ICP Connect Scholarship – Master of Transportation Sciences 2026

The ICP "Master of Transportation Sciences - Road Safety in Low & Middle Income Countries" is a 2-year multidisciplinary master programme with a unique focus and approach to Road Safety in Developing Countries. The programme is supported by VLIRUOS and has 10 scholarships available each year.

Students are trained to identify transportation and road safety issues in order to create innovative solutions by using an integrative approach based on three pillars: the individual (dealing with the human behaviour in traffic and how to influence it e.g. intentional and unintentional risky behavior such as drunk driving or cognitive impairments), the environment (e.g. creating self-explaining roads and infrastructure that minimizes crash impact) and the society (e.g. societal norms and translation into policy and enforcement measures). Road safety in this programme is approached as a cross-border field, incorporating elements of psychology, economy, urban planning, environmental studies, engineering and more.

The scholarships are funded by VLIRUOS. Each year 10 (two-year) scholarships are allocated to the 10 top-ranked applications.

Summary

1. Application Deadline: 1 February 2026
2. Value: Fully Funded (tuition, travel, insurance, living allowance for 24 months)
3. Study Level: Master’s
4. Host Country: Belgium
5. Sponsor: VLIR-UOS / Hasselt University
6. Course to Study: Master of Transportation Sciences – Traffic Safety in Low & Middle-Income Countries
7. Eligible Country: Developing Countries (VLIR-UOS 29 eligible countries)

Eligibility Criteria for ICP Connect Scholarship – Master of Transportation Sciences 2026

Academic Admission criteria (Hasselt University):

1. Required study level and degree programme:
2. Participants should have at least an academic bachelor degree in one of the following disciplines:
3. behavioural sciences: psychology, sociology
4. political and social sciences
5. mathematical and statistical sciences
6. economy, transport economy
7. transport or traffic planning, urban planning or design, geography, (urban) architecture
8. engineering: transport engineer, civil engineer
9. Minimum grade obtained: distinction
10. A Bachelor of Technology or HND degree is not sufficient for admission to our MSc programme.

Language requirements:

Sufficient knowledge of English is required and is to be certified by one of these tests:

1. Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) certificate.
2. IELTS-certificate: min. overall band score 6.5. Note that we only accept academic IELTS test results.
3. TOEFL-score report: min. internet-based score: 79. Note that we only accept academic TOEFL-test results.
4. Duolingo English Test (DET): min. overall score 120.

Exemptions to the language test requirements:

1. holders of a diploma of higher academic education issued in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg do not need to provide an English language test.
2. holders of a diploma of higher academic education (at least one academic year or 60 ECTS credits) in an English-taught Bachelor or Master programme from Australia, English-speaking Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America are also exempted from providing a language test certificate.
3. holders of an English-taught academic Bachelor's or Master's diploma issued in another country than stated above can be exempted from a language test (but proof that English was the medium of instruction is required), although preference is given to candidates who can submit a language test proving they meet the language requirements (CAE, IELTS, TOEFL).

Scholarship Eligibility criteria (VLIRUOS):

You can only apply for a scholarship if you meet all scholarship criteria:

1. Nationality and country of residence: A candidate should be a national and resident of one of the 29 eligible countries (nationality and country of residence not necessarily the same) at the time of the application; see VLIRUOS country list.
2. Age: The maximum age is 35 (on 1st January 2026).
3. Professional background and experience: Preference will be given to candidates employed in higher education, government or civil society, or those targeting a career in one of these sectors. Candidates employed in the private sector or newly graduated candidates with no work experience may also be considered if they provide a strong motivation and profile.
4. VLIRUOS scholarship applications: Candidates may apply for only one ICP Connect scholarship application per year.
5. Previously awarded scholarships: Candidates may not have previously received a scholarship from the Belgian government to attend a study programme and may not have enrolled in a study programme at a Belgian higher education institution before January 1 of the year of intake.

Note: If you meet the academic admission criteria, but you do not meet the scholarship eligibility criteria, you can apply for our non-scholarship Master of Transportation Sciences where you can choose between 2 specializations: Traffic Safety or Transport Policy and Planning.

Another option is to apply for admission into our distance learning master of Transportation Sciences program, which is organised fully online and which combines courses of the Traffic Safety and Transport Policy and Planning specializations. Do note that for the distance learning master's, you will need to meet the specific condition of admission regarding employment.

ICP Connect Selection Criteria

Within the ICP Connect framework, scholars are seen as potential agents of change that may contribute to societal change in their home country (or region) after completing their studies. Scholars are selected following an objective evaluation of their scholarship applications based on the following criteria:

1. Motivation: Candidates' motivation and professional goals must reflect their competence in transferring knowledge/skills or setting up extension activities and highlighting themes relevant to sustainable development and pertinent to the study programme. Not only are academic results important, but so are - especially - the potential and commitment of the candidates to become an 'agent of change' after completing their studies.
2. Professional experience: Preference will be given to candidates who can demonstrate a greater chance of implementing and/or transferring newly gained knowledge/skills upon completion in a sustainable development context, such as in the higher education sector, government, civil society or the private sector, thereby contributing to positive societal change.
3. Gender balance: A balance between male and female candidates awarded ICP Connect scholarships is targeted. VLIRUOS strongly encourages female candidates to apply. Read more about our gender policy here.
4. Regional balance: A reasonable cross-section of scholars from different countries and regions is targeted, provided there are sufficient qualified candidates.
5. Leave No One Behind (LNOB): In case of equally qualified candidates, preference will be given to candidates from vulnerable groups.
6. Previously awarded scholarship: Preference will be given to candidates who have never received a scholarship to study in a higher income country (bachelor or master).

Benefits of ICP Connect Scholarship – Master of Transportation Sciences 2026

Costs covered by the scholarship: VLIRUOS scholarships cover tuition fee, travel costs, insurance and livelihood (board and lodging). We only provide scholarships for the full duration of the master's programme (24 months). It is not possible to apply for a partial scholarship.

The scholarship guidelines and allowances for academic year 2025-2026 can be found in the framework for scholarships in Belgium (study scholarships, p. 13+14).

How to Apply

Applications for the intake in September 2026 will open as of 15 October 2025.

Application deadline ICP Connect: 1st February 2026 (online application + document verification). As of October 2025 until 1st Feb 2026 you will be able to apply for the next intake in September 2026. Ensure to complete your application before 1st Feb, as otherwise it cannot be taken into consideration.

Application procedure:

A complete application consists of the following two parts:

1. Online Application
2. Document Verification (Digital Verification/Direct Email Verification/Certified Hard Copies)

Full info on the application procedure

If you have any questions related to the administrative side of the application procedure, send an email to: admissionformaster@uhasselt.be

Only complete and admissible applications that reach us before the application deadline will be taken into consideration. A ranking will be made. The top 10 applicants will receive a scholarship. There will also be a waiting list of eligible candidates who ranked between 10 to max. 20.

Applicants who have been granted a scholarship will be informed by VLIRUOS via email between the end of May and mid-June 2026. Applicants who have not been granted a scholarship will be informed by Hasselt University in the same time frame.

Applicants who are not granted a scholarship but are academically admissible, will be given the opportunity to be admitted to the non-scholarship master in Transportation Sciences.

For more information, kindly visit Hasselt University scholarship webpage

Application Deadline

February 1, 2026

Application Link(s)

• Apply for ICP Connect Scholarship – Master of Transportation Sciences 2026