Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED) Program

Bilateral Scholarships of Canada and ASEAN

Canada-ASEAN Scholarships (image from wikimedia)

Canada, a country in Northern America, is one of the countries that provide the best educational program for international students. The Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED) program aims to reduce poverty in the developing countries particularly of the ASEAN Nationals with the aims of pursuing the 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development.

Scholarships and educational exchanges will contribute towards all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As the goals aim to provide gender equality and women empowerment (Goal 5) as well as a matter of urgency in reducing global climate impacts (Goal 13), the scholarships are offered to support these two goals. The SEED scholarships are offered for students from ASEAN countries members to continue their studies in

• women's studies
• political science
• anthropology
• economics
• environmental sciences/ policy
• climate change mitigation and adaptation
• energy
• peatlands
• land use effects and strategies
• forestry

The scholarships are offered during the entire duration of their study or research stay in Canada.

ASEAN Candidates Requirements

Candidates must be citizens of an ASEAN member state (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos (Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR)), Malaysia, Myanmar, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand or Vietnam).

Candidates:

• must be enrolled full-time at a post-secondary institution in an eligible country and paying any tuition fees regulated by that institution at the time of application and for the full duration of the exchange;
• must take the responsibility for applying for a study or work permit (generally a study permit is required for course work and work permit is required for research);
• must choose a field of study or research that is aligned with, and contributes to, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; and
• must submit a letter of intent (maximum one page) outlining how the chosen field of study or research contributes to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and how the candidate will apply the learning to help combat poverty and narrow the development gap in the ASEAN region. The candidate letter of intent must include the following:
• A brief description of the chosen field of study or research;
• A brief explanation of how the chosen field of study or research is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;
• An identification of which Sustainable Development Goal(s) the chosen field of study or research is aligned with;
• For candidates from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam: please provide a brief explanation of how you plan to use the learning in Canada to help combat poverty in your home country;
• For candidates from Brunei and Singapore: please provide a brief explanation of how you plan to use the learning in Canada to help combat poverty in one of the other eight ASEAN countries listed under item 4 above.

Candidates interested in this scholarship program should contact their home institution to:

1. Make their interest known;
2. Find out if there is an existing institutional collaboration and student exchange agreement with a Canadian institution;
3. Request information about the application process and selection criteria specific to the Canadian institution and provide any additional information, such as transcripts, language test results, a research project and a registration form for an exchange program

Selected candidates are encouraged to:

1. Ensure that they fulfill the requirements of the Canadian institution including academic requirements, language proficiency and, if applicable, institutional student exchange program requirements;
2. Submit their visa application as early as possible and follow the procedures as outlined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (generally a study permit is required for course work and a work permit is required for research);
3. Initiate the process for the transfer of credits to their home institution as soon as their Canadian courses have been identified; and
4. Contact alumni of the program through their home institution for advice and a local perspective on the scholarship experience

Post-secondary Institutions in ASEAN Countries

Post-secondary institutions in ASEAN countries are encouraged to:

1. Communicate with post-secondary institutions they are partnered with in Canada to confirm or explore institutional collaborations and student exchange agreements;
2. Promote this scholarship opportunity through their international offices;
3. Identify strong academic candidates who meet the admission requirements for the Canadian partner institution
4. Provide the candidates' documents to the Canadian partner institution, which is responsible for submitting the scholarship applications; and
5. Propose to selected candidates to gain additional linguistic training, academic upgrading and cultural preparedness before their departure

Scholarships Benefits

Funding for SEED scholarship is made available by Global Affairs Canada through its legal title: the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD). The scholarship value varies depending on the duration and level of study. The scholarship value for students is:

• CAD 10,200 for college, undergraduate or graduate students (Master's and PhD) for a minimum of four months or one academic term of study or research
• CAD 12,700 for graduate students (Master's and PhD) for a period of five to six months of study or research; or
• CAD 15,900 for undergraduate and college students for a period of eight months or two academic terms of study or research.

In addition to the funds allocated to the recipients by DFATD, the Canadian host institution may also claim CAD 500 per scholarship recipient arrives in Canada.

Canada institutions will disburse scholarship funds to the scholarship recipient to contribute to the following costs:

• visa and/or study/work permit fees;
• round-trip airfare for the scholarship recipient only (from an ASEAN member state to Canada and return upon completion of the scholarship) via the most direct and economical route;
• health insurance
• living expenses, such as accommodation, utilities and food;
• ground transportation expenses, including a public transportation pass; and
• books and supplies required for the recipient's study or research, excluding computers and other equipment

Application Process

Candidates:

• Should first contact their home institution;
• Must submit a letter of intent that explains how their studies/ research in Canada will enable them to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in their future career to help combat poverty and narrow the development gap in the ASEAN region; and
• Do not apply on their own behalf

Home institutions:

• are responsible for identifying strong academic candidates who meet the admission requirements for the Canadian partner institution and providing the candidates' documents to the Canadian partner institution

Only applications submitted directly by Canadian institutions will be considered. Only fields of study or research that are aligned with, and contribute to, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are eligible under SEED. Please be notified that this scholarship is open for the 2021-2022 academic year, and the deadline for application is 04 March 2021. For further information related to the scholarship please visit this Scholarship Link, whereas for the application system please kindly visit this Application Link.