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Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED) – for mid-career professionals

The competition for the 2022-2023 academic year will not take place.

Who applies:

  • mid-career professionals from an ASEAN member state;
  • mid-career professionals from academia, civil society, the private sector (with a focus on micro, small and medium-sized businesses, and on social enterprises), and the public sector (including ministries, parastatals, state-owned enterprises, legislative and judicial bodies);
  • A mid-career professional, for the extent of this scholarship program, is someone who:
    • has worked for at least 5 and up to 20 years;
    • is in a managerial, policy development or in a decision-making position; OR is a mid-career academic in a post-secondary academic institution, research institution or think tank;
    • has at least two years of experience within the position; and,
    • is not supervising more than 30 employees and/or a CAD 30 million budget per year.

Description: Global Affairs Canada is offering short-term scholarships to mid-career professionals from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for professional development through short-term courses in Canada.

Guidelines

The Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED) program aims to reduce poverty in the developing countries of ASEAN and to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The mid-career component of the SEED program offers opportunities for professional development through short-term courses in Canada, aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, that could include (but not limited to) the following priority sectors:

  • Gender Based Analysis;
  • Performance management/deliverology/results based management/performance audit;
  • Financial management/comptrollership/project management;
  • Financial technologies; and,
  • Climate change adaptation/environmental sustainability/environmental impact assessment.

It is the responsibility of the applicants to identify the Canadian institution and the short-term course of their choice in their applications. DFATD will not provide any assistance to match potential candidates and Canadian institutions. Applications will be assessed on their respective merits regarding the criteria established below.

Information on Canadian institutions and the short-term programs they offer is widely available through EduCanada and other associations. EduCanada offers information on study and research institutions in Canada including a three step search tool for postsecondary programs, visa and study permit information and a study cost estimate.

The Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials maintains a directory of educational institutions in Canada that may also be consulted.

Eligible institutions include:

  • Any registered Canadian post-secondary institution listed in one of the sites noted above;
  • Not-for-profit organizations offering professional development programs; and
  • Private specialized institutes offering professional development programs.

Scholarship value

Funding for SEED scholarships, including for its mid-career component, is made available by Global Affairs Canada through its official name: the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD).

Successful candidate(s) will receive funding from DFATD in the form of a Letter of Agreement.

The scholarship value varies depending on the duration. The scholarship value for recipients is:

  • Up to CAD 10,000 for the cost of the program/course;
  • Up to CAD 5,000 for flight, visa, health insurance; and,
  • Up to CAD 1,600 weekly allowance for living expenses.

Eligible expenses

The Canadian Government Scholarship will contribute towards the following costs:

  • program/course fee;
  • visa and/or study/work permit fees;
  • economy airfare, for the scholarship recipient only, to Canada by the most direct and economical route and return airfare upon completion of the scholarship;
  • health insurance;
  • modest living expenses, such as accommodation, utilities and food; and,
  • ground transportation expenses.

Disclaimer: Should the scholarship recipient(s) be accompanied by some of their family members in Canada, please be advised that none of the expenses engaged by or for these persons will be considered as eligible for the extent of this program. Moreover, successful candidate(s) should not require any kind of assistance from DFATD to manage administrative steps for their relatives, including visa application.

Scholarship duration

Scholarships are awarded for professional development courses, executive programs, and certification programs linked to the Sustainable Development Goals and Canadian expertise in sustainable development from one (1) to four (4) weeks.

Scholarships can begin as of June 1, 2020 and must end no later than March 1, 2021.

Payment procedure

Subject to the terms and conditions of the Letter of Agreement, funding will be distributed to the successful candidate(s) through direct deposit, according to the following breakdown:

  • Upon receiving the Letter of Agreement signed both by the designated authority at DFATD and the recipient and proof of acceptance at the short-term program: 60%
  • Upon arrival in Canada and upon receiving proof of medical insurance and proof of payment of the program/course fee: 35%;
  • Upon receiving the mandatory final report from the successful candidate(s): 5%.

Important information:

  • Please be advised that DFATD will retain proof of scholarship payments to the recipient(s) and other documents required as further outlined in the Letter of Agreement concluded with the recipient(s).
  • Should a recipient not take up the scholarship, funds must be returned to DFATD.

Eligibility

This scholarship program is open to mid-career professionals from academia, civil society, the private sector (with a focus on micro, small and medium-sized businesses, and on social enterprises), and the public sector (including ministries, parastatals, state-owned enterprises, legislative and judicial bodies).

A mid-career professional, for the extent of this scholarship program, is someone who:

  • has worked for at least 5 and up to 20 years;
  • is in a managerial, policy development or in a decision-making position OR is a mid-career academic in a post-secondary academic institution, research institution, or think tank;
  • has at least two years of experience within the position; and,
  • is not supervising more than 30 employees and/or a CAD 30 million budget per year.

To be eligible:

  • Candidates must be citizens of an ASEAN member state and must be currently working in an ASEAN member state;
  • Candidates from Brunei and Singapore must demonstrate how they would use the learning in Canada to help combat poverty in one of the other eight ASEAN countries;
  • Candidates must fulfill the requirements of the Canadian institution including academic requirements and language proficiency; and,
  • Candidates who have obtained Canadian citizenship or who have applied for permanent residency in Canada are not eligible.

