On August 6, 2017, the Government of Canada announced the Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED program to offer opportunities for students from ASEAN member states to undertake short-term study or research at Canadian post-secondary institutions in areas that support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development (SEED) program aims to reduce poverty in ASEAN developing countries and achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Scholarships and educational exchanges will help achieve all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SEED strengthens people-people ties between Canada and the Indo-Pacific region. SEED scholarships are facilitated through institutional collaborations and student exchange agreements between post-secondary institutions in Canada and their partner in ASEAN countries.
The SEED Program is a-term exchange program offered by Global Affairs Canada. Canadian institutions interested in participating should promote the program to their, staff, and eligible partner institutions. Institutions in ASEAN member states interested in sending their students to Canada should explore student exchange agreements with Canadian institutions. Students wishing to pursue short studies or research in Canada should review the eligibility criteria and contact their institution’s international office for application details. Canadian institutions must apply on behalf of eligible candidates.
Benefits and Duration
| Award component | Value | Duration | Activities |
|---|---|---|---|
| College / undergraduate (4 months) | $10,200 | Four months or one academic term | Study or research at the college or undergraduate level. A valid student exchange agreement that waives tuition fees is required. |
| Graduate (4 months) | $10,200 | Four months or one academic term | Study or research at the graduate level (Masters and PhD). A student exchange agreement is not required. |
Eligible expenses
Selected candidates may use scholarship funds towards:
- ✔ visa or study/work permit fees
- ✔ airfare via the most direct and economical route
- ✔ health insurance
- ✔ living expenses, such as accommodation, utilities and food
- ✔ ground transportation, including a public transportation pass
- ✔ books and supplies required for their study or research, excluding computers and other equipment
- Canadian institutions are eligible to receive:
- ✔ $500 per scholarship recipient to aid with administrative costs once the student arrives in Canada
- ✔ reimbursement of additional employer compliance fees paid to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada in some cases
How funding works
- Canadian institutions will receive funding from Global Affairs Canada, through its legal name, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) in the form of a non-negotiable contribution agreement and will be responsible for providing the funds to successful candidates. Should a selected candidate not take up the scholarship, Canadian institutions must return those funds, including the administrative fee, to DFATD.
Eligibility
To be eligible, candidates must be:
- ✔ citizens of an ASEAN member state
- Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos (Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR)), Malaysia, Myanmar, The Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, or Vietnam
- ✔ enrolled full-time at a post-secondary institution in an ASEAN member state
- ✔ paying tuition fees to that institution at the time of application and for the full duration of their exchange
- ✔ citizens of an ASEAN member state
Candidates are not eligible for this scholarship if they:
- hold or have a pending application for Canadian citizenship or permanent residency
- are already participating in a scholarship program funded by the Government of Canada
- are already enrolled in a degree, diploma or certificate program at a Canadian post-secondary institution
- have previously received a scholarship under the Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development Program
Canadian post-secondary institutions interested in hosting students must:
- ✔ be a Designated Learning Institution (DLI)
- ✔ have a valid student exchange agreement with the student’s home institution that waives tuition fees for scholarship recipients (required for college/undergraduate study only)
- ✔ centralize all applications through their international office
Scholarship Conditions
Selected candidates agree to:
- engage in full-time studies or research as defined by the Canadian institution
- abstain from clinical training or clinically-oriented research involving direct patient-care
- focus primarily on full-time studies or research during their stay in Canada
- return to their home institutions after the scholarship period to complete their studies
Failure to meet these conditions may result in the cancellation of the scholarship.
Additional information
- Scholarships cannot be deferred and are not renewable
- Scholarships are subject to availability of funding from the Government of Canada
- Scholarships are not taxable for either the Canadian institution or the scholarship recipient
Supporting Documents
Institutions must ensure documents are complete and accurate as per the instructions. Revised documents will not be accepted after the deadline. Documents in a language other than English or French must be accompanied by a translation.
