As part of its ARES International Training Scholarship program, Belgium is offering fully-funded seats to individual working professionals from 32 partner countries. The government of Belgium through the Academy for Research and Higher Education (ARES) is financing specialized Bachelor’s degrees, Master’s degrees, and continuing education certificates at universities in the Federation Wallonia-Brussels. Everything from plane tickets to your monthly living expenses, tuition, insurance, and (for degree programmes) your visa fees are included in that coverage.
In order to qualify, you need to be living and working in one of the eligible countries, already hold a higher education degree, and have accumulated at least two years on the job in your field. Degree pathways may take one year to complete, while certificate pathways last up to six months. The 2027-2028 enrollment cycle will open on August 3, 2026 and close on September 18, 2026 at 12.00 (Belgium time). Here’s everything to know before you begin your application.
What Exactly Is the ARES Scholarship?
Here’s a question worth asking yourself: you’ve already got a degree under your belt, but do you feel like your skills are ready to move the needle back home? That’s the gap this scholarship is built to close.
ARES stands for the Academy for Research and Higher Education, and it’s the umbrella body that oversees higher education across French-speaking Belgium. Beyond coordination, ARES also channels money from Belgium’s Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD) into training programs built for people from partner countries. These are people ARES believes can go home and put that training to real use.
The International Training Scholarships sit inside a broader five-year cooperation plan, and for the current cycle they open the door to three tracks:
- A specialized Bachelor’s degree, running for one year
- A specialized Master’s degree, also one year
- A continuing education certificate, capped at six months
Classes happen at some of Belgium’s most established schools spanning UCLouvain, ULB, Université de Liège, UMons, and UNamur all take part. One thing worth knowing is you don’t need to line up admission at any of these schools yourself. Once ARES picks you, they slot you into the institution that runs your chosen program.
If you’re mid-career and working in a field tied to development, such as public health, human rights, food security, economics, you name it, this scholarship was built with you in mind.
Quick Facts About the ARES Scholarship
- Program name: ARES International Training Scholarships
- Where you’ll study: Belgium, specifically the Wallonia-Brussels Federation
- Who pays: The Belgian government, through ARES
- Study levels: Specialized Bachelor’s, specialized Master’s, continuing education
- How long: Up to 12 months for degrees, up to 6 months for certificates
- Funding type: Fully funded, no partial-coverage catch
- Who’s eligible: Working professionals from 32 partner countries
- Experience needed: At least 2 years post-degree
- Deadline: 18 September 2026, noon Belgian time
- Where you apply: ARES’s GIRAF online portal
What the ARES Scholarship Actually Pays For
This is where the “fully funded” label earns its keep. Scholars don’t just get tuition covered. Nearly every real cost of relocating and studying gets picked up.
If you’re doing a Bachelor’s or Master’s program, expect:
- A round-trip flight to and from Belgium
- A monthly stipend for rent, groceries, and everyday costs
- Full tuition and registration fees
- Reimbursement for visa application costs
- Health and accident insurance for the whole stay
If you’re on the continuing education track, you get:
- Round-trip flights
- A monthly living allowance
- Coverage for mission-related expenses tied to the program
- Insurance
Bottom line: you shouldn’t need to dip into savings to make this work. The scholarship is designed so money isn’t the thing standing between you and the classroom.
Why Belgium Is Funding This Program
ARES doesn’t hand out these scholarships just to build goodwill. Rather, there’s a strategy behind it. The program aims to:
- Raise the qualification level of the people it trains
- Give participants tools to make change in their own communities
- Build stronger professional networks across borders
- Strengthen the institutions scholars come from
- Put international development issues in the spotlight
- Showcase what training-course graduates bring to the table
- Turn scholars into people who can actually drive change back home
In short, Belgium sees this as an investment in its partner countries’ futures, not just a one-off study trip.
The Programs You Can Actually Apply To
For the 2027-2028 intake, ARES is running one Bachelor’s track, eight Master’s specializations, and one certificate course. Here’s the full list:
Specialized Bachelor’s
- Digital Integrated Supply Chain
Specialized Master’s (eight options)
- Human Rights
- Integrated Health Risk Management
- International and Development Economics
- Microfinance
- Public Health Sciences
- Food Chain Safety Management
- Preventive Conservation and Collection Management
- Risk and Disaster Management in the Anthropocene Era
Continuing Education
- Cybersecurity Operations and Risk Governance
Roughly 100 scholarships are up for grabs across these tracks this cycle, with the bulk going to Master’s applicants. So competition varies a lot depending on which program you pick.
Do You Qualify? Here’s the Eligibility Checklist
ARES isn’t shy about its requirements. Here’s what you’ll need to tick off.
Nationality and residency
You need to be a permanent resident of, and currently working in, one of the 32 partner countries. There’s one exception: Palestinian applicants qualify regardless of where they currently live.
The 32 eligible countries
- Africa: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zimbabwe
- South America and the Caribbean: Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Haiti, Peru
- Southeast Asia: Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal, Philippines, Vietnam
- Asia: Palestine
Academic background
You need a completed higher education degree, and you can’t have earned it more than 20 years before the program starts. Had a child or adopted one? That 20-year window stretches by a year for each. You’ll also need to meet whatever specific admission rules apply to the program you’re targeting.
