The Department of International Relations and Cooperation hosted South African students today, who were selected for a Swedish post-graduate scholarship programme.

The students will be travelling to Sweden to commence their studies in August 2014. These young students from across South Africa will pursue their Masters Studies in a wide range of fields, including Sustainable Energy, Entrepreneurship, Global Health, International Human Rights Law, Child and Gender Studies and Sustainable Development.

This programme offers ten scholarships per annum over a period of three years and will be funded by the Swedish Institute. This is in recognition of the centrality of education and skills development for the economic prosperity of both countries.

The scholarship programme was agreed to at the Eighth Session of the South Africa - Sweden Binational Commission (BNC), which took place on 11 October 2013 in Pretoria. The Commission is co-chaired by South Africa’s Deputy President and Sweden’s Deputy Prime Minister and takes place on a biennial basis.

At the BNC, it was agreed that the Swedish Government would offer a fully funded scholarship programme for thirty South Africans to pursue post-graduate studies in Sweden as a concrete deliverable and in pursuance of promoting South Africa’s national priorities especially in the area of skills development.

Bilateral relations between South Africa and Sweden are excellent and have a strong historical basis with Sweden supporting South Africa’s struggle for Freedom and Democracy. Present day relations cover a wide variety of areas.