded
Monthly Stipend
SEK 10,000/month
Extras
SEK 15,000 Travel + Insurance + SI Network
fact_check Eligibility Criteria
Sri Lankan Citizenship
Sri Lanka is on the SISGP eligible-countries list. Confirm the current eligibility annually on si.se — the list is periodically updated based on Sweden's development cooperation priorities.
Admitted to an Eligible Swedish Master's
You must have applied for and be admitted to one of the eligible English-taught Master's programmes — primarily at Lund, KTH, Uppsala, Stockholm, Chalmers, KI, and other major Swedish universities. The eligible-programmes list is published each year on si.se.
3,000+ Hours of Work / Volunteer Experience
Demonstrate at least 3,000 hours of relevant work, internship, or volunteer experience over the last three years. Both paid and unpaid roles count if substantively documented. NGO/social-sector work is highly weighted given the programme's leadership orientation.
English Proficiency
IELTS 6.5 (no band below 5.5) or TOEFL iBT 90+ is generally required by Swedish Master's programmes. Some Swedish universities accept English-medium Bachelor's documentation in lieu of a test — confirm per programme.
account_tree Application Process
Apply to Swedish Master's via Universityadmissions.se
Submit your Master's application via the central Sweden admissions portal by 15 January 2026 (the standard international round deadline). Apply to up to 4 eligible programmes from the SISGP list — your scholarship application must reference one of these.
Pay the admission application fee
Non-EU applicants pay a SEK 900 admission application fee per round at universityadmissions.se. This is separate from the scholarship application.
Submit SISGP application
Once admission applications are submitted, complete the SISGP application via the Swedish Institute scholarship portal between early February and 11 February. Submit: CV, motivation letter, two references, work/experience confirmations, and proof of admission application.
Selection + outcome
Selection runs February-March in parallel with university admission decisions. SI scholarship outcomes are announced late April. Around 300-350 awards are issued globally each year across all eligible countries.
Why SISGP?
SISGP is one of the few European government scholarships explicitly designed for developing-country professionals — and the SI Network for Future Global Leaders is widely regarded as one of the most active alumni mentoring communities in the European scholarship space. Sweden also offers a 12-month post-study residence permit for job-seeking after graduation.
~350
Awards per Year Globally
Eligible
Sri Lanka on Country List
12 mo
Post-Study Job-Search Visa
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