General

Call For Applications: Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa Fellowships

Published

2 years ago

November 1, 2019

Mark Wamai

The School of Social Sciences, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda as seen from the access ramp along University Road.

The Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa program, launched in 2011, responds to an emerging dilemma within higher education in the global South caused by the extraordinary emphasis on increasing undergraduate enrollment without proportionate investment in faculty development, limiting the ability of universities to produce the next generation of researchers, faculty, technocrats, and leaders.

Dissertation Proposal Development Fellowship (Up to 8 Awards Per Year)

The Dissertation Proposal Development Fellowship supports early-career faculty with up to $3,000 over three months to develop a doctoral dissertation proposal. The fellowship supports costs related to pre-fieldwork surveys, literature review, and writing. Fellows are to attend two Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa (Next Gen) workshops designed to help them network, refine, develop, and strengthen their research, align their research with appropriate methods, engage literature in their research, and finalize their projects.

Dissertation Research Fellowship (Up to 14 Awards Per Year)

The Dissertation Research Fellowship supports early-career faculty with up to $15,000 for 6 to 12 months of doctoral dissertation research. It enables them to develop and strengthen dissertations, engage literature in their field, conduct fieldwork, and develop research, data collection and analysis, and scholarly writing. Fellows are to attend two Next Gen training workshops focused on research methods, fieldwork-based data collection, and writing dissertations concerning peace, security, and development issues.

Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship (Up to 15 Awards Per Year)

The Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship supports early-career faculty with up to $10,000 to take a 12-month leave from teaching and administrative responsibilities, enabling them to move from research and fieldwork-based data collection to data analysis, writing, and the completion of their doctoral dissertations and degrees. Fellows are to attend two training workshops focusing on research methods and design, data analysis, and various aspects of dissertation and scholarly writing related to peace, security and development.

Dissertation-Based Writing Fellowship (Up to 6 Awards Per Year)

The Dissertation-Based Writing Fellowship [8] supports up to six former Next Gen fellows who have completed their doctoral degrees with up to $3,000 to take a six-month leave from teaching and administrative responsibilities, enabling them to devote time to writing or completing dissertation-based draft articles for submission and publication in reputable peer-reviewed journals. Next Gen alumni at an advanced stage of transforming their PhD dissertations into books are also eligible to apply for support to enable them complete their manuscripts. In addition, the award covers drafting, writing and revising manuscripts, literature search, fact-checking, and language and copy-editing. Fellows will be mentored by the program and attend a Next Gen writing and dissemination training workshop.

For more information, including eligibility and application, visit
https://www.ssrc.org/programs/view/nextgenafrica/ OR EMAIL nextgenafrica[at]ssrc.org

Applications will be accepted until JANUARY 10, 2020.

General

Veteran Professor changed Makerere and Higher Education

Published

4 days ago

June 21, 2021

Mark Wamai

Professor Pancras John Mukasa Ssebuwufu (L) receives a plaque and citation from RUFORUM Board Member and Vice Chancellor Ndejje University-Professor Eriabu Lugujjo (Right) on 6th May 2021 at the RUFORUM Secretariat, Plot 155 Garden Hill, Makerere University Main Campus,

When Professor John Ssebuwufu ambled up to receive a certificate of recognition for his ‘exceptional’ contribution to higher education from the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) at Makerere University (MU), he was thinking of many things, such as rewarding staff, that he could have done differently to impact university education more.

But he did what he could have done, under the circumstances.

He presided over MU (in 1993) when student enrolment was 5,000 and left in 2004 when the population was surging to more than 15,000.

He emphasised the use of information communication technologies in almost all the institutions he had been involved in and sent many academic staff on exchanges to boost research and innovation. Now, more African universities engage in ground-breaking research.

So, he proceeded to accept his recognition and make his acceptance speech, which was mostly about gratitude.

Ssebuwufu, 74, who is currently the chancellor at Kyambogo University and the vice-chancellor of the University of Kisubi, is credited for his exemplary leadership and pragmatic methods that have shaped higher education in Uganda and Africa as a whole.

General

Japan Africa Dream Scholarship (JADS) Program 2021/2022

Published

4 days ago

June 21, 2021

Mark Wamai

Japan Africa Dream Scholarship (JADS) Program 2021/2022. Photo credit: AfDB

The Japan Africa Dream Scholarship (JADS) Program is a capacity building project by the AfDB and Japan which was initiated in 2017 with the aim of providing two-year scholarship awards to highly achieving African graduate students to enable them to undergo post-graduate studies (i.e. a two-year Master’s degree program) in selected priority development areas on the continent and Japan. The overarching goal the AfDB and the Government of Japan seek to attain is to enhance skills and human resources development in Africa in under the Bank’s High 5s agenda (i.e. “Feed Africa”, “Light up Africa”, “Industrialize Africa”, “Integrate Africa” and “Improve the quality of life of the people of Africa”) and key Japanese development assistance initiatives. JADS core areas of study focus include energy, agriculture, health, environmental sustainability, and engineering. The program also seeks to promote inter-university collaboration and university-industry partnerships between Japan and Africa. Upon completion of their studies, the JADS scholars are expected to return to their home countries to apply and disseminate their newly acquired knowledge and skills in the public and private sectors, and contribute to national and continental socio-economic development.

About the JADS program

The JADS Program is open to applicants from AfDB member countries with relevant professional experience and a history of supporting their countries’ development efforts who are applying to a graduate degree program in energy development and related discipline. The program does not provide scholarships to any other graduate degree program.

The scholarship program provides tuition, a monthly living stipend, round-trip airfare, health insurance, and travel allowance.

Upon completion of their studies, the beneficiary scholars are expected to return to their home countries to apply and disseminate their newly acquired knowledge and skills, and contribute to the promotion of sustainable development of their countries.

Who is Eligible to Apply?

The program is open to those who have gained admission to an approved Masters degree course at a Japanese partner university. Candidates should be 35 years old or younger; in good health; with a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in the energy area or related area; and have a superior academic record. Upon completion of their study programs, scholars are expected to return to their home country to contribute to its economic and social development.

Application Procedures

Applicant requests for information and application forms and procedures from the chosen JADS partner university. For any inquiries, please contact JADS@AFDB.ORG
Applicant completes required documents and sends them to the university.
University evaluates and selects applicants.
University sends selected candidates to the AfDB.
AfDB reviews submissions from universities, prepares and approves the final list.
AfDB contacts selected awardees, and informs the universities.