Work experience
At least two years of relevant, paid work in your field, completed after your last degree and before the deadline and that work needs to have happened in one of the 32 countries.
Language
Your whole application goes in the language your chosen program is taught in, and you’ll need to show you can genuinely handle that language, not just get by. Picking up some French isn’t required everywhere, but it’ll make everyday life in Belgium a lot smoother.
One more rule
You only get to apply to one program per cycle, so choose carefully.
Documents You’ll Need to Gather
Start collecting these early as certification and translation take time:
- Two recommendation letters, from an academic or professional reference
- Certified copies of your diploma(s)
- Certified transcripts covering every year of study
- Proof of residence or work for the past five years
- A passport copy or nationality certificate
- A pre-project document, if your chosen program requires one
How to Apply, Step by Step
Step 1 — Confirm you qualify
Before you take the time to complete the application, take a moment to double-check your country, your degree and two years of experience.
Step 2 — Pick your program
Out of ten options to choose from, take your time matching one with your career goal as you only get one shot in a cycle.
Step 3 — Set up a GIRAF account
Please go to ares-ac.be and request your account if you don’t have one. You cannot open a draft application until ARES has validated it, so do not leave this until the last week.
Step 4 — Fill out the application
After entering GIRAF, please go to “Competitive Calls” and open the “Application – International Training 2027-2028”. The application can be saved and resumed whenever you want.
Step 5 — Attach your documents
Provide everything else requested on the form. Make sure certified copies are certified.
Step 6 — Submit
Please do a final check before submitting. Unlike putting a (real) letter in the postbox, you’ll still be able to correct mistakes until we hit “publish”.
Step 7 — Wait it out
The selection committee of ARES examines all the application forms and will contact you if selected.
What Reviewers Are Actually Looking For
Getting the paperwork right is only half the battle. Selectors weigh things like:
- How strong your academic record is
- Whether your work experience actually fits the program
- Any ties you have to a partner institution back home
- Your realistic potential to drive change once you’re back
- How your nationality fits the program’s country priorities
- Gender balance across the scholar cohort
- Whether you can actually pass on what you learn to others
Key Dates to Mark Down
- Applications open: 3 August 2026
- Deadline: 18 September 2026, 12:00 noon Belgian time
A Few Tips Before You Hit Submit
- Request your GIRAF account well ahead of the deadline as validation isn’t instant, and you can’t lose time waiting on it.
- Pick one program and commit to it; spreading yourself thin across “maybe this one too” thinking won’t work here.
- Get certified copies of your diplomas and transcripts sorted early, since notarization can take longer than expected.
- Write your application in the exact language the program uses, and make sure it actually reads that way.
- Lean into your work experience. This scholarship rewards people who’ve already put in the hours in their field.
- Show, don’t just tell, how this training changes things for your community or workplace once you’re back.
- Proofread. Typos and sloppy grammar make a strong application look weaker than it is.
Wrapping Up: Is This Scholarship Worth Your Time?
Through the ARES Scholarship 2027-2028, working professionals from developing countries can gain access to Belgian higher education with the generous funding of their flights, living costs, tuition, visa fees, and insurance. This program is aimed at individuals, from 32 partner countries, with a degree and at least two years of relevant work experience.
Everything runs through the GIRAF portal, and the clock stops on 18 September 2026. If you’ve been looking for a program that actually invests in your career instead of just handing you a diploma, this is worth the effort of applying.
Why This Scholarship Stands Out
- Travel, tuition, insurance, and living expenses are all covered
- You’ll study at established universities across the Wallonia-Brussels Federation
- Every program ties back to real development challenges
- You leave with specialized skills, not just a certificate
- You’ll meet peers and experts from across the partner countries
- Living and studying in Belgium for months at a time
Frequently Asked Questions
Who’s eligible for the ARES Scholarship?
Working professionals who live and work in one of the 32 partner countries, hold a higher education degree, and have at least two years of relevant experience.
What costs does the scholarship actually cover?
Flights, a living allowance, tuition, visa costs (for degree programs), and insurance.
How long do the programs run?
Up to a year for the Bachelor’s and Master’s tracks, and up to six months for continuing education.
When’s the deadline?
18 September 2026, at noon Belgian time, for the 2027-2028 cycle.
What’s GIRAF?
It’s ARES’s online application system and you’ll use it to register, upload documents, and submit your application.
Do I need to speak French?
You need strong command of whatever language your chosen program is taught in. French helps with daily life but isn’t always a hard requirement.
Can I apply to more than one program?
No — one program per applicant, per cycle.
What if I don’t live in one of the 32 countries?
Palestinian applicants are the one exception and can apply regardless of residency.
Which countries are actually eligible?
Twenty-one African nations, five in South America and the Caribbean, five in Southeast Asia, plus Palestine.
Is there an application fee?
No, applying costs nothing.
Where can I get more details?
Check ares-ac.be directly, or reach out to ARES at scholarships-cooperation@ares-ac.be.