Mwalimu Nyerere African Union Scholarship 2019 for Refugees and Displaced Persons in African Countries

To encourage the participation of young African Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons at Masters programmes in the fields of Natural Sciences, Agriculture, Health, Education, Engineering, and Social Sciences; the African Union Commission is offering a Call for Scholarship Applications.

Application Deadline: 30th April 2019

Offered annually? Yes

Eligible Countries: African Union Member Countries

To be taken at (country): African Union Member Countries

About the Award:The 2019 Scholarship offer is aimed to provide an important opportunity for enhancing the knowledge, professional skills and capacity of refugees and displaced persons; and thereby streamline their integration to contribute for sustainable development in Africa.

The Scholarship Scheme is intended to enable young Africans to study in reputable African Universities with a binding agreement that beneficiaries will work in any African country for at least the same duration of scholarship period after graduation.

Fields of Study: Masters Programmes in Natural Sciences, Agriculture, Health, Education, Engineering, and Social Sciences.

Type: Masters

Eligibility: To be eligible for the Scholarship, a candidate must:

• Be a Citizen of an African Union Member State.
• Be a formally registered refugee/displaced person with a UNHCR registration number or be able to demonstrate confirmed refugee status in an African Union Member State.
• Be under the age of thirty five (35) years.
• Be a holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in the relevant field, at least at the level of Upper Second Class Honours. The degree must be from a recognised University.
• Have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement as evidenced by academic transcripts, and academic awards if any.
• Have proof of admission to undertake a full time Masters programme in a recognised university in an African Union Member State.
• Be willing to commit to work in an African Union Member State on completion of studies for at least three (3) years.

No application will be considered without an admission letter from a university, and an official registration as a refugee or displaced person.

Selection Criteria: The Scholarships are granted on academic merit and based on a rigorous selection process.

Number of Awardees: 

• Undergraduate Degree Programmes (4 Scholarships)
• Master’s Degree Programmes (2 Scholarships )

Value of Scholarship: The scholarship award covers the following:

• Tuition Fees: According to an official invoice from the Host University.
• Stipend: 500 US$ monthly, to support living expenses such as housing, food, utilities, local transportation and medication.
• Book Allowance: An allowance of 500 US$ per year for the purchase of books.
• Air ticket: A round-trip economy fare for the most direct route between the beneficiary’s home country and the study destination of host Institute.
• Travel Allowance:
  • One-off payment of 250 US$ to contribute towards ground transportation from airport and settling-in costs
  • One-off payment of 350 US$ to assist with shipping and other terminal expenses; upon departure from the host Institution after successful completion of the study.
• Computer Allowance: One-off payment of 1,000 US$ for the purchase of laptop computer and accessories.

Duration of Scholarship: The Masters programme should be of two years duration.

How to Apply:   Interested candidates can apply on-line using the link www.edu-au.org/scholarship
OR

They can submit their applications by post after completing the Scholarship Application Form, which is available on the Africa Union website:
www.au.int/en/scholarship

The application documents should include the following:

1. Completed application form
2. A proof of refugee/displaced person status, indicating citizenship
3. Recent passport-size photograph
4. CV indicating applicant’s academic background and work experience
5. Certified copies of academic certificates and transcripts
6. Copy of admission letter from a recognised African University
7. Two (2) Reference Letters with contact addresses and telephone numbers.
8. A Letter of Motivation of not more than 500 words (maximum 2 pages) that explains why the candidate has chosen the particular field study and importance to Africa’s development

Applicants applying on-line should produce electronic copies of the above documents and submit as attachments.

Applicants who submit their applications by post should make two (2) sets of hard copies of all the above documents. The Application must be sent to the address below.

Department of Human Resources, Science and Technology
African Union Commission
P.O. Box 3243
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Visit Scholarship Webpage for details