2026 Azerbaijan Government Heydar Aliyev Scholarship

📂 Category: 100% Fully Funded / Undergrad, Master’s, PhD, & Medical Residency

📍 Location: Baku, Azerbaijan (The City of Winds and Fire)

⏳ Deadline: April 15, 2026

💰 Monthly Stipend: 800 AZN (~$470 USD) — One of the highest stipends relative to cost of living. 🧪 IELTS Status: IELTS-FREE (If your previous education was in English).

Most scholarship bloggers don't talk about Azerbaijan because they don't know the "diplomatic math." Azerbaijan allocates specific seats for Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) countries. Since Ethiopia is a power player in the NAM, our students have a "Fast-Track" advantage that students from other regions simply do not have.

🌟 Why This is a "Non-Competitive" Strategic Win

(ይህ ዕድል ለየት የሚለው አብዛኛው ተማሪ ትኩረቱን ቱርክ፣ አውሮፓ እና አሜሪካ ላይ ብቻ ስለሚያደርግ የዚህኛው ስኮላርሺፕ ተጠቃሚዎች ቁጥር አነስተኛ መሆኑ ነው። ይህም ማለት ለእናንተ የመመረጥ ዕድላችሁ በጣም ሰፊ ነው!)

🏛️ Global Recognition: Azerbaijan's top universities (like ADA University and Azerbaijan State Oil and Industry University) are world-class in Engineering, Energy, and International Relations.

📉 The "NAM" Quota: You aren't competing with the whole world; you are competing within the NAM group, where Ethiopia is highly respected.

❌ No IELTS/TOEFL Needed: If you graduated from AAU, ASTU, or any recognized Ethiopian university, a "Medium of Instruction" letter is sufficient.

🇪🇹 Cultural Connection: Baku is a city where East meets West. It is safe, modern, and has a very welcoming culture for African students.

📋 Is This for You? (The Eligibility Checklist)

📍 Nationality: Citizen of an eligible NAM/OIC country (Ethiopia is a primary eligible country!).

🎂 Age Limits (As of Sept 15, 2026): * 👶 Undergraduate: Under 35 years old.

🧔 Graduate (Master's): Under 40 years old.

🎓 Doctoral (PhD): Under 45 years old.

📈 Academic Merit: Your previous degree results should be 70% or higher (e.g., GPA of 3.0/4.0 or equivalent).

🩺 Health Status: You must provide a medical certificate showing you are negative for HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B/C.

📚 Top Fields for Software Developers and Engineers

Since many of you are in tech, here is why Baku is a secret paradise:

🖥️ Computer Science & IT: Azerbaijan is rapidly digitalizing its economy (e-government).

🔋 Oil & Gas Engineering: They have some of the world's best laboratories for energy and petroleum.

📉 Business & Economics: Perfect for those wanting to learn about "Corridor Trade" between Asia and Europe.

🏥 Medical Residency: Highly affordable and advanced medical training for doctors.

🚀 Step-by-Step: How to Secure This Grant (Unique Strategy)

Step 1: The "Nomination" Secret 🔍

This is a Government-to-Government scholarship. You cannot just apply online and wait. You must be nominated by the Ethiopian Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

(መጀመሪያ የኢትዮጵያ ትምህርት ሚኒስቴርን በማነጋገር ለዚህ ስኮላርሺፕ 'Nominate' እንዲያደርጓችሁ መጠየቅ አለባችሁ። ይህ የመጀመሪያው እና ወሳኝ እርምጃ ነው።)

Step 2: Document Preparation 📤

You need clear, notarized scans of:

Diplomas and Transcripts.

Medical Certificate (Including HIV, Hep B/C tests).

CV and Motivation Letter.

Passport Copy.

Step 3: The SIACAS Portal (Second Stage) 💻

Once nominated, you will be invited to the SIACAS (Study in Azerbaijan Centralized Admission Service) portal to pick your 3 university choices.

(በሁለተኛው ዙር 'portal.edu.az' ላይ በመግባት የመረጧቸውን 3 ዩኒቨርሲቲዎች ያስገባሉ።)

Step 4: The Interview 🎤

Universities may conduct a short Zoom interview. Be ready to talk about how you will build a tech or energy bridge between Ethiopia and Azerbaijan.

💡 Recommendation: Making Your Application "Unbeatable"

To be in the top 100 students globally, do this:

🎯 The "Belt and Road" Angle: Mention how Azerbaijan’s location on the "Middle Corridor" of trade is a great model for Ethiopia’s landlocked logistics.

🇪🇹 Represent Ethiopia: Explain your leadership roles. If you managed a Telegram group or a project, highlight it!

🛠️ Language Strategy: Even if you choose an English-taught program, express a desire to learn the Azerbaijani or Turkish languages. (አዘርባጃንኛ መማር እንደምትፈልጉ መግለፅ ለባህል ያላቸውን ክብር ስለሚያሳይ ተቀባይነታችሁን ይጨምራል።)

🔗 Official Link to Apply