Desired qualifications and application assessment criteria

To be qualified, candidates must:

  1. Choose a short-term program that is aligned with, and contribute to, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Eligible programs include, but are not limited to, the following priority sectors:
    • Gender Based Analysis;
    • Performance management/deliverology/results based management/performance audit;
    • Financial management/comptrollership/project management;
    • Financial technologies; and,
    • Climate change adaptation/environmental sustainability/environmental impact assessment.
  2. Provide a description of the chosen course/program. Please include the following information in the application form:
    • Name of the program/course;
    • Name of the Canadian institution delivering the program/course;
    • Duration of the program, including the dates of the program;
    • Total cost of the program; and
    • A description of the program/course.
  3. Provide a letter of intent, written in one of the official languages of Canada (French or English), outlining how the chosen short-term program is aligned with the candidate’s current work/career, and how the candidate will apply the learning in Canada to help implement at least one Sustainable Development Goal and combat poverty or narrow the development gap in the ASEAN region. Candidates’ letter of intent must be filled out in the application form and must include the following:
    • a brief rationale for choosing the short-term program, and how it is linked to the candidate’s work/career;
    • a brief explanation of how the chosen short-term program is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and an identification of which Sustainable Development Goal the program is aligned with;
    • For candidates from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam: please provide a brief explanation of how you plan to use the learning in Canada to help combat poverty in your home country;
    • For candidates from Brunei and Singapore: please provide a brief explanation of how you plan to use the learning in Canada to help combat poverty in one of the other eight ASEAN countries.
  4. Submit a letter of support from the applicant’s current employer, which must be located in an ASEAN member state, confirming that the applicant can be considered as a mid-career professional, and outlining the anticipated benefits from the candidate learning in Canada.
  5. Submit a résumé, outlining candidate’s academic qualifications and relevant work experience;
  6. Submit a Proof of citizenship: a copy of passport (valid for the duration of the scholarship) or valid national identity document. If the identity document is in a language other than English or French, an English or French translation of the identity document must be provided. Note: a driver's licence, permanent resident card, student card or baptism certificate is not accepted as proof of citizenship. The country of citizenship in the application form must be the same as the country of the proof of citizenship.
  7. Agree to the conditions stated in the Privacy Notice Statement by checking the relevant box in the application form, as well as dating and signing the application form.

Applications will be assessed by a selection committee on the compliance with the criteria listed above, and on their respective merits, including the strength of the links made by the candidate(s) between the learning in Canada and one of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Following Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy, a larger amount of scholarships will be awarded to women, and to candidates from Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam than other ASEAN member states, in an effort to contribute to narrowing the development gap in ASEAN.

Applications for second language training will not be considered.

Terms and conditions

The following terms and conditions must be met during the period of the scholarship.

The Canadian institution must:

  • be registered by its federal, provincial or territorial government as a Canadian post-secondary institution, a not-for-profit organization or a private specialized institute, or be a federal institution such as the Canada School of Public Service;
  • inform the candidate(s) of all applicable fees for the short-term program; and,
  • provide a registration proof and deliver a receipt to the applicant(s).

The scholarship recipients:

  • must provide DFATD with the signed Letter of Agreement and the proof of acceptance in the short-term program before the first installment;
  • must provide DFATD with the proof of payment for the program/course fee and proof of medical insurance before the second installment;
  • must provide DFATD with records for major expenses such as travel and accommodation upon request;
  • must be proficient in the language of instruction at the Canadian institution (English or French) before their arrival in Canada, as the scholarship does not cover language training. Language requirements are set by each Canadian institution;
  • must submit a final report of how their studies will enable them to contribute towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in the developing countries of ASEAN within 15 days upon completion of their short-term training in Canada (maximum 500 words);
  • are excluded from clinical training or clinically-oriented research involving direct patient-care in pharmacy, medicine, dentistry or other health fields;
  • may not currently hold any other scholarship granted by the Government of Canada;
  • must arrive in Canada up to three days prior the starting date of the short-term program. Failure to arrive during this time will result in the cancellation of the scholarship. Scholarship recipients are expected to leave upon completion of the short-term program;
  • must ensure that they have appropriate health insurance for the full duration of the scholarship and provide proof of medical insurance to DFATD before the second installment ;
  • must take the responsibility for applying for any visa/study permit;
  • must take the responsibility for all the logistical requirements, including applying to the short-term program, booking flights and accommodation in Canada etc.
  • must focus only on the short-term training program during their stay in Canada;
  • agree to have their contact information shared with DFATD, for reasons such as: to be invited to join the Government of Canada Scholars’ Alumni Association (GCSAA), to attend events organized by the Canadian Embassy or the High Commission in their home country and by DFATD in Canada, or for promotional and statistical purposes; and,
  • agree to contribute to the evaluation process of the SEED mid-career component by providing some feedback to the project manager for quality improvement purpose.

