Zainab Usman

INTERNSHIP: SOCIAL POLICY FOR INCLUSIVE DEVELOPMENT AT THE UN INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Deadline: 19 July 2015

The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) is an autonomous research institute within the UN system that undertakes multidisciplinary research and policy analysis on the social dimensions of contemporary development issues. Through our work, we aim to ensure that social equity, inclusion and justice are central to development thinking, policy and practice.

UNRISD is now accepting applications for a three-month internship position, starting in August 2015, to assist with the projects “Towards Universal Social Security in Emerging Economies”, “New Directions in Social Policy: Alternatives from and for the Global South”, and “When Security Meets Social Security: Social Policy in Post-Conflict Settings”.

While at UNRISD, the intern will be asked to:

• provide research assistance for the projects indicated above, and other related projects as required;
• assist with editing and preparing publications;
• contribute to ongoing tasks related to project management, fundraising activities, external relations or event organization;
• produce a short paper, literature review, article or similar output, on a subject related to the Social Policy for Inclusive Development programme.

Qualifications, skills and competencies

• The applicant should be pursuing, or have completed, a degree in social policy, development policy, public policy or another related social science discipline, dealing with developing countries as cases;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and proofreading skills;
• Native or near-native ability in English;
• Ability to work effectively on a team; and
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and take initiative.
• Experience conducting research is an advantage;
• Experience with copyediting is preferred.

This UNRISD internship is in accordance with the rules and regulations of the UN Internship Programme.

• At the time of application, applicants must meet one of the following requirements (as per UN Secretariat rules regarding interns)

(i) be enrolled in a graduate school programme (second university degree or equivalent, or higher)
(ii) be enrolled in the final academic year of a first university degree programme (minimum Bachelor’s level or equivalent); or
(iii) have graduated with a university degree (as defined in (i) and (ii) above) and, if selected, commence the internship within a one-year period of graduation.

• Interns are not financially remunerated.
• UNRISD is not responsible for interns’ travel expenses to and from Geneva, or for mandatory medical insurance during the period of the internship.

The deadline for applications is Sunday, 19 July 2015 (23:59 Central European Time), with a start date between Monday, 17 August and Monday, 31 August 2015 to be mutually agreed. The usual duration of the internship is three months, with the possibility of extension.

To apply, visit the UNIRSD website.

WORLD BANK GROUP RECRUITMENT DRIVE FOR AFRICAN NATIONALS

Deadline: 31 August 2015

From the website:

The World Bank Group is launching a recruitment drive aimed at increasing the number of Sub Saharan Africans in its work force. This commitment to hire Sub Saharan Africans reflects the Bank Group’s senior leadership commitment for a diverse workforce in which African nationals can play a key role in fighting poverty and increasing shared prosperity. Employment opportunities will be in various technical areas and professional streams for talented and diverse young professionals and mid-career level professionals to contribute and grow their skills in a career in international development.

A career with the World Bank Group offers a unique opportunity for exceptionally talented individuals with a passion for international development to contribute to solving some of the world’s most pressing problems. Bank staff work with governments, civil society groups, the private sector, and others in developing countries around the world, assisting people in all areas of development, from policy and strategic advice to the identification, preparation, appraisal, and supervision of development projects.

Below are the areas that we are currently recruiting for. Positions may be based in Washington, D.C. or in a regional office.

Qualifications for the entry level is a Master’s degree plus 5 years of relevant professional experience. For mid-career professionals, the requirements are a Master’s degree plus 8 years of relevant professional experience. Ideal candidates for these positions must have a demonstrated capacity for strategic thinking, the ability to conduct dialogue on relevant development policies and priorities, and be fluent in English with very good writing and communication skills.

All applications must be received by August 31, 2015. Qualified candidates will be interviewed at the beginning of September 2015 in locations in Africa and Europe. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

To submit your application, please visit the World Bank’s recruitment website.

