Each year, the Swiss Confederation awards Government Excellence Scholarships to promote international exchange and research cooperation between Switzerland and over 180 other countries. The research scholarship is available to post-graduate researchers in any discipline (who hold a master’s degree as a minimum) who are planning to come to Switzerland to pursue research or further studies at doctoral or post-doctoral level.  

The scholarship covers a monthly payment, exemption of tuition fees, health insurance, air fare, housing allowance, etc. ETH Zurich supports excellent students both from the ETH and from other universities (national and international) wishing to pursue a Master’s degree at ETH with two scholarship programmes: the Excellence Scholarship & Opportunity Programme (ESOP) which covers the full study and living costs of the students and the Master Scholarship Programme (MSP) wherein students receive a partial stipend and the offer of an assistantship.

The Holland Scholarship is meant for international students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) who want to do their bachelor’s or master’s in the Netherlands. This scholarship is financed by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science as well as several Dutch research universities and universities of applied sciences. The scholarship amounts to € 5,000. University Twente Scholarship, Amsterdam Merit Scholarship, Maastricht University Holland-High Potential scholarship are some of the other scholarships offered.

Switzerland is one of the world’s major financial centers. High-skilled and professional industries play a strong role in the Swiss economy, with some of the biggest sectors including chemicals, banking, insurance, pharmaceuticals, watch manufacturing and food retail. Jobs are also available for skilled workers in engineering and technology, consulting, and IT, with financial analysts, business analysts, and systems analysts in great demand.

The Swiss economy is stable and the Swiss unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the world, standing at 4.3% in March 2020. Many large multinationals have based themselves in Switzerland, largely due to favourable Swiss tax conditions. Nestle is the largest company in Switzerland in terms of number of employees. The Swiss appreciate sobriety, thrift, tolerance, punctuality, and a sense of responsibility, and they reflect this in their business practices, which tend to be formal and conservative. In the latest Expat Insider Survey, the Netherlands achieved an overall ranking of 33rd out of 59 countries, performing particularly well when it comes to career prospects and work-life balance. There are lots of opportunities for expats to work in the Netherlands.

The country is home to a wide range of international and multinational companies; Dutch internationals alone include ING Group, Royal Dutch Shell Group, Unilever, Philips, and Heineken. There are a number of thriving and growing job sectors in the Netherlands. These include agriculture and food, creative industries, chemicals, energy, IT, health and life sciences, logistics and the service industry.

For in-depth information on the universities, courses and guidance for admissions and applications, please read more

In order to apply to Universities in Switzerland or the Netherlands, the following documents are necessary.

1. Application
2. IELTS/TOEFL score reports
3. GRE/GMAT (only if your program needs it)
4. Transcripts+ Degree
5. Resume
6. Essays
7. Recommendation Letters
8. Additional program-specific requirements

Summarizing, Switzerland and the Netherlands are not just attractive countries for tourists, but also great places to pursue your higher education. Though the high cost of most of the popular programs can be a deterrent, multicultural exposure, comfortable environment and high standard of living need to be considered.