Important information:

  • Recipients are responsible for completing registration procedures for the short-term program they have identified;
  • Recipients are responsible for submitting their visa application as early as possible and follow the procedures as outlined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada;
  • Recipients are responsible for providing valid banking information to DFATD, in order to receive direct deposit;
  • Recipients are responsible for coordinating their international flights, ground transportation in Canada, accommodation, health insurance, applying for applicable visas, and using the scholarship funds;
  • Recipients also have to take the necessary steps to pay the short-term course fees to the Canadian institution by the required deadline, using the scholarship funds. The scholarship program will not cover late fees/penalties;
  • Scholarships cannot be deferred and are not renewable; and
  • Scholarships are not taxable by the Government of Canada for either the Canadian institution or the scholarship recipient.

Any questions?

Please direct all inquiries regarding the eligibility requirements to: Scholarships-Info-Bourses@international.gc.ca or 613-237-4820.

Deadline

The deadline to submit all required documentation with the application to scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca is noon February 27, 2020 EST.

Applications received late or incomplete will not be considered.

Only applications sent by email, directed at the email address included in the application form will be considered. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all documents required are received by the deadline. Supporting documents, other than the ones requested, will not be accepted.

Arrival in Canada

Scholarship recipients may commence their studies as early as June 1, 2020 and must complete their studies no later than March 1, 2021.

Notification

Applicants must ensure that a permanent email address is included in their application to receive notifications.

Final selection

Applicants will be informed of the results by the end of April 2020.

Successful candidates will receive a Selection Notice from the SEED program manager, along with other material related to the funding agreement and information regarding visa application process to travel to Canada.

Selection of the scholarship recipients is subject to the signature of the Letter of Agreement by the recipient and DFATD and to the confirmation of registration in the selected short-term course.

Application process

Instructions

Applicants must:

  • Fill out the application form and save on to their computer;
  • Print and sign the completed application form;
  • Scan the completed and signed application form and save in a .pdf file format, if possible. Application forms in .jpg format will also be accepted;
  • Upload all required documents on to the computer;
  • Email the application form and all required documents to: scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca. Documents and email subject lines must clearly identify the name of the scholarship program and the name of the applicant (e.g., Subject: SEED-Mid-Career Application-full name of the candidate). Applicants should ensure that they meet the allowable size limits for the transmission of the documents by email. A maximum of 15 MB of attachments per email is usually permitted but this may vary depending on the email provider.

To be considered for the SEED mid-career component, the applicant must complete and submit the application form and provide the supporting documents as requested.

Information required in the application form

Candidates must fill out the following information in English or in French in the application form:

  • Course Description that includes the following information:
    • Name of the program/course;
    • Name of the Canadian institution delivering the program/course;
    • Duration of the program, including the dates of the program;
    • Total cost of the program; and
    • A short description of the program/course.
  • Letter of Intent written in one of the official languages of Canada (French or English), outlining how the chosen short-term program is aligned with the candidate’s current work/career, and how the candidate will apply the learning in Canada to help implement at least one Sustainable Development Goal and combat poverty or narrow the development gap in the ASEAN region. Candidates’ letter of intent must be filled out in the application form and must include the following:
    • a brief rationale for choosing the short-term program, and how it is linked to the candidate’s work/career;
    • a brief explanation of how the chosen short-term program is aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and an identification of which Sustainable Development Goal the program is aligned with;
    • For candidates from Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam: please provide a brief explanation of how you plan to use the learning in Canada to help combat poverty in your home country;
    • For candidates from Brunei and Singapore: please provide a brief explanation of how you plan to use the learning in Canada to help combat poverty in one of the other eight ASEAN countries listed above.

Candidates must check the Privacy Notice Statement box in the application form to acknowledge that they have read the statement and that they agree to its conditions.

IMPORTANT: Candidates are required to sign and date the application form.

Supporting documents

All supporting documentation must be submitted in English or in French. Candidates will be required to provide translations in the official language of their choice.

Supporting documents that must be submitted in the application package include:

  • Letter of support from the employer in ASEAN confirming that the applicant can be considered as a mid-career professional, and outlining the anticipated benefits from the candidate learning in Canada.
  • A résumé, outlining candidate’s academic qualifications and relevant work experience;
  • Proof of citizenship: copy of passport (valid for the duration of the scholarship) or valid national identity document. If the identity document is in a language other than English or French, an English or French translation of the identity document. Note: a driver's licence, permanent resident card, student card or baptism certificate is not accepted as proof of citizenship. The country of citizenship in the application form must be the same as the country of the proof of citizenship.

Important information

Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants are required to submit the documentation and complete the application form.

All supporting documentation must be submitted in English or in French. Candidates will be required to provide translations in the official language of their choice.

Conditions

All recommendations of the scholarship selection committee and decisions made are final. There is no appeal process.

The selection committee does not provide feedback to unsuccessful candidates. Submitted applications and documents are not returned.

These scholarships are subject to the availability of funds.

Background

On August 6, 2017, the Government of Canada announced the Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED) program to provide opportunities for students and mid-career professionals from ASEAN to conduct short-term study or research in Canadian post-secondary institutions in areas that contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

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