The Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development program aims to reduce poverty in the developing countries of ASEAN and to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development . Scholarships and educational exchanges will contribute towards the achievement of all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SEED contributes to strengthening people-to-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 institutions in ASEAN countries.

The Canada-ASEAN Scholarships and Educational Exchanges for Development Program is a short-term exchange program offered by Global Affairs Canada. Canadian institutions interested in participating should promote the program to their faculty, 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-term 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.

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

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

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.

Find out more here.