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Michael Treschow Scholarship

The scholarship's ambition is to help and motivate creative design students to pursue higher education beyond Bachelor's studies. It is awarded through a collaboration with The Garden – Center for Design and Leadership at the House of Innovation of the Stockholm School of Economics. The scholarship was introduced in 2003, and has been awarded 22 times to brilliant designers, who continued their studies at Master's level.

If we are to deal with…the “massive change” that seems to be characteristic of our time, we all need to think like designers
Tim Brown
Former President of IDEO

About the scholarship

The goal of the Michael Treschow Scholarship is to support each year a talented student who intends to use design principles and practices to improve organizations and/or businesses, and to enhance their contribution to economy, society and human lives. The contributions can be in several different fields, such as industry, society and social issues at large.

The growing adoption of Design Thinking highlights the willingness of organizations to develop new products and services that focus on what is desirable to users and what makes their experience more meaningful.

By supporting the personal and professional development of a talented design thinker in the making, the Michael Treschow Scholarship intends to foster the integration of design, leadership and innovation.

These disciplines represent the foundations of the research, teaching and outreach activities that are performed at The Garden – Center for Design and Leadership. At the heart of the Garden, which is part of the House of Innovation at the Stockholm School of Economics, is the notion that the fundamental challenges that the world is facing today require a radical transformation of the way leaders practice leadership. A new model of leadership is required. One that finds inspiration from design thinking, in order to help leaders shape a more meaningful and sustainable future.

For these reasons, the Michael Treschow Scholarship is an integral part of The Garden’s portfolio of initiatives. Not only will the awardee receive financial support to develop his/her skills in design and in its application to business challenges but will also be given the opportunity to contribute to relevant research projects and training activities at The Garden. By becoming an active member of the House of Innovation, the winner will have the chance to interact with leading academics in the field, with representatives from the industry, policymakers, and ambitious students, to create new knowledge, managerial tools and policy recommendations.

Requirements

One student fulfilling the requirements below is selected each year to receive a scholarship of 100 000 SEK.
  • The applicants must have completed their Bachelor ́s program or equivalent education within the fields of design or fine arts, and intend to start or already have started studying at Master’s level. Applicants who have already completed their Master's program are not eligible.
  • At least one of the programs should be at a Swedish University. (Bachelor or equivalent, or the Master-level program.)
  • The applicants’ portfolio should be based on their collected work, and display a mix of boldness, innovation and desire to further expand skills in the Design Thinking area. They must also demonstrate a commitment to social awareness and sustainability.
  • The winner will be given the opportunity to be connected to a venture from SSE’s Business Lab to practice its commitment and intention to change the world for the bet- ter. As support for the project's development, a collaboration of 20 hours with a venture fromSSE's Business Lab will be offered.
  • The selected applicant must have availability to attend the award ceremony, potential interviews with journalists, and provide information for the website and media materials. 

Application documents

Applications lacking any of the requested documents will not be considered.
  • CV
  • Letter of motivation, explaining how the program you are taking (or plan to take) relates to design thinking, why you are applying for the scholarship, and a reflection on how you will use your background in design and art to lead people, innovate and create a positive impact.
  • Digital portfolio, including your top four works

Application process

The application process is now open. The last day to apply is September 30, 2024.
  • The application is to be sent by e-mail to: outreach.hoi@hhs.se no later than September 30, 2024. In case your application exceeds a file size of 2 GB, please use a service like WeTransfer (free) instead of sending your application as an email attachment.
  • We will send you an email confirming that we have received your application within one week (for applications sent during the summer, a confirmation email will be sent out in late August). If you have not received a confirmation email within this time frame, please contact us again.

Recording of THE 2022 launch event

Watch the recording of our launch event in 2022 to learn more about the scholarship and how to apply for it.