NOW OPEN: Ireland-Africa Fellows Programme 2025/2026 Postgraduate Scholarship for Young Africans

Ireland-Africa Fellows Programme 2025/2026 to nurture future African leaders, women and men, will open.

Application Deadline: 31st July 2024

Eligible Countries: Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. 

To be Taken at (Country): Ireland

Field(s) of Study: Eligible courses are in areas such as agriculture, health, education, human rights, computer science, engineering, business and more, and are listed in a Directory of Eligible Programmes

About the Award: The Ireland Fellows Programme enables early to mid-career professionals from eligible countries, with leadership potential, to benefit from a prestigious, world-class, quality education contributing to capacity building. It offers selected students the opportunity to undertake a fully funded one-year master’s level programme at a higher education institution (HEI) in Ireland. The award covers programme fees, flights, accommodation and living costs. Eligible master’s level programmes in Ireland commence in August or September each year and, depending on the programme, will run for between 10 and 16 months. The Ireland Fellows Programme promotes gender equality, equal opportunity, and welcomes diversity.

The aims of the Programme are to nurture future leaders; to develop in-country capacity to achieve national SDG goals; and to build positive relationships with Ireland. 

The Programme is intended to support graduates on their return home, through the skills they develop, to contribute to capacity building in their home countries and to become one of the next generation of leaders in their respective fields. It is also envisaged that they will contribute to building enduring positive personal and professional relationships with Ireland, promoting institutional linkages.

The Ireland Fellows Programme is fully funded by the Irish Government and is offered under the auspices of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). The Programme aligns with the Irish Government’s commitments under Global Ireland and the national implementation plan for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), The Global Island: Ireland’s Foreign Policy for a Changing World, A Better World: Ireland’s Policy for International Development, and Ireland’s International Education Strategy. The programme is managed by the relevant Embassy responsible for eligible countries. Programme implementation in Ireland is supported by the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS).

Type: Masters

Eligibility: To be eligible for an Ireland Fellows Programme – Africa scholarship commencing at the beginning of the academic year 2025 applicants must:

• Be a resident national of one of the countries listed below: 

Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. 

• For Burundi, please see both this document and the Courtney Fellowship page. 
• For Nigeria, please see both this document and the Roger Casement Fellowship page. 
• For Namibia, please see the Seán Mac Bride Fellowship page.
• For South Africa, please see the Kader Asmal Fellowship page.
• For Zambia, please see both this document and the Frank Ferguson Fellowship page.
• For African SIDS (Cabo Verde, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sao Tomé and Príncipe), please see the Ireland-SIDS Fellows page. 
• Have a minimum of two or three years’ substantial work experience that is directly relevant to your proposed programme(s) of study, depending on the country (see Page 8 for details). 
• Hold a bachelor’s level academic qualification from an accredited and government-recognised higher education institution, with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (4.0 scale) – i.e. a first class honour, or second class honour, Grade 1 (a second class honour Grade 2 may be accepted if the applicant has substantial directly relevant work experience). It must have been awarded in 2013 or later (i.e. within the last 12 years). 
• Not already hold a qualification at master’s level or higher (Note: Candidates from Senegal should contact the Embassy of Ireland in Dakar on this – see Page 6). Not currently undertaking a programme at master’s level or higher, or be due to start a programme at master’s level or higher in the academic year 2024/25. 
• Be applying to commence a new programme at master’s level in Ireland no sooner than August 2025. 
• Be able to demonstrate the following: leadership abilities and aspirations; a commitment to the achievement of the SDGs within your own country; and a commitment to contribute to building positive relationships with Ireland. 
• Have identified and selected three programmes relevant to your academic and professional background from the Directory of Eligible Programmes. 
• Have a clear understanding of the academic and English language proficiencies required for all programmes chosen. 
• Must not have applied to the Ireland Fellows Programme on more than one previous occasion. 
• Be in a position to take up the Fellowship in the academic year 2025/2026. 
• In addition, applications are by invitation only in the following countries: Angola, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Eritrea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Zambia. This means that fellowships in these countries are restricted to the staff of government departments and NGOs which work in partnership with Irish Aid, and to personnel of organisations that are aligned with Irish Aid’s development strategy in their country which have already been identified by the Embassy of Ireland. Applications from outside these partnerships will not be eligible. To find out if you are eligible to apply, please contact the relevant Embassy of Ireland or your employer. 

The Fellowship covers the recipient only. Financial support or visas for spouses or dependents are not included within the scope of the programme.

Number of Awards: Not specified

Value and Duration of Award: The programme offers selected students the opportunity to undertake a fully-funded one-year master’s programme at a prestigious higher education institution (HEI) in Ireland. The award covers course fees, flights, and accommodation and living costs. Eligible master’s courses in Ireland commence in August or September each year and, depending on the course, will run for between 10 and 16 months. The Programme promotes equal opportunity and welcomes diversity.

How to Apply: Please read the Applicant Guidance Note carefully before completing as eligibility criteria may differ from country to country. 

The application process consists of three stages:

• Stage 1   Preliminary Application;
• Stage 2   Detailed Application;
• Stage 3   Interviews.

All applicants who are selected to progress after the second stage will be required to sit an online Duolingo English Test. If shortlisted after the interview stage, all applicants will be required to take another English language test, normally the IELTS exam, unless they are already in possession of an IELTS certificate that is dated 2023 or later which shows the applicant has achieved the necessary score for the course(s) they intend to apply to. Early preparation for the IELTS exam is strongly advised, even for native English speakers.

• It is important to go through all application requirements in the Award Webpage (see Link below) before applying.
• GOODLUCK

Visit Award Webpage for Details