Fundação Oriente - Language and Culture Courses Scholarship

What the Language and Culture Courses Scholarship covers

You will receive a monthly stipend (a living allowance), the amount of which is set each year by the Fundação Oriente (Oriente Foundation), a Portuguese foundation based in Lisbon. No fixed amount is published, as the foundation revises this annually. In addition to this allowance, you will receive:

• Return travel between your home and the place where you take the course.
• Accident insurance covering medical treatment following accidents, permanent incapacity to work, repatriation and funeral expenses.

There are two tracks:

• If you are from the Far East: You will improve your Portuguese language skills as part of the annual Portuguese language and culture course at the Universidade de Coimbra. The Foundation will pay your tuition fees directly. This course lasts one academic year and cannot be extended.
• If you are Portuguese: You will deepen your knowledge of an Oriental language by taking a course of your choice at a university in the country where that language is spoken. You are responsible for paying the tuition fees yourself. This programme lasts one academic year. In exceptional cases, it may be extended to a maximum of 3 academic years. During an extension, you will continue to receive the scholarship during the holiday months, provided you remain in the host country.

Who can apply

• Nationality: You are a national of a Far Eastern country (for the Portuguese course) or a Portuguese citizen (for the course in Oriental languages).
• Language level: You already have an advanced knowledge of the language and would like to improve it.
• Prior study: You have studied this language for at least one academic year at a recognised school or university.
• What is funded: A language and culture course, not a full degree programme.
• No double funding: You may not receive another scholarship for the same purpose at the same time, unless the foundation gives its consent.
• Far East applicants only: You cannot apply for the Portuguese language course if you already live in Portugal or have already received a scholarship for the same purpose.

During the selection process, preference will be given to applicants who have the best language skills and the greatest prospects of using the language in the future. Admission to the selection process does not guarantee you a scholarship.

How to apply

You register and apply online on the Fundação Oriente platform. You attach a CV, your certificates, a motivation letter and letters of recommendation. Oriental-language applicants also add details about their chosen course. Incomplete applications are rejected. The Foundation does not run the competition every year, so check whether a call is currently open.