The Ireland-Africa Fellows Program is now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 academic year. The program provides qualified students with the opportunity to enroll in a master’s program at a prestigious higher education institution (HEI) in Ireland and receive full funding for the duration of the program.
In Ireland, programs leading to a master’s degree typically start in August or September of each year, and their duration ranges from ten to sixteen months, depending on the specifics of the program. The Ireland Fellows Program encourages diversity in its participants, as well as gender equality and equal opportunity, and it welcomes all backgrounds.
The objective of the Ireland-Africa Fellows Program, which is administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and is wholly supported by the Irish government, is to cultivate future African leaders, both women and men; to develop in-country capacities to achieve national Sustainable Development Goals; and to foster positive relationships between Ireland and Africa.
The purpose of the Program
The purpose of the Program is to prepare participants to contribute to the capacity building of their home countries, to become one of the next generations of leaders in their respective fields, and to support graduates upon their return home through the skills they develop while participating in the Program. In addition to this, it is hoped that they will play a role in the development of long-lasting, fruitful personal and professional relationships with Ireland, thereby promoting the formation of institutional linkages. Students from countries that are eligible will have the opportunity to study at one of Ireland’s higher education institutions if they are early career professionals with potential for leadership.
About The Ireland