Zainab Usman

This blog is starting a new weekly series where scholarships, funding and other development opportunities will be posted here. This is because I usually come across such openings, some with specific requirements for the profile of candidates who can apply, but most times I am unsure of what to do with the information or who to forward it to. I have also been receiving numerous enquiries on how to go about searching for and applying for scholarship opportunities.

I will be posting such opportunities from around the world –  within Africa and outside Africa — covering funding for short courses and degree programs, fellowships, internships, essays and writing competitions etc BUT will NOT include general job openings. I have to state a caveat here, my aim is not to promote or encourage brain-drain. However, education remains a powerful tool for turning the fortunes of societies, and how we choose to use such a tool, after its acquisition, is entirely up to us. I’ve also come to the realization that some of the most qualified people (especially in Africa) have little access to information about these opportunities.

This is the maiden edition, which I hope to continue with every Sunday. So keep a date with this page.

If you have more information or you know of more opportunities you think could be included, general tips or suggestions for improvement, please feel free to contact me HERE

(1) AUSTRALIA AWARDS IN AFRICA

An initiative of the Australian Government, Australia Awards in Africa (AAA) is a pan-African program of development scholarships and fellowships that offers 1,000 postgraduate scholarships each year to eligible African professionals. Nigeria is one of the eligible African countries. If you’re non-Nigerian, then check your eligibility HERE. The available awards are:

Short Course Awards: Targeted professional development courses in a specialised field (Agriculture and Food Security, Public Policy, Mining and Natural Resource, Management , Health)  with a duration of between one and three months. Read more in the PDF brochure HERE.  Australia Awards cover the full cost of tuition fees, training materials, accommodation, living expenses, health insurance for basic medical and hospital care in Australia, and travel within Africa and to and from Australia. Click HERE for full application details.

Deadline for application 30 November 2012

Long-Term Awards: Postgraduate scholarships at Masters and Doctorate level that lead to an academic qualification from an Australian university. Read more in the PDF brochure HERE . Australia Awards cover the full cost of tuition fees (up to two years for a Masters-level Award and up to four years for a PhD Award), training materials, accommodation, living expenses, health insurance for basic medical and hospital care in Australia, and travel.

• Masters (2014 intake): Priority areas include Agriculture/Food Security; Education; Health (including HIV/AIDS); Public Policy (including public sector management, public sector reform, trade, international diplomacy). Find out more information HERE
• PhD in Agriculture: Find out more information HERE

Deadline for Masters application 13 December 2012

Deadline for PhD application 31 March 2013

NOTE: Australia Awards in Africa targets equal participation by women and men. Applications from women are strongly encouraged, and mechanisms are in place to support women applicants and Awardees.

 

(2) UNIVERSITY OF OULU FINLAND INTERNATIONAL MASTERS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME

The University of Oulu International Master’s Scholarships provide scholarships to academically talented international students in architecture, business, economics, education, engineering, and sciences. The scholarship is aimed at students studying for a Master’s degree in the University of Oulu two-year international Master’s programmes. The scholarship is for one academic year and covers the full international tuition fee.

Deadline: 31 January 2013 
Study in: Finland
Course starts September 2013

Find out more details HERE

(3) CHINESE GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Chinese Government Scholarship Program is established by the Ministry of Education of P.R. China  in accordance with educational exchange agreements or understandings reached between the Chinese government and the governments of other countries, organizations, education institutions and relevant international organizations to provide both full scholarships and partial scholarships to international students and scholars.

Deadline: January-April 2013
Study in:  China

Degree Type: BSc, MSc and PhD

Course starts: September 2013

See full details HERE

(4) KOREAN GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

The Korean Government Scholarship Program (KGSP) is designed for international students who wants to pursue higher education in Korean Universities. The scholarship supports Bachelor’s (4 years), Masters (2 years), and PhD  (3 years) plus 1 year Korean language course.

Deadline: 15 November/31 March
Study in: Korea
Course starts September 2013

See full details HERE

(5) COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIPS – DEVELOPING COMMONWEALTH COUNTRY CITIZENS

Commonwealth Scholarships for students from developing Commonwealth countries are offered for Master’s, PhD, and split-site (PhD) study in the UK. These scholarships are funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID).

You can apply for a Commonwealth Scholarship for the following levels of study:

• Master’s (from 2013, the CSC funds one-year Master’s courses only)
• PhD
• Split-site, where the CSC supports one year’s study at a UK university as part of a PhD being undertaken in your home country

All subject areas are eligible, although the CSC’s selection criteria give priority to applications that demonstrate strong relevance to development.

You are requested to apply for a course of study at a UK university with which the CSC has a part funding agreement.

• UK universities which have part funding agreements with the CSC

Deadline for application: 07th December 2012

Find out more HERE

(6) NIGERIA LNG SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME

“The post graduate scholarship program of Nigeria LNG Limited is an overseas programme aimed at supporting the emergence of indigenous experts especially, but not exclusively, within the oil and gas industry. The Scheme is part of NLNG’s Community Development programme which aims to contribute to long-term socio-economic development in its host communities and Nigeria at large.

70% of the Scholarship places will be awarded to students who hail from NLNG Host Communities and Rivers State.

30% of the Scholarship places will be awarded to students from other parts of Nigeria.

The scheme will commence in September 2013 and will support 10 students with scholarships to pursue various studies in Engineering, Geosciences,  Environmental Studies, Management Sciences, Information Technology, Law and Medicine at Masters Level with leading universities in the United Kingdom…”

Application deadline is 12 noon on Friday, 16th November 2012.

Find out more information HERE

More to come…