Korea Foundation - The Korea Foundation Fellowship for Graduate Studies

Benefit

You will receive approximately 1,000 EUR to cover your tuition fees for one year whilst studying in Korea as part of a Master’s or PhD programme outside Korea. The exact amount depends on your region and corresponds to local tuition fees. Master’s students can receive funding for up to two years in total, whilst PhD students can receive funding for up to three years. Funding is renewed separately each year. The scholarship is awarded by the Korea Foundation (KF), an organisation funded by the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs that supports aspiring researchers in the field of Korean studies. Each year, around 150 scholarships are awarded worldwide in approximately 30 countries.

Eligibility

• Level: You are enrolled as a full-time student on a Master’s or PhD programme, or are about to enrol.
• Field: Your degree programme must have a focus on Korea within the humanities, social sciences or arts and cultural studies. Degree programmes in the natural sciences, medicine, engineering, MBA, law, or translation and interpreting are not eligible.
• Where you study: Your university is located outside Korea, and you will be living in that country during the year for which you are receiving funding.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply. Korean nationals must hold a permanent residence permit in a country outside Korea.
• No doctorate yet: You have not yet obtained a doctorate.
• No double funding: You are not currently receiving any other KF scholarship or any other scholarship at the same time.
• Korean skills: Being able to read Korean and using Korean sources in your research are an advantage, but not a requirement.

How to apply

How you apply depends on where your university is located. In Europe, North America and Oceania, you apply directly via the KF online portal. In Russia, other parts of Asia and the ASEAN region, you apply via a partner university. For Europe, the application window is in the spring, and you will receive a response in July. The scholarship is valid only for the year for which you have applied and cannot be carried over to the following year.

How realistic are your chances?

This funding is aimed exclusively at PhD students studying Korea from outside the country; consequently, the pool of eligible applicants is small compared to open scholarships. If your degree programme has a clear focus on Korea and you are able to read Korean primary sources, you will meet the foundation’s requirements exactly, and your prospects are good. With around 150 places available in approximately 30 countries each year, it is more important to meet the specific criteria than to stand out from a large number of applicants.