GeoAI for Land Systems Science fully funded MSc scholarships at the University of Copenhagen, 2027 intake

Fully Funded MSc Scholarships at the University of Copenhagen for Rwandan and Southern African Students (2027 Intake)

If you study geography, GIS, computer science or climate science in Rwanda, this one’s worth ten minutes of your time. The University of Copenhagen, the University of Rwanda and the University of KwaZulu-Natal have opened a fully funded scholarship call under their GeoAI for Land Systems Science partnership. The full-degree deadline is 15 November 2026, so the clock is already running.

About the scholarship.

The partnership is funded by the Danida Fellowship Centre through its Knowledge and Innovation Programme, which runs from 2026 to 2032. The idea is simple. Land is changing faster than most institutions can measure it, with degradation, deforestation, food insecurity, and biodiversity loss all getting worse under climate change. This programme wants to train people who can use geospatial AI to track and manage those problems properly.

There are two tracks. The full-degree scholarship pays for a complete 22-month MSc at the University of Copenhagen, with 7 scholarships in this intake. The exchange scholarship funds a 5-month visiting stay in Copenhagen while you stay enrolled at UR or UKZN, with 4 scholarships in this intake. Across the whole programme, there are 31 full-degree and 20 exchange scholarships for students from Rwanda and Southern Africa. GeoAI for Land Systems Science +2

Full-degree students pick one of three Copenhagen programmes: Geography and Geoinformatics, Computer Science, or Climate Change.

Benefits of this scholarships

The package is a big one. It covers your tuition, up to two return tickets between Rwanda or South Africa and Copenhagen, visa fees, health insurance, and any language tests you need. You also get a monthly living and housing grant of DKK 13,000 to 15,000, plus a one-off start package of DKK 10,000 to 11,000. Exchange students get the same kind of cover for the five months, with one return ticket. geoai4landscience

There’s more than money here too. The three universities are building a joint MSc in GeoAI and Land Systems Science, with summer schools and field courses in Rwanda and South Africa, and staff and students will move between the three campuses. That’s a real network you can build on after you graduate.

Eligibility criteria

This is the part people tend to skim, so read it slowly.

For the full-degree scholarship, you need to be currently enrolled in an eligible MSc programme at the University of Rwanda or the University of KwaZulu-Natal. You can apply through either university. If you go through UKZN, you must be South African or a national of a SADC country. geoai4landsciencegeoai4landscience

Your Bachelor’s degree should also be in a related field. The call lists Geography, Geoinformatics, Computer Science, GIS, Urban and Regional Planning, Environmental Management, Climate Science, Geophysics, Geology and Photogrammetry, or any programme with a strong GIS or remote sensing part. Relevant work experience can be considered as an alternative. geoai4landsciencegeoai4landscience

The exchange scholarship runs separately, and that call isn’t open yet. geoai4landscience

Application procedure

Everything happens online, in two parts. First, you fill in the application form on the official website. Then, once it’s submitted, you upload your supporting documents through a separate upload link. Full-degree and exchange scholarships run on separate timelines, so don’t mix up the dates. geoai4landscience

One document is named in the call. If you apply through the University of Rwanda, you’ll need transcripts showing your GIS or remote sensing module grades. The rest of the list is on the official page, so check it before you start gathering papers. geoai4landscience

Application steps

1. Visit geoai4landscience.org and open the scholarship call.
2. Check that you meet the rules, especially your enrolment status and your Bachelor’s field.
3. Choose your route: the University of Rwanda or UKZN.
4. Pick the Copenhagen MSc programme you want.
5. Fill in and submit the online form.
6. Upload your supporting documents using the document upload link.
7. Get ready for interviews, which will be held in early December 2026. geoai4landscience

Deadline

The full-degree deadline is 15 November 2026. Interviews follow in early December 2026. The exchange scholarship has its own date: 1 February 2027, once that call opens. geoai4landscience

One small thing. A scholarship blog says the full-degree programme starts in September 2027. I couldn’t confirm that on the official page, so double-check it there. applynow

Conclusion

Opportunities like this don’t come around often. Almost every cost is covered, and the work is about problems that matter across Africa. If you’re already in an eligible Master’s programme at the University of Rwanda or UKZN, don’t leave this to the last week. Read the call properly, get your documents together early, and submit well before 15 November 2026.

Know someone who studies geography, GIS, computer science or climate? Send them this post. It might be the push they needed.

Need help with your application? Contact us, and we’ll walk you through it. For official questions, you can write to the programme team at geoai_scholarships@ign.ku.dk.