German Bundestag IPS Africa 2025 for Young Graduates from Africa

The German Parliament invites politically and socially committed young graduates from Southern Africa (Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa), East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda), and West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal) to Berlin in January for a scholarship programme.

The concept

1. Since 2020, the German Bundestag has offered a scholarship programme under the patronage of the President of the Bundestag for young graduates from sub-Saharan Africa who want to learn more about the German parliamentary system and who want to play an active and responsible role in shaping the democratic future of their countries.
2. In a compact four-week programme, up to 24 fellows from Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda learn firsthand about the German parliamentary system and the political decision-making processes in the German Bundestag.

The programme

1. In 2026, the programme will take place in Berlin from 5 January to 3 February 2026.
2. The core of the programme is a one-week placement in the office of a Member of the German Bundestag, shadowing an MP and their staff members. The programme provides a compact introduction to parliamentary democracy and the functioning of the German Bundestag. Other topics include pluralist society, the protection of minorities and culture of remembrance as a political task. There will be a series of workshops on a variety of topics, including anti-corruption and intercultural training. A project management workshop will help participants develop their own project ideas to promote democracy and civil society in their home countries.

Summary

1. Application Deadline: 13 July 2025
2. Country to Study: Germany
3. Type: Postgraduate
4. Sponsor: Deutscher Bundestag
5. Gender: Men and Women

Eligibility Criteria for German Bundestag IPS Africa 2025 for Young Graduates from Africa

1. Citizenship of a participating country (Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda)
2. Under the age of 30 at the start of the scholarship/January 1st
3. University degree
4. Good knowledge of German (at least level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
5. Interest in politics, social/political engagement

Applicants will be invited to an interview at a German diplomatic mission, where an independent selection committee appointed by the German Bundestag will select the fellows on the basis of their professional, social, linguistic, and intercultural skills.

Documents Required for Application

1. Application form (in German)
2. Recent language certificate, not older than two years
3. Letter of motivation (in German, max. two pages, signed by you personally)
4. Copy of passport or identity card as proof of citizenship of a participant country
5. University degree certificate (in original or certified copy in English or German)
6. A letter of recommendation (in German or English) from a professor/teacher or employer, which assesses the applicant's suitability for the IPS programme.

Benefits of German Bundestag IPS Africa 2025 for Young Graduates from Africa

Participants will receive a stipend of 700 Euros. Accommodation will be provided free of charge. Travel costs to and from Berlin will also be covered. The German Bundestag will also cover the cost of health, accident and personal liability insurance.

How to Apply

Please send your application as a single PDF file (titled: Surname-First Name) to the German Embassy in your home country. The PDF file must not exceed 10 MB in size. If the PDF file exceeds 10 MB, please split your application into several emails. Please do not send ZIP files. Follow the link on the right-hand side of this page, which will take you to the documents you need (in German only).

Important note:

1. Namibian and South African citizens are eligible to apply for the global five-month IPS programme. For more information, please visit https://www.bundestag.de/ips_global. Please note that you can apply for both programmes at the same time, but you can only participate in one of them, and it is not possible to participate in the other programme at a later date.

Contact

1. To make an enquiry, please send an email to: ips?afrika@bundestag.de

For more information, kindly visit German Bundestag scholarship webpage.

Application Deadline

July 13, 2025

Application Link(s)

• Apply for German Bundestag IPS Africa 2025 for Young Graduates from Africa