Employment

Every year, within the framework of the International Parliamentary Scholarship (IPS) programme, the German Bundestag provides an opportunity for around 120 politically and socially engaged young university graduates from up to 50 countries around the world to gain an in-depth insight into Germany’s parliamentary system.

The programme’s patron is the President of the German Bundestag, Julia Klöckner. It is carried out in cooperation with the universities Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin, and runs for five months.
 

The idea and IPS participating countries

The German Bundestag has been running the International Parliamentary Scholarship programme since 1986. What initially emerged from the German-American parliamentary friendship has now developed into a unique scholarship programme for talented young people who are open to the world and have an interest in politics, and who wish to take on an active and responsible role in shaping the democratic future of their own country. In this way, the IPS also makes a key contribution to promoting intercultural exchange and international understanding.
 

The following countries currently take part in the IPS: 

Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Estonia, France* (see below), Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Morocco, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Namibia, New Zealand, North Macedonia, the Palestinian Territories, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Syria, Turkey, Tunisia, Ukraine, USA and Uzbekistan.

The programme

The global IPS programme takes place from early March until the end of July. 

During the five-month programme, participants have an opportunity to really get to know how the German Bundestag operates. During an introductory phase at the beginning of the scholarship, the topics of "Parliamentary democracy in Germany", "The pluralist society and protection of minorities", "The media landscape in Germany" and "The culture of remembrance" as a political mandate are conveyed. A more in-depth look at the model of an active civil society is provided by events held by the political foundations and supported by workshops. 

Application process – Criteria for applicants

• Citizenship of a participating country
• Under the age of 30 at the start of the scholarship
• University degree (Bachelor’s or higher) in any subject (evidence of completion of studies can be submitted at a later date in justified cases)
• A strong interest in politics and societal issues
• Social and/or political engagement
• Very good knowledge of the German language (at least Level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)

Please be aware that this information is only available in German.

For further information, please send an email to: ips@bundestag.de.

This degree studies the European Union (EU) in the global context, with a special focus on the Asia-Pacific region. Master of European Union Studies (MEuro) participants will analyse the EU’s global role in terms of foreign policy, development, external perceptions, human rights, trade and multiculturalism. MEuro is: 

1. The only programme of its kind in Australasia and is co-funded by the European Commission. 

2. Participants can benefit from the expertise, staff and resources that exist within the National Centre for Research on Europe (NCRE), New Zealand’s only research centre devoted to the study of the European Union. 

3. The core courses are informed by research from the NCRE’s internationally acknowledged research projects and published works. 

4. Diplomatic internships can be included as course work modules