- Proof of citizenship
- A copy of the candidate’s passport or national identity card with a photo and valid dates
- Documents not accepted as proof of citizenship are: driver’s license, permanent residence card, work permit, student card, health card, birth certificate or baptismal certificate
- Proof of citizenship selected must be from the same country/territory as the citizenship selected in the online application form
- Signed Privacy Notice Statement
- A copy of the Privacy Notice Statement for non-Canadian participants signed by the candidate and dated within the last six months
- Letter of intent from the candidate (maximum one page)
- Explains the nature of studies or research to be undertaken
- Provides rationale for study in Canada and for the choice of institution, program and supervisor and how the proposed program of study or research will relate to their future career
- Explains how undertaking study or research in Canada will empower the student to apply their learning to address the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
- Explains how they intend to use their learning to help combat poverty and narrow the development gap in the ASEAN region in their future career
- Identifies the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) their proposed study or research in Canada is aligned with and will contribute to (letters that do not identify an SDG will be deemed incomplete and not eligible)
- Candidates from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand or Vietnam must provide an explanation of how their learning in Canada will help to combat poverty in their home country
- Candidates from Brunei or Singapore must provide an explanation of how their learning in Canada will help combat poverty in one of the other eight ASEAN countries
- Letter of proof of full-time enrolment from the home institution
- On official letterhead
- Dated within the last six months
- Confirms that the candidate is currently enrolled in a full-time program (letters that do not confirm full-time student status will be deemed incomplete and not eligible)
- Copies of transcripts, a student card or a letter of admission are not acceptable
- Letter of support from the home institution (maximum one page)
- On official letterhead
- Dated within the last six months
- From the candidate’s instructor, professor or international director
- Explains the nature of study or research to be undertaken in Canada and how the candidate and the home institution will benefit from this scholarship program
- Assesses the candidate’s commitment and capacity to use the program of study or research in Canada to help combat poverty and narrow the development gap in the ASEAN region
- Letter of invitation from the Canadian supervisor (graduate students only, maximum one page)
- On institutional letterhead
- Dated within the last six months
- Signed by the Canadian supervisor
- Describes the nature and scope of the research collaboration with the student’s home institution
- Confirms their willingness to support and mentor the candidate during the exchange period
- Explains how the Canadian institution, supervisor and peers will benefit from the exchange
- Confirms that tuition fees are waived when there is no MOU in force
- Signed copy of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Agreement with the partner institution
- Indicates that tuition fees will not be charged and highlights this specific clause
- College and undergraduate research applications with no existing agreement can include a letter from the international office or equivalent on official letterhead that links the application to a specific international research collaboration, names the Canadian supervisor and confirms that tuition will not be charged. The letter must be dated within the last six months and be a maximum of one page
- Expired agreements will not be accepted – if the agreement is in the process of renewal, institutions must include a letter to this effect
- For graduate applications, an agreement is recommended but not required
- A ranking of applications
- Based on the institution’s strategic priorities must be sent to se********@cb**.ca
- Must indicate the MyEduCanada application number of each candidate
Scholarship selection criteria
Applications are evaluated based on:
- the linkage of the proposed research or study that the student will undertake in Canada to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
- the candidate’s commitment to use their proposed research or studies in Canada to help combat poverty and narrow the development gap in the ASEAN region
- merit of the research or study to be undertaken in Canada
- benefit to the home institution and peers
- benefit to the Canadian institution, supervisor and peers
- strength of the linkages to be created through the proposed exchange
- rankings submitted by the Canadian institution
Application Process
Canadian post-secondary institutions must apply on behalf of eligible candidates before the deadline.
Application instructions for Canadian institutions
- Assign a program coordinator to complete applications.
- Select “Login or Register” to create a My EduCanada account for your institution. Ensure to select Institution for your account type.
- Once you have logged into your account, select the Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development Program and click Apply.
- Enter data in the required fields and follow the instructions on the application form.
- Click Validate and save as you progress through the application form.
- Upload all required supporting documents. Each document must be smaller than 5 MB and in .jpg, .gif, .png, .pdf, .doc, .docx, .txt or .xlsx format.
- Review all components of your application for accuracy and completeness.
- Read and accept the conditions of the “Declaration and permission” statement. Click Submit. You will receive a confirmation message and a reference number for submitted applications.
- Print or download the form for your records using the “Print|Download” function.
Visit Help with MyEduCanada for more information.
Key dates
Application deadline
- The deadline for Canadian institutions to submit online applications on behalf of candidates is 11:59 p.m. EDT, March 31, 2025.
- Canadian institutions should establish an earlier deadline with candidates and their home institutions to ensure timely receipt of supporting documents.
Notification of results
- The scholarship administrator will communicate successful results to Canadian institutions in the spring. The administrator will not provide feedback for unsuccessful applications.
- Canadian institutions are responsible for notifying students of successful results.
- Students should contact their home institution or the Canadian institution regarding the status of their application.
Arrival in Canada
- Only applications for Fall 2025 will be accepted. Selected candidates may arrive as early as August 1, 2025 and no later than October 1, 2025. Failure to arrive during this time may result in the cancellation of the scholarship.
- Selected candidates should submit their visa or study/work permit application as early as possible to avoid delays.