ASEM - Support for studies in Korea

DUO-Korea Fellowship (Support for studies in Korea)

A scholarship is a form of financial support provided for a fixed period. Here, you will receive 4,000 EUR for one semester (up to 4 months) as part of a student exchange programme in South Korea. Each scholarship supports two students at the same time. A European student attends a Korean university, whilst a Korean student goes to the European partner university, and both are jointly funded (8,000 EUR per pair). You are free to spend the money on tuition fees, living costs or travel. The South Korean Ministry of Education funds the programme, which is administered by the ASEM-DUO Secretariat in Seoul. It connects Korea with 30 European countries.

Who can apply

• Level: You are enrolled as a Bachelor’s or Master’s student.
• Nationality: You are a national of one of the 30 European ASEM countries (all EU Member States, as well as Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom) and are studying at a higher education institution there.
• The pairing: Your university and a Korean university have already signed a cooperation agreement and have each selected a student to be sent to the other university. Funding is only available within the framework of this specific pairing.
• Field of study: Anyone interested is welcome to apply.
• Timing: You must still be in Europe at the time of application. The exchange must not have started yet.
• Credits: You must earn at least 20 ECTS credits whilst studying abroad. Language and sports courses do not count towards this requirement.
• No double funding: You may not receive any further government or institutional funding for the same exchange.

How to apply

You cannot apply independently. The Korean partner university submits a joint application for both students via the ASEM-DUO online portal. Please contact your university’s International Relations Office to be included in the application. The application deadline is 20 May, and the results will be announced by June.

How realistic are your chances?

The catch isn’t the competition, but the framework conditions. You can only apply if your university already has a partnership with a Korean university and both sides select their exchange students in pairs. Once such an agreement is in place, the pool of eligible applicants is small and your chances are good. New exchange partnerships are given priority. The real challenge lies in organising the pairing process at an early stage through your International Relations Office.