ARES Belgium Scholarships 2027-2028: Fully Funded Training Awards for 32 Partner Countries

Quick Overview

Feature	Details
Full name	ARES International Training Scholarships 2027-2028
Funded by	ARES / Wallonia-Brussels higher education cooperation
Host country	Belgium
Level	Specialised bachelor’s, specialised master’s, continuing education
Number available	ARES says 100 scholarships for 2027-2028
Coverage	International travel, subsistence allowance, insurance, tuition for degree programmes, visa-related exceptional costs for bachelor’s/master’s
GIRAF account cutoff	4 September 2026, 12 noon Belgian time for account creation/validation
Final deadline	18 September 2026, 12 noon Belgian time
Eligible countries	32 ARES partner countries in Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, Southeast Asia and Palestine

ARES has opened its 2027-2028 international training scholarship call for professionals from partner countries. The deadline is urgent: applications must be submitted through the GIRAF platform by 18 September 2026 at 12 noon Belgian time.

For other Belgium and Europe options, compare this with `/vlir-uos-scholarship-2027-2028-belgium-guide` and `/erasmus-mundus-2027-europe-guide`.

What Does It Cover?

Benefit	Details
International travel	Included according to the ARES call page
Subsistence allowance	Included for scholarship holders
Tuition fees	Included for specialised bachelor’s and master’s degrees
Visa-related exceptional costs	Included for bachelor’s and master’s scholarship holders
Insurance	Included
Indirect mission expenses	Included for continuing education only
Duration	12 months maximum for bachelor’s/master’s; 6 months maximum for continuing training

ARES is not a general undergraduate scholarship. It targets short, specialised training linked to development priorities.

Programmes in the 2027-2028 Call

Type	Programmes listed by ARES
Specialised bachelor’s	Digital Integrated Supply Chain
Specialised master’s	Human rights; integrated health risk management; international and development economics; microfinance; international public-health policy analysis/evaluation; food-chain safety management; preventive conservation and collections management; risk and disaster management in the Anthropocene
Continuing education	Cybersecurity operations and risk governance

Eligibility

✅ You Must:

• Be a permanent resident and work in one of the 32 eligible ARES partner countries.

• Hold a higher-education or graduate degree meeting the admission requirements of the selected programme.

• Have at least two years of relevant professional experience in an eligible country between your most recent degree and the application deadline.

• Complete the application in the programme language and demonstrate strong written and spoken command of that language.

• Apply for only one programme.

❌ Not Eligible If:

• You do not live and work in an eligible partner country, except for the stated Palestinian-nationality exception.

• You have less than two years of relevant professional experience.

• You submit after 18 September 2026 at 12 noon Belgian time.

• You try to apply for multiple ARES programmes in the same call.

• You miss the GIRAF account creation/validation cutoff and cannot access the platform.

Eligible Countries

ARES lists eligible countries in Africa, South America/Caribbean, Southeast Asia and Asia. African countries include Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, DR Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe. Other eligible countries include Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Haiti, Peru, Cambodia, Indonesia, Nepal, Philippines, Vietnam and Palestine.

How to Apply: Step by Step

Step 1: Confirm your country and work status

ARES requires permanent residence and work in an eligible country. Do this check before spending time on documents.

Step 2: Choose one programme

You can apply for only one programme. Match your degree, work experience and language ability to the programme description.

Step 3: Create or validate your GIRAF account

ARES lists 4 September 2026 at 12 noon Belgian time as the deadline for requesting creation and validation of new GIRAF accounts. If you missed this date, check the official page immediately to see whether you already have a usable validated account.

Step 4: Open the call in GIRAF

After logging in, ARES says to go to Competitive Calls and use the Application – International Training 2027-2028 button.

Step 5: Complete, save and submit

You can save a draft, return through My Tasks, and submit when complete. Once submitted, ARES says the application can no longer be modified.

ARES vs Similar Belgium/Europe Scholarships

Programme	Best for	Coverage	Deadline
ARES Belgium 2027-2028	Working professionals from 32 partner countries	Travel, subsistence, insurance, tuition for degree programmes	Sep 18, 2026
VLIR-UOS ICP Connect	Students from eligible countries pursuing development-focused master’s in Flanders	Fully funded	Varies by programme, often Nov-Feb
Erasmus Mundus	Global master’s applicants seeking multi-country EU study	Tuition + €1,400/month for selected scholarship holders	Varies by consortium
MARIHE Erasmus Mundus	Higher-education management and innovation applicants	Tuition covered for all; EM scholarship up to €33,600	Sep 21, 2026

Insider Tips

1. The GIRAF cutoff matters

The final deadline is September 18, but new account creation/validation has its own earlier cutoff. Applicants who wait until the last week may be blocked before they even reach the form.

2. Emphasize professional relevance

ARES requires at least two years of relevant professional experience. Your application should make the link between current work, chosen programme and development impact explicit.

3. Apply in the programme language

ARES requires the application in the language of instruction. Basic French also helps daily integration in Belgium, even where the programme is not fully French.

4. Do not submit until final

ARES says submitted applications can no longer be modified. Save as draft until all fields and documents are complete.

5. Check programme fit before country fit

Being from an eligible country is not enough. You also need the right academic background and work experience for the specific specialised programme.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ARES Belgium Scholarships 2027-2028 deadline?

The application deadline is 18 September 2026 at 12 noon Belgian time.

How many scholarships are available?

ARES says 100 scholarships await applicants for the 2027-2028 academic year.

Is ARES fully funded?

ARES lists international travel, subsistence allowance, insurance and, for bachelor’s/master’s programmes, tuition fees and exceptional visa-related costs.

Can undergraduates apply?

This is not a general first-degree scholarship. The call includes one specialised bachelor’s programme, but candidates must already hold a higher-education degree and meet admission requirements.

Timeline Table

Date	What happens
3 August 2026	Call opens
4 September 2026, 12 noon Belgian time	New GIRAF account creation/validation request deadline
18 September 2026, 12 noon Belgian time	Final application deadline through GIRAF
October 2026-May 2027	Candidate processing and selection period indicated in ARES call documentation
2027-2028 academic year	Training takes place in Belgium

Your Action Plan

1. Confirm your country is on the ARES eligible list.

2. Confirm you have at least two years of relevant professional experience.

3. Choose only one ARES programme.

4. Verify GIRAF access immediately.

5. Prepare proof of degree, employment and motivation.

6. Submit before Belgian noon on September 18.

7. If you are also eligible for Flanders-focused programmes, read `/vlir-uos-scholarship-2027-2028-belgium-guide` before choosing your Belgium funding route.

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Share this with someone in an ARES partner country who works in development, public health, economics, food systems, digital supply chains or risk management.