CRISIS GROUP AFRICAN UNION ADVISOR

Deadline: 10 August 2015

From the Crisis Group Website:

The Adviser African Union Relations works in close collaboration with the Program Director, Africa, and project directors to strengthen Crisis Group’s policy impact in Africa, in order to contribute to the prevention and resolution of deadly conflict and the promotion of sustainable peace on the continent.

Requirements:

• Master’s degree in international relations, political science, law, journalism, sociology or equivalent through experience;
• 5+ years professional experience in advocacy working for international organisations or a government with field experience on the continent;
• Good knowledge of regional politics, conflicts and societies, and extensive contacts in the African Union, with governmental and non-governmental officials, the media, and local and international civil-society organisations;
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including public presentation skills;
• Experience communicating with the public through speaking, writing and social media.
• Experience in overseeing budgetary and administrative matters, and management of a team;
• Fluency in English (oral and written) required; knowledge of French preferred.

Please send applications in English by email before 10 August 2015 to open.positions@crisisgroup.org, including “Adviser AU Relations” in the subject line and your cover letter, CV and details of three references in attachment.

EISENHOWER FELLOWSHIP: AFRICA PROGRAM, OCTOBER 2 – NOVEMBER 18, 2016.

Deadline: 15 October 2015

From the website:

SELECTION: Eisenhower Fellowships seeks a diverse mix of applicants, ages 32-45, from a wide range of professional sectors. EF provides a unique leadership development opportunity for individuals who have a demonstrated track record of significant professional and community achievements and who seek to tackle big challenges in the future.  Competitive candidates articulate goals for the fellowship program and propose steps to achieve them.  EF seeks ascendant leaders who are committed to making the world more peaceful, prosperous and just, and who are committed to a lifelong engagement with EF’s network of 1,400 active leaders around the world.  Click for additional information for applicants.

HOW TO APPLY: Candidates from the seven countries listed below should apply directly to Eisenhower Fellowships using the online application.

1. Ghana
2. Kenya
3. Nigeria
4. Rwanda
5. South Africa
6. Tanzania
7. Zimbabwe

Candidates from other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa will be considered if they have a track record of regional impact and are nominated by a member of the Africa Leadership Steering Committee or a member of the Eisenhower Fellowships’ global network. Nominated candidates should apply by using the online application. 
TIMELINE:

July 1, 2015			Launch of 2016 Africa Program Recruitment
October 15, 2015			Deadline to submit application materials
December 15, 2015			Nominating Committees submit finalists to EF
April 1, 2016			Candidates will be notified of results
October 2-November 18, 2016			Africa program takes place in the United States

CODESRIA 2015 POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP COMPETITION: AFRICAN DIASPORA SUPPORT TO AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES PROGRAM

Deadline: 15 September 2015

The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) has recently launched an African Diaspora support to African Universities program. The program aims to tap into the academic expertise and resource-base of the African academic Diaspora both within and outside Africa to support a number of initiatives in African universities, especially focusing on strengthening teaching and research in the Social Sciences and Humanities.  The overriding objective of the program is to contribute to strengthening teaching and research capacity in African universities, the nurturing of new generations of social science scholars in Africa in a culture of excellence, and the revitalization of the social sciences and humanities (SSH). This will include the strengthening of PhD programs, curricula in the social sciences and humanities, contribute to the filling of gaps and dealing with shortages in teaching staff, PhD supervision and mentoring of young social science scholars in Africa, more generally, as well as in strengthening the relationships and linkages between African academics in the diaspora and the institutions where they are based with African universities.

Given the critical need for qualified academic staff in universities in Africa and  the huge pool of academic resources that the diaspora constitute, and the willingness of many of the members of the academic diaspora to contribute towards the strengthening of higher education and research in Africa, finding ways of mobilizing the academic diaspora to support the universities seems to be a logical thing to do, particularly as many of the universities of the continent are already taking greater interest in working with the diaspora.

