NZAID

Commonwealth Scholarships

Overview

Opportunities exist for candidates from some developing Commonwealth countries to undertake full-time postgraduate study or research at a New Zealand university. Approximately 10 new Commonwealth Scholarships are awarded each year by the New Zealand Government.

Funding for these Commonwealth Scholarships is provided by New Zealand's International Aid and Development Agency (NZAID). They are administered by the New Zealand Vice-Chancellors' Committee.

As with other NZAID-funded scholarships, Commonwealth Scholarships play an important role in addressing the human resource development needs of developing countries. The scholarships are awarded to candidates of strong academic merit who are expected to make a significant contribution to the development of their home country following completion of their scholarship. By building capacity in key sectors, Commonwealth Scholarships can contribute to NZAID’s mandate of poverty elimination.

Levels of study: Commonwealth Scholarships for candidates from developing countries to study in New Zealand are available at Masters or doctoral level. For Masters degrees, the scholarships are tenable for up to two years. For doctorates, the maximum scholarship length is four years. Candidates are required to study/research full-time.

Fields of study: Commonwealth Scholarships are available in all disciplines, but preference will be given to candidates who nominate fields of study relevant to the development of their home country. This may include study in, for example: health, basic education, sustainable rural livelihoods (including agriculture, forestry, veterinary science etc), environment, human rights and gender, leadership and governance, economic development, peace building and conflict prevention, public sector governance and reform, and community development.

The Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships Plan (CSFP) website has further information on Commonwealth Scholarships, including nominating agencies’ contact details for application enquiries. The contact scholarships email address for the NZVCC is schols@nzvcc.ac.nz

Disclaimer

The Commonwealth Scholarships scheme is subject to ongoing review and amendment, including country eligibility. Applicants should check their eligibility prior to submitting an application. NZAID reserves the right to decline any application before it has been fully processed, in the event of eligibility changes.

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Page Last Reviewed: 8 February, 2007