The German Bundestag is inviting politically and socially committed young university graduates from southern Africa (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa), East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda) and West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal) to a scholarship programme in January.
The idea
Since 2020, the German Bundestag has been offering a scholarship programme for talented, cosmopolitan and politically interested young people from Sub-Saharan Africa under the auspices of the President or the President of the Bundestag, who want to take on an active and responsible role in shaping the democratic future of their countries.
In a four-week compact programme, the up to 24 scholarship holders from Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda learn about the German parliamentary democracy and the political decision-making processes in the German Bundestag up close.
The programme
In the year 2026 the program will take place from 5. January to 3. February 2026 in Berlin.
The centrepiece of the programme is a one-week visitor to the office of a member of the German Bundestag. In a compact preparation, knowledge about parliamentary democracy as well as the working methods and functioning of Parliament is conveyed. In addition, the topics of plural society, minority protection and culture of remembrance are treated as a political mission. There are a number of workshops on various topics such as anti-corruption and intercultural training. A workshop on project management is intended to help develop their own project ideas to promote democracy and civil society in the respective countries of origin.
Application requirements
- Nationality of one of the participating countries: Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda
- younger than 30 years at the beginning of the scholarship or on 1. January
- completed university studies
- good knowledge of the German language (at least level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
- strong interest in political contexts and social/political Engagement
How do you apply?
Please send your application as a PDF file (with the name: last name) by e-mail to the German embassy in your home country. The e-mail address can be found on the right under “Contact German Embassies”. The PDF file must not exceed a maximum size of 10 MB. If the PDF file exceeds the size of 10 MB, please include your application documents on several e-mails. Please do not send any ZIP files.
Only with the following documents is your application complete:
- Application form (to be completed in German and signed);
- Proof of good German skills, not older than 2 years;
- Letter of motivation in German, signed by hand (max. 2 pages);
- copy of the passport or copy ID as proof of the nationality of one of the participating countries;
- Degree certificate from the university (in the original or as an officially certified copy in English or German);
- Letter of recommendation (in German or English) by a teacher/professor or the employer in whom the applicant’s professional qualification for the IPS programme is assessed.
IPS Africa 2025 scholarship holders from East Africa (DBT/ Inga Haar)
Application deadline
The application deadline for the programme year 2026 ends on 13 October. July 2025.
The selection
The applicants are invited to a selection meeting in a German mission foreign, where an independent selection committee appointed by the German Bundestag selects the scholarship holders for professional, social, linguistic and intercultural competences.
The Scholarship
The participants will receive a scholarship of 700, €. The scholarship also includes free accommodation in a residential complex, the assumption of travel expenses to and from Berlin, and the assumption of the costs for a health, accident and liability insurance.
Contact
If you have any further questions, please send an e-mail to: ips-afrika-fundestag.de.
Important note
Namibian and South African citizens can also apply for the five-month programme “IPS Global”. For more information, please visit https://www.bundestag.de/ips-global. Please note that although you can apply for both programmes at the same time, you must choose one of the programs if you agree. A later participation in the other programme is excluded.
GET MORE INFO HERE: https://www.bundestag.de/europa_internationales/ips/afrika/afrika-650708
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