Since 2007, the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia has been carrying out a scholarship program for students from the Palestinian territories (hereafter called “Palestine”). The program offers short-term scholarships for students from selected Palestinian universities wishing to undertake studies and research in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is promoted by the Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf.

The program is designed to enable qualified Palestinian students to get familiar with the higher education and research scene in the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia and thereby to establish new contacts and networks between Palestine and North Rhine-Westphalia. Thus, new scientific cooperation between Palestine and Germany will be initiated, and existing cooperative research will be intensified. The scholars will get the opportunity to acquire skills and qualifications in North Rhine-Westphalia which will enable them to contribute to the advancement of the research system in Palestine and to support social processes.

Scholars will have the opportunity to carry out research projects (such as measurements, computer modeling, archive studies, demoscopic studies) at university facilities in North Rhine-Westphalia as part of their Master's or PhD thesis at their home university. In the process, scholars will be actively involved in the respective research teams, and will have the opportunity to take an active role in project group activities.