Helmut-Schmidt-Programme Master’s Scholarships for Public Policy and Good Governance 2025

The DAAD Helmut-Schmidt-Programme (known as Public Policy and Good Governance) supports future leaders from developing countries (see list of countries), who want to promote democracy and social justice in their home countries. The programme, which is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, offers the chance to acquire a Master’s degree in Master programmes of particular relevance for the social, political and economic development in the students’ countries of origin. In the light of the principles of Good Governance, highly qualified graduates with a first academic degree are being educated in political science, law, economics and administration and prepared for future leading positions in their home countries.

The Programme

• offers future leaders master’s courses in disciplines that are of special
  relevance for social, political, and economic development
• prepares students in a practice-oriented course for responsible
  positions in or for their home regions and contributes to establishing
  economic and social institutions that are democratically oriented and
  designed to overcome social inequalities

Graduates from developing and emerging countries
(bachelor or equivalent)

• with a well-qualified first university degree and above-average
  grades (upper third) in Social and Political Sciences, Law, Economics,
  Public Policy and Administration
• willing to actively contribute to the social, political and economic
  development of their home countries/regions
• who have already gained practical experience relevant for the
  programme (professional experience, internships, political/social
  commitment)

Academic education in one of the master’s courses, listed below and selected
by the DAAD, will take place from September/October 2025. The courses have
an international focus and are mainly offered in English.
Throughout their studies, all scholarship holders of the Helmut-SchmidtProgramme benefit from accompanying support services provided by the
programme coordinators at the respective study locations.
Scholarship holders benefit from events and seminars organised specifically
for them, as well as close exchange with other international scholarship
holders.

For more information, please visit official website