ASEM-DUO Fellowship Programme - ASEM-DUO Fellowships (Sweden)

ASEM-DUO Fellowship for study in Asia

A scholarship is financial support for a period of study abroad. You will receive up to 4,000 EUR to spend a semester at a university in Asia. The money will be paid directly into your bank account, and you decide for yourself what to use it for – whether it’s for tuition fees, living costs or travel expenses. The amount depends on where you go: Higher-income countries such as Australia, Japan, Singapore or New Zealand pay more than middle- and low-income countries. The grant covers a full semester or 4 months (120 days), whichever comes first. The programme operates on a pair basis. You can only receive funding in conjunction with an Asian student who is coming to Sweden at the same time, so two people are always supported as a pair. In Sweden, the programme is run by the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR).

Who can apply

• Where you study now: You are enrolled on a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree programme at a Swedish university.
• Nationality: You are a citizen of an EU country.
• Where you go: You will spend the semester at a university in one of the 20 Asian countries, including Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and New Zealand.
• Partner link: Your Swedish university and the Asian university have already signed a cooperation agreement, and in return, the Asian university is sending one of its own students to Sweden.
• Field of study: Any topic. You and your exchange partner do not have to be studying the same subject.
• Study load: You are studying full-time and will earn at least 24 ECTS credits over 16 weeks. Intensive language courses do not count towards this total.

How to apply

You cannot apply yourself. Your Swedish university will submit the application on behalf of both you and your Asian exchange partner via the ASEM-DUO online portal. You should therefore first contact your university’s International Relations Office. Applications for the 2026/27 academic year can be submitted from 6 April to 18 May 2026. A Swedish selection committee chaired by the UHR will make the decision, and the results will be announced in June 2026.

How realistic are your chances?

This funding scheme is very restrictive. A partnership must already be in place between your Swedish university and an Asian university, and there must be a corresponding student travelling in the opposite direction. Most of the organisation is handled by your International Office, rather than you having to apply openly. If your university already has such a link and can arrange this for you, your chances are good. Get in touch with your International Office well in advance, as the exchange partnership must be in place before the deadline in May.