International Master of Science in Agro- and Environmental Nematology (IMaNema) — VLIRUOS ICP Connect Scholarship

Benefits & funding

• The full scholarship covers tuition fees, travel, insurance, and living expenses including board and lodging.
• Funding covers the full 24-month programme; partial scholarships and extensions are not offered.
• ICP Connect scholarship programmes do not charge an application fee.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be nationals of one of these 29 countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Morocco, Palestine, Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Haiti, Nicaragua, Peru, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, or Vietnam.
• At the time of application, applicants must reside in one of the same 29 eligible countries, though not necessarily their country of nationality.
• Applicants must be no older than 35 on 1 January of the intake year.
• Applicants need a university degree equivalent to at least three years of study in zoology, botany, agriculture, environmental sciences, or a closely related field, plus English proficiency at CEFR B2.
• Only one ICP Connect scholarship application may be submitted per year; recipients cannot hold another scholarship or grant for this or another programme at the same time.
• Applicants must not previously have received a Belgian government scholarship for a study programme or have enrolled at a Belgian higher education institution before 1 January of the intake year.
• Relevant work is not mandatory, but preference goes to candidates in higher education, government, or civil society, or those targeting careers in these sectors; strong newly graduated candidates may also be considered.

Application process

1. 1
   Prepare diplomas, academic transcripts, proof of English proficiency, and two recommendation letters.
2. 2
   Complete Ghent University’s online application for academic admission and request the VLIRUOS scholarship in the same form by the programme deadline.
3. 3
   Ask both referees to email their recommendation letters directly to the IMaNema coordination office with the applicant’s full name.
4. 4
   The Nematology Educational Committee screens academic and scholarship eligibility and prepares a shortlist; Ghent University and VLIRUOS then complete their respective reviews.
5. 5
   If requested, submit a passport scan and legalised diploma and transcripts for the final admission decision.

Program timeline

1. 1 October 2025

   Applications opened for the September 2026 intake.

2. Academic admission and scholarship application deadline.

   18 January 2026

3. Scholarship shortlist prepared and candidates informed.

   Early March 2026

4. Final sponsor decision expected.

   May or June 2026

5. Required arrival, NemaPrep, and programme start.

   1 September 2026

6. Programme scheduled to end.

   September 2028