We are pleased to share an exciting opportunity for scholars and faculty members from the ACE/PASET African Host Universities under the newly established WB-ROK Scholarship Program. This program provides an excellent chance for up to 50 students and academic staff to pursue advanced graduate degrees, free of cost in the Republic of Korea. Please kindly see below for more information.
As the program prioritizes students and faculty from ACE/PASET AHUs, a verification from your institution—in the form of a recommendation letter (attached to this email)—will be crucial. While applicants may still apply through the general 2025 Global Korea Scholarship for Graduate Degrees (GKS-G) program, only those who submit this specific recommendation letter from your institution will be considered as the applicant for the WB-ROK Scholarship.
When you issue the recommendation letter, we kindly ask you to keep track of applicants using Attachment 1 (page 2) of the recommendation letter and to submit the final list of applicants to the Government of Korea (NIIED: [email protected]) by April 20, 2025.
Please join the information session on Friday, March 7, 2025 at 11am EAT = 5pm Korea) to learn more about the application process and your expected role, as well as to have your questions answered.
Program Overview
The Government of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and the World Bank are pleased to invite outstanding current/former students and academic staff from World Bank Partner Universities in Africa to apply for the WB-ROK Scholarship Program, as part of the 2025 Global Korea Scholarship for Graduate Degrees (GKS-G) program. Fifty (50) selected recipient scholars will have the opportunity to pursue graduate studies in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) at leading universities with cutting-edge research facilities and dynamic academic environments. This fully funded program fosters future leaders who will contribute to sustainable development in Africa while promoting inclusive and innovative higher education systems in the countries through strengthened inter-university cooperation and expanded student opportunities.
Scholarship program
The WB-ROK Scholarship Program offers scholars the opportunity to pursue graduate studies at one of 74 renowned higher education institutions in the Republic of Korea (ROK) in diverse fields, including Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Applied Sciences, Engineering, Arts, Entertainment and Sports, Medicine, and more.
The program includes:
-Master’s Program: 1 year of Korean language training + 2 years of degree program
-Doctoral Program: 1 year of Korean language training + 3 years of degree program
For more details on participating universities and programs, please refer to the university information file in the call for scholarship page at GKS website.
Scholarship Benefits
-Full tuition coverage for the duration of the degree program
-Stipend to support living expenses during both the language training and degree program
-Full coverage of Korean language training fees during the language program
-Round-trip airfare between the scholar’s home country and the Republic of Korea (ROK)
Application Procedure
Interested candidates should follow these steps to apply:
Check eligibility criteria for the scholarship.
Select one (1) applicable university degree program from the university list and review each university’s specific requirements (deadlines and requirements may vary by university).
Prepare and submit the required documents, including a recommendation letter from the World Bank partner university, directly to the university by its designated deadline. (Applicants are responsible for all related application fees, including postage as needed. Contact select universities directly with questions about fees.)
Selection process: The ROK universities and the National Institute for International Education (NIIED) will review applications and announce the selected scholars.
For detailed information about the program, please refer to the attached PPT and visit GKS website: https://www.studyinkorea.go.kr/ko/scholarship/Gks1Notice.do#
Online Information Session
Prospective applicants are encouraged to register for an online information session at 5 pm (in Korea) on Friday, March 7, 2025, to learn more about the program and application process (5pm KST = 8am Coordinated Universal Time (UTC))
Please register in advance to attend the meeting on Zoom
https://renu.zoom.us/meeting/register/UTSAchrrRDm0u64FW8QbEQ
(Attachment3) ROK universities-Submission Deadlines and Notices
Recommendation letter template (to be provided to WB-ROK applicants)_Fin
Contact Information
For inquiries regarding requirements, documents, and eligibility, please contact:
[email protected]
For inquiries regarding the WB-ROK Scholarship – recommendation letter and its procedure, please contact: [email protected], [email protected]
