ARES Belgium Training Scholarships 2027–2028 (Fully Funded)
The ARES International Training Scholarships 2027–28 offer an excellent opportunity for professionals from eligible developing countries to study in Belgium with substantial financial support. Unlike scholarships aimed primarily at fresh graduates, ARES focuses strongly on applicants who already have higher-education qualifications and relevant professional experience.
For the 2027–28 academic year, around 100 scholarships are available across 10 specialized programmes. The opportunities include specialized Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes as well as continuing-education options.
The application is currently open, but applicants should pay close attention to the two important deadlines. New applicants who need to create a GIRAF account must request it by September 4, 2026, while the final scholarship application deadline is September 18, 2026, at 12:00 noon Belgian time.
ARES Belgium Scholarships 2027–28 Quick Facts
- Host Country: Belgium
- Scholarship: ARES International Training Scholarships
- Academic Year: 2027–2028
- Scholarships: Around 100
- Programmes: 10
- Study Levels: Specialized Bachelor’s, Specialized Master’s and continuing education
- Eligible Countries: 32 partner countries
- Professional Experience: Generally at least 2 years
- Tuition: Covered according to programme conditions
- Living Support: Provided
- International Travel: Covered under programme conditions
- Insurance: Included
- Application Fee: None
- Application Platform: GIRAF
- GIRAF Account Deadline: September 4, 2026, at 16:00 Belgian time
- Final Application Deadline: September 18, 2026, at 12:00 noon Belgian time
What Is the ARES Belgium Scholarship?
The ARES International Training Scholarship is designed for professionals from eligible developing countries who want to gain specialized knowledge and skills through a programme in Belgium.
The scholarship is different from many conventional university scholarships because professional experience is an important part of the selection profile.
ARES looks for applicants who can demonstrate a clear connection between:
Previous education → Professional experience → Selected Belgian programme → Future professional impact
This means applicants should not simply explain that they want to study in Belgium. They should explain why the selected training is relevant to their current career and how they will use the knowledge after completing the programme.
Is ARES Suitable for Fresh Graduates?
Generally, ARES is not primarily designed for applicants who have just completed their degree and have no professional experience.
Applicants normally need at least two years of relevant professional experience after obtaining their latest higher-education qualification, with experience acquired in an eligible partner country.
Therefore, an applicant with several years of relevant professional experience may have a stronger profile than a fresh graduate with excellent academic results but little or no professional background.
The important thing is not simply the number of years you have worked. Your experience should be relevant to the programme you choose.
For example, if you work in public health and apply for a specialized public-health programme, your professional background can provide a much stronger connection than applying for a programme unrelated to your career.
Degree Level
Specialized Bachelor’s, Specialized Master’s and continuing education
Available Subjects
The 2027–28 ARES competition includes 10 specialized programmes.
The available fields include areas such as:
- Digital Integrated Supply Chain
- Human Rights
- International and Development Economics
- Microfinance
- Public Health
- Health Risk Management
- Food Chain Safety
- Preventive Conservation and Collections Management
- Risk and Disaster Management
- Cybersecurity Operations and Risk Governance
The exact programme eligibility requirements can differ, so applicants should carefully review the requirements of their selected programme before applying.
Benefits
ARES provides substantial financial support to selected candidates. Depending on the programme and applicable conditions, the scholarship can cover or provide support for:
- Tuition and registration costs
- Living/subsistence expenses
- International travel
- Insurance
- Eligible visa-related expenses
- Certain programme-related travel costs
Applicants should be careful when reading older ARES scholarship articles online. Funding amounts and conditions can change between application cycles, so applicants should rely on the current 2027–28 scholarship documentation rather than automatically assuming that an amount mentioned in an older article still applies.
Eligible Nationalities
ARES scholarships are available to applicants who meet the nationality and residence requirements established for the programme's 32 partner countries.
Countries represented in the current call include:
- Bangladesh
- Cambodia
- Indonesia
- Nepal
- Philippines
- Vietnam
- Ethiopia
- Kenya
- Rwanda
- Uganda
- Tanzania
- Morocco
- Tunisia
- Senegal
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Mozambique
- Peru
- Bolivia
- Ecuador
- Haiti
This is only a selection of the eligible countries. Applicants should check the complete current country list and residence requirements before preparing their application.
Importantly, eligibility is not necessarily determined by nationality alone. Applicants generally need to live and work in an eligible country, subject to the specific conditions of the current call.
Eligibility Criteria
One of the most important rules is that applicants can submit an application for only one ARES programme.
This makes programme selection extremely important.
Instead of applying randomly to the programme that sounds most attractive, choose the one that best matches your:
- Academic background
- Professional experience
- Current responsibilities
- Career objectives
- Development goals
Your application should make it easy for the selection committee to understand why that particular programme is the logical next step in your career.
Application Procedure
The application process is completed through the GIRAF application system. Applicants should start early because creating or validating a GIRAF account can take time.
Step 1: Check Your Eligibility
Before beginning your application, confirm that you meet the basic ARES requirements.
Check:
- Your nationality
- Country of residence
- Academic qualification
- Professional experience
- Eligibility for your selected programme
- Any additional programme-specific conditions
Do this before spending significant time preparing the application.
Step 2: Select One Programme
You can apply for only one programme.
Choose the programme that has the strongest connection with your education and professional experience.
A convincing application should answer a simple question:
Why is this particular programme the right training for your current career?
Step 3: Create or Request Your GIRAF Account
GIRAF is the online platform used for the ARES application.
If you do not already have a validated GIRAF account, do not wait until the final scholarship deadline.
For the 2027–28 call, new GIRAF account requests must be made by:
September 4, 2026, at 16:00 Belgian time.
This is earlier than the final application deadline.
Step 4: Access the Competitive Call
After obtaining access to GIRAF, locate the Competitive Calls section and select the ARES International Training Scholarships 2027–28 application.
Applicants should activate the application according to the current instructions and continue working on the same application file.
Step 5: Complete Your Academic and Professional Profile
Provide accurate information about your:
- Educational qualifications
- Employment history
- Professional responsibilities
- Skills
- Career development
- Relevant experience
This section should tell a consistent story.
For example:
Your current professional problem → Skills you currently lack → ARES programme that provides those skills → How you will apply them afterward
That connection can make your application much more convincing.
Step 6: Prepare and Upload Your Documents
Applicants should prepare the documents required by ARES and their selected programme.
These may include:
- Degree certificates
- Academic transcripts
- CV
- Passport or nationality documentation
- Proof of professional experience
- Employment certificates
- Recommendation letters
- Programme-specific documents
- Other supporting materials requested by the selected programme
Some programmes may require additional documents, such as a pre-project or technical documentation.
Always check the requirements of your specific programme before submitting.
Step 7: Review Your Application Carefully
Before submission, check every section of the application.
Pay particular attention to:
- Dates
- Employment history
- Academic information
- Professional experience
- Uploaded documents
- Recommendation letters
- Programme-specific requirements
- Motivation and career objectives
Do not leave important work until the final few hours.
Step 8: Submit Before the Deadline
The final deadline for the ARES 2027–28 scholarship application is:
September 18, 2026, at 12:00 noon Belgian time.
Applicants should aim to submit well before the deadline rather than treating the final day as their target.
What Makes an ARES Application Strong?
Meeting the eligibility requirements does not automatically mean you will receive the scholarship.
ARES applications can be strengthened by demonstrating a clear relationship between your professional background and your proposed studies.
A strong application should explain:
1. What You Currently Do
Clearly describe your current profession and responsibilities.
2. What Problem or Gap You Have Identified
Explain what knowledge or skills you need to improve in your current work.
3. Why This Programme Is the Right Solution
Show how the selected ARES programme will provide those specific skills.
4. What You Will Do After the Programme
Explain how you intend to use your new knowledge in your profession or community.
In simple terms:
What you already do → What you need to learn → What you will accomplish afterward
This is much stronger than writing a generic statement about wanting to study abroad.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Applicants should avoid several common problems:
- Applying without the required professional experience
- Selecting a programme unrelated to their career
- Applying to more than one programme
- Providing vague career goals
- Writing a generic motivation statement
- Failing to document professional experience
- Uploading incomplete documents
- Waiting too long to request a GIRAF account
- Relying on outdated information about eligible programmes
- Assuming old scholarship funding amounts still apply
- Submitting the application at the last minute
Is the ARES Scholarship Fully Funded?
ARES provides a substantial scholarship package that can cover major study-related expenses, including tuition-related costs, living support, international travel and insurance, subject to the conditions of the programme and current call.
Therefore, it can significantly reduce the financial burden of studying in Belgium.
However, applicants should always check the current official documentation for the exact benefits applicable to their programme instead of relying on figures from previous ARES calls.
Who Should Apply for ARES 2027–28?
The scholarship may be particularly suitable for:
- Professionals from eligible developing countries
- Applicants with relevant higher-education qualifications
- Candidates with at least two years of relevant professional experience
- Professionals seeking specialized training
- Applicants whose career goals closely match one of the 10 available programmes
- Candidates who can demonstrate how their training could create professional or development impact
It may be less suitable for a fresh graduate with no relevant professional experience.
Final Thoughts
The ARES Belgium Scholarships 2027–28 provide a valuable opportunity for experienced professionals from eligible developing countries to gain specialized education and training in Belgium.
The most important thing to understand is that this is not simply a scholarship for getting another degree. ARES places significant emphasis on the applicant's professional background, the relevance of the chosen programme and the impact the training can have after the applicant returns to their professional environment.
If you meet the eligibility requirements, start by selecting one programme, checking your professional experience and preparing your documents. If you need a new GIRAF account, make sure to request it before September 4, 2026.
The final application deadline is September 18, 2026, at 12:00 noon Belgian time.