This call for proposals targets academics based in African universities, and those in the Diaspora within Africa and outside Africa (Europe, North America, Canada, Australia), in the SSH, both of whom have attained their PhDs in the last five years, or are at the advanced stage of their PhDs, to submit proposals for post-doctoral research, preferably, but not exclusively on issues related to one of the following themes:

• The African academic Diaspora and the revitalization of Higher education in Africa
• Current trends in economic theorization on African social and economic development
• The Social Sciences and the Place of African Higher Education in the World
• African Citizenship, migration and economic mobility within and outside Africa.

Individual applicants selected under this call will be invited to attend a methodological workshop in the early stages of implementation of their research projects.

The Context

The CODESRIA African Diaspora Support to African Universities Program aims to contribute to the strengthening of teaching and research capacity in the SSH in African universities. A very pressing need exists for renewing the capacity for research and teaching in the SSH in African universities, especially with the wide acknowledgement that that a broad-based and balanced education, integrating the sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences, is the best way for higher education institutions to contribute to addressing the development crisis in Africa.

On the other hand, the existence of a large African academic diaspora has been documented in numerous studies. Many of these scholars are willing to lend a hand in the revitalization of universities in their home countries or elsewhere in Africa. Other highly qualified academics are circulating outside the universities, within Africa itself, and it would be important to have an initiative that taps into the knowledge and skills they have. Proposals targeted for funding under this call are aimed provided opportunities for early career academics in the social sciences and humanities to engage in a piece of original research related to one of the themes listed above.  The research will be executed under the oversight of a member(s) of the college of mentors under the program to be constituted for that purpose.

Eligibility and application procedures

Interested academics and researchers proposing to conduct research on any of the themes listed above should be those who have completed their PhDs in the last 5 years or in the last stages of completion. Evidence of this should be provided. They should be based either in the Diaspora or in an African university or research institution.  Those based in the African university should propose to undertake the post-doctoral work in a different institution preferably one based outside the country where the institution of the applicant is located. Applicants should provide letters indicating institutional affiliation and acceptance from the host institution to host the applicant during the period of the fellowship.

Application Requirements

a) Research Proposal:Each proposal should be between 10 and 15 pages, clearly highlighting the issue(s) to be pursued. It should include: an introduction, problem statement, literature review, objectives of the study, research methodology and the results anticipated from the study.

b) Work Outline: A detailed outline and time frame should be provided for each of the proposed activities, bearing in mind that the duration of the grant is 18 months from the date the grant is awarded.

c) Budget:Applicants are required to provide a detailed budget – up to a maximum of USD30, 000 – which includes the fieldwork, travel and subsistence costs they expect to incur throughout the duration of the grant.

d) Reference Letters:Each proposal should be accompanied by reference letters for the applicant from the dean of the candidate’s faculty, confirming his /her institutional affiliation and an attestation to the applicant/s capacity to undertake the work if awarded the grant.

e) Curriculum Vitae:Each proposal should be accompanied by detailed curriculum vitae, of the applicants showing clearly the candidate’s publications and research undertakings.

f) Commitment Letter:A one-page letter is expected from the applicant affirming his/her readiness to complete the fellowship and submit a monograph/book length scientific research report of the activities and outcomes resulting from the work. The report would be a minimum of between 100,000 and 150,000 words on the outcome of the research carried out. The letter should also show the applicants’ commitment to carrying out all revisions arising from the peer review of their report in a timely manner, and an affirmation of their understanding that the final version of the report may be considered for publication in any of the CODESRIA publication vehicles.

Application Deadlines

Completed application documents should be received by 15^th September 2015. All applications should be addressed to:

African Diaspora Support to African Universities Program

CODESRIA;
Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop X Canal IV;
B.P. 3304, CP 18524, Dakar, Senegal
Tel. (221) 33 825 98 21/22/23; Fax : (221) 33 824 12 89;
E-mail : diaspora.postdoc@codesria.sn
website: http://www.codesria.org/