Information

SKILL (Stimulating Knowledge Innovation through Life-long  Learning) is an ambitious four-year programme initiated by SAVUSA in which VU University Amsterdam, Wageningen University and Research Centre, the Technical University of Delft and Maastricht University will cooperate, to be complemented with other Ducth Universities from year two onward. The project has been funded by the Dutch Embassy in South Africa.
The aim of the programme is to stimulate higher education and skills development in South Africa. This will be done focusing on South African Master's students, as well as prospective PhD candidates and a number of university staff members.

What does SKILL offer?

Master's students
SKILL gives South African Master's students the opportunity to follow one or two extra skills-oriented Master's courses at one of the participating Dutch universities.
The courses on offer are in the fields of:

• Water and Water Management,
• Agriculture,
• Transport and Logistics,
• Tourism,
• Finance and Accouning. 

Students can find all necessary information concerning procedures, as well as a list of courses and a registration form, on this website.

Information for South African Master's students
List of available courses
Registration form

Prospective PhD students
SKILL offers potential South African PhD candidates an intensive 3 week course to learn how to write a good PhD proposal. These courses will be provided by Exactica and will take place in Gauteng and Cape Town.

Information for prospective South African PhD students


University staff from Historically Disadvantaged backgrounds
A very special part of the SKILL project is the fact that through the project, university staff members from Historically Disadvantadged backgrounds, who have not yet had the oppurtunity to finish their Master's, will be provided with a full scholarship for one year to finish their Master's in the Netherlands. There is place for five participants a year.
Additionally, a unique feature of the scholarship offered is that it will also cover the costs of the replacement of the staff members, so that the offer is of benefit for both staff member and university.