What Seoul National University President Fellowship (SPF) for Developing Countries actually covers.
The Seoul National University President Fellowship (SPF) is a competitive, fully funded doctoral scholarship at South Korea's most prestigious university — the National University of Korea (SNU) — specifically designed for teaching staff and academic faculty members at universities in developing countries, including institutions across Sub-Saharan Africa, East Africa, North Africa, and Southern Africa, who seek to earn a PhD but have not yet had the opportunity to do so.
The fellowship was established to address a critical gap in academic capacity in the developing world: the shortage of PhD-qualified faculty members at universities in low- and middle-income countries. By targeting university lecturers, assistant professors, and instructors without doctorates, SPF aims to produce a generation of scholar-practitioners who will return to their home institutions and significantly upgrade the quality of higher education in their countries.
Each cohort of approximately 20 selected SPF Fellows receives comprehensive support including full tuition waiver at SNU, a monthly stipend of KRW 1,500,000 to KRW 2,000,000 (approximately USD 1,100–1,450), round-trip international airfare, health insurance, and a childcare allowance where applicable. Korean language classes are also provided to facilitate integration into campus life, though the academic programme is conducted in English or Korean depending on the chosen department.
SNU prioritises PhD applicants in the fields of engineering, medicine, public health, agriculture, law, education, and social sciences — all areas with acute faculty shortages across African universities. The fellowship runs for approximately 3 to 4 years. Applications for Fall 2026 intake were accepted in March 2026, and the next cycle is expected to open in early 2027. Applicants must be currently employed as teaching staff at a university in a developing country at the time of application.
Who can apply.
Open to phd applicants seeking to study in South Korea. Eligible nationalities are listed below.
46 more eligible countries — full list available on the official application page.
Every academic discipline is accepted.
This programme does not restrict by field. Research proposals across humanities, sciences, engineering, agriculture, and medicine are all accepted.
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Other scholarships worth a parallel application.
Same eligibility window or destination. Many strong applicants apply to three or four programmes per cycle.