Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies

Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP)

What is the Orange Knowledge Programme?

The Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP) is a full scholarship available to professionals working in (urban) development from a number of developing countries offered by Nuffic. Financed by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this programme aims to contribute to a society’s sustainable and inclusive development by offering access to education and training to professionals and organisations. There are 3 application rounds per year. You can find the details about each application round in this programme calendar. 

On this page you can find the following information:

  • Eligibility criteria and application procedure
  • Deadlines and eligible courses
  • FAQ regarding the OKP Fellowship 
  • OKP Interest Registration Form

All candidates who wish to apply for the fellowship need to first submit an application for the academic course of their choice. The following 2023 intake IHS academic course is eligible for the upcoming spring deadline (Application Round 2, 2022):

Sustainable Urban Development

3-month course for urban professionals

Apply now

What is the application procedure?

Step 1

Check the scholarship eligibility criteria below. To be eligible for the programme you must meet all of these requirements:

  • a) Be a professional and national of, and working and living in one of the following countries:

    ▪ Bangladesh ▪ Benin ▪ Burkina Faso ▪ Burundi ▪ Colombia ▪ Congo (DRC) ▪ Egypt ▪ Ethiopia ▪ Ghana ▪ Guatemala ▪ Guinea ▪ Indonesia (new) ▪ Iraq (new) ▪ Jordan ▪ Kenya ▪ Lebanon ▪ Liberia ▪ Mali ▪ Mozambique ▪ Myanmar ▪ Niger ▪ Nigeria ▪ Palestinian Territories ▪ Rwanda ▪ Senegal ▪ Sierra Leone ▪ Somalia ▪ South Africa ▪ South Sudan ▪ Sudan ▪ Suriname ▪ Tanzania ▪ Tunisia ▪ Uganda ▪ Vietnam ▪ Yemen ▪ Zambia

    Important update on 25 November 2020: the following countries are no longer participating in this fellowship programme: Albania, Armenia, Bhutan, Bolivia, Cambodia, Cuba, Georgia, Nepal, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Zimbabwe. Candidates from these countries are no longer eligible for this fellowship programme. This change is permanent and is effective as from the 2020 Round 3. 

    Important update on 28 January 2022: Scholarship opportunities for Indonesia
    Mid-career professionals from Indonesia are able to apply for the Short Course Scholarships again in all rounds in 2022. For Master’s Scholarships, a separate joint scholarship programme with LPDP is set up. This means that Indonesian mid-career professionals are not able to apply for a regular OKP Master’s Scholarship. 

     

  • b) Have an employer’s statement that complies with a prescribed format (template will be provided via invitation). All information must be provided and all commitments that are included in the format must be endorsed in the statement. (You will not be eligible for the fellowship if you fail to submit this document);

  • c) Not be employed by an organization that has its own means of staff-development. Organizations that are considered to have their own means for staff development are for example: 

    • Multinational corporations (e.g. Shell, Unilever, Microsoft)
    • Large national and/or a large commercial organisations
    • Bilateral donor organisations (e.g. USAID, DFID, Danida, Sida, Dutch Ministry of Foreign affairs, FinAid, AusAid, ADC, SwissAid),
    • Multilateral donor organisations, (e.g. a UN organisation, the World Bank, the IMF, Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, IADB)
    • International NGO’s (e.g. Oxfam, Plan, Care).

  • d) Have an official and valid passport.

  • e) Knock-out criteria: Your background fits into one or more priority areas as mentioned in the "OKP country focus document" (see below). This is a knock-out criteria by the OKP programme as your fellowship application will not enter the assessment stage if you do not meet this criteria. 

Step 2 

Check which IHS academic courses qualify for the current OKP deadline on this web page or in this programme calendar. Note the application deadlines.

Step 3

Select your preferred IHS course and apply for it. To apply, visit the page of your chosen course and check the information on the Admission page under this course. Keep in mind that preparing your course application may take some time. We advise you to start on it well in time. 

Step 4

Once admitted to the academic course, you will be invited by IHS via email invitation to apply for the OKP fellowship. Keep a close eye on your email. More details will be provided in your admission email.

Step 5

The fellowship outcome will be announced by email (check the programme calendar for the expected outcome date). IHS will send you your application outcome on behalf of Nuffic OKP programme. If you are awarded the fellowship, IHS will take care of the further pre-arrival arrangements for you. 

OKP Country focus document

When are the deadlines for OKP applicants?

 2022 Round 22022 Round 3
Eligible IHS academic courses

Short courses:

  • TBD  
IHS academic deadline12 June 202226 September 2022

OKP application deadline

This is the period in which you apply for the OKP scholarship. Note that you will be invited to do so by IHS only if you are admitted to your preferred course.

26 June 20229 October 2022
Expected OKP fellowship selection outcomemid-September 2022mid-January 2023

 

How to find out more?

To find out more information about this scholarship you may want to visit the Nuffic website.

 

Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP)

OKP Scholarship Webinar in Spanish

OKP Scholarship Webinar in Arabic

Frequently Asked Questions regarding the OKP Fellowship

How high is the chance getting this fellowship?

Please understand that the OKP fellowship is highly competitive and usually a large percentage of applicants who meet the profile are unfortunately not selected for the fellowship. The chance to be awarded a fellowship depends on several factors, such as the relevance of your current position with the priorities mentioned in the Country focus document, quality of your application, the total budget of the fellowship, the number of the total applicants from your country, etc. 

Can I apply for this fellowship without having received the admission to the academic programme?

You can only apply for this programme with an invitation from the educational institutions. We can only invite the candidates who have been admitted to our programmes to apply.

I do not meet all the eligibility criteria. Is there any alternative way to be eligible for the fellowship?

No. Unfortunately your fellowship application will not be considered by Nuffic OKP programme if you fail to All the eligibility criteria. The OKP programme is very strict on the requirements and no exceptions can be made. 

My employer is not willing to provide me the required employer statement. Is there any alternative way to be eligible for the fellowship?

No. Unfortunately your fellowship application will not be considered by Nuffic OKP programme if you fail to provide all the required documents with the prescribed format. The OKP programme is very strict on the requirements and no exceptions can be made. 

Can IHS help me to submit my OKP application on my behalf or give me some personal advice?

No, the candidates must submit their applications on their own. We also cannot give you any personal advice on your application. IHS is only responsible for the communication of this fellowship.

Do I need to pay any fees if I’m selected for this fellowship?

This is a full fellowship which means that most of the necessary expenses are covered. The total amount should be sufficient to support your stay during the study. However, depending on individual cases, you might still need to cover some costs yourself such as local transportation, meals, or any unexpected costs.

Can I bring my family if I’m selected for this fellowship?

Yes, you are welcome to bring your family. However, the fellowship does not cover the expenses for your family and the institute is not responsible for arranging the travel for your family members either. You will have to take care of all the practical and financial issues yourself.

 

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