To all mid-career professionals, do you want to expand your academic network and carry out research at one of the leading institutes in the Netherlands, with all your expenses covered? Applications are invited for the Asia in the World Fellowship Programme 2027, a fully funded, groundbreaking fellowship program organized by the International Institute for Asian Studies. It’s an intensive 9-month residential program aimed at early-career researchers and professionals passionate about broadening their perspectives beyond their specific geography or discipline. It’s a structured fellowship program delivered in two phases. Phase 1 includes 3 months of residency at a partner institute in Asia, Europe, Latin America, or Africa, followed by Phase 2, which consists of 6 months of study at IIAS, Leiden University, Netherlands. No application fee is required. Interested applicants must submit their applications by September 10th, 2026. Learn more details about the fellowship below.
About Asia in the World Fellowship Programme
It’s a prestigious fellowship program that promotes innovative research in Asian studies, benefiting both individual researchers and the academic community. The fellowship invites applications from mid-career professionals, journalists, diplomats, writers, curators, and other professionals with an excellent track record in their fields. The fellowship offers comprehensive support to fellows, including a housing allowance, monthly stipend, travel grant, visa assistance, access to institute facilities, and more.
Overview
- Hosted by: International Institute for Asian Studies
- Programme: Asia in the World Fellowship
- Aimed at: Mid-career researchers
- Duration: 9 months
- Coverage: Fully Funded
- Application Deadline: September 10th, 2026
Fellowship Structure:
It’s a 9-month fellowship programme structured in the following two phases:
Phase 1: This phase includes 3 months of residency at the partner institute in Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. During the phase, fellows will participate in online meetings with the fellowship coordinator and are expected to give lectures and engage in local activities.
Phase 2: This phase includes 6 months of research stay at IIAS, Leiden University, Netherlands, where they will experience cutting-edge research in Asian studies. Fellows will be provided with a dedicated office space, access to the institute, library, seminar room, and a screening room
Fellowship Cohorts
From 2025 onward, the fellowship is redesigned and offers 2 cohorts per cycle.
Cohort 1 runs from September 2027 to the end of May 2027
Cohort 2 runs from March 2027 to the end of November 2028
Research Focus Areas:
Applicants must submit research projects aligned with the following IIAS focus areas:
- Asia in the World
- Politics of Culture
- Cities and Urban Studies
- Humanities Across Borders
- Knowledge Diplomacy in Action
Fellowship Participation Categories
The programme is offering three categories for participation, which are:
- Category A – Funded (Academic)
- Category B – Self-Funded (Academic)
- Category C – Self-funded (Independent Professionals)
Coverage:
The fellowship support varies category-wise
Category A
- Receive a monthly stipend of €1,250 during residency
- Monthly housing allowance of €1,200 in the Netherlands
- Travel grant
- Visa Support
- Access to institute facilities
- Access to professional development workshops and networking events
Category B & C
- Visa support
- Accommodation assistance
- Full Access to institute facilities
- Access to seminars, workshops and networking events
Who can Apply?
Category A: Intended for mid-career professionals holding a minimum PhD degree or have completed their PhD defence by September 2026
Category B: Intended for applicants who have completed their PhD and have confirmed personal or external funding.
Category C: Intended for writers, journalists, diplomats, policy makers, curators and other experienced professionals with strong professional background.
Fellowship Important Dates
- Application Opens: July 1st, 2026
- Deadline: September 10th, 2026
- Result Announcement: March 2027
Application Materials
- Online Application form
- CV
- Research proposal
- Publication list
Don’t Miss:
- Ireland Fellows Programme 2027/28 | Fully Funded
- Singapore Southeast Asia Fellowship 2026
- Anthropic Claude Corps Fellowship 2026
How to Apply?
The application process is online through the IIAS offical website; interested applicants must complete their application form and submit all the required documents by the application due date. Shortlisted applicants will be further contacted to provide two reference letters and a short presentation video.
