Scholarships to Study in the BRICS Countries

• Government of Russian Federation Scholarships – A set number of government scholarships to study in Russia are available each year, which offer free tuition, accommodation and a monthly maintenance allowance.
• The School of Russian and Asian Studies (SRAS) – A selection of international scholarships to study abroad in Russia and other former Soviet states, most of which are explicitly for US students.
• Open Doors: Russian Scholarship Project – Russia's first international competition for prospective Master's students to study for free at one of the top universities in Russia.
• American Councils Scholarships – A range of scholarships are on offer to conduct research or undergo Russian language training in Russia, covering travel costs, a monthly allowance, health insurance and more.
• BP in Russia Research Scholarships – Russian scholarships ranging from RUB 15,000-35,000 (~US$255-600) a month, aimed at students studying degrees related to energy and economics at a partner Russian institution. Candidates must be studying on state grants, have exceptional grades and aim to progress in their chosen subject in the future.

View more Russian scholarships here.

• Commonwealth Scholarship Scheme – Government scholarships funded by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) are available for students from commonwealth countries to study a degree at any study level (excluding medicine and dentistry).
• Merit-cum-Means Scholarship Scheme – Government scholarships aiming to help commendable students from poor backgrounds and minority groups (Muslim/Christian/Sikh/Buddhist/Jain/Parsi) to study professional or technical courses. These scholarships take your parents’ income into account and cover tuition fees and a pocket allowance.
• ICCR Africa Scholarships – Scholarships for African students to study abroad in India.

• CAS-TWAS President’s PhD Fellowship Program – International scholarships to complete a PhD in China.
• Chinese Scholarships-Great Wall Program – Scholarships for overseas students to study in China for a year at any level of study.
• Chinese Government Scholarships – Available for EU students at all degree levels to study in China.
• Zhejiang University Asian Future Leaders Scholarship Program – Scholarships for Asian students to complete a two-year English-taught master’s degree in public administration at Zhejiang University.
• Tsinghua University Doctoral Scholarship – Full or partial tuition scholarships are available for foreign students to study a doctorate degree at Tsinghua University.
• Peking University Academic Excellence Scholarships – Scholarships for outstanding international students who have already been admitted to Peking University.

• South African German Centre for Development Research Scholarships – Scholarships are available for outstanding Sub-Saharan Africans and South African students to study masters and PhD degrees in development studies (or a related subject) at the University of the Western Cape.
• Canon Collins Scholarships for Postgraduate Study in South Africa – Scholarships for students from Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia or Zimbabwe to study a postgraduate degree relating to the areas of justice, education or humanities.
• University of Cape Town International/Refugee Scholarships – Renewable scholarships for non-South African students to study a full-time postgraduate degree at the University of Cape Town. These scholarships are supplementary, meaning you must already have the required funds for your studies.
• Stellenbosch University Graduate School Scholarships – Scholarships to study a PhD at the School of Economic and Management Sciences at Stellenbosch University.
• Surfshark Privacy and Security Scholarship - A $2,000 prize is available to a student currently enrolled in South Africa or another study destination as a high school, undergraduate or graduate student. You will need to submit an essay to apply and the scholarship is open to all nationalities. 
• Rhodes University Postgraduate Scholarships – Various scholarships for both South African and international students to study a postgraduate degree at Rhodes University. Each scholarship has its own eligibility requirements regarding the applicable subject/s and whether you need to demonstrate financial need or academic excellence.

This article was originally published in July 2016. It was updated in October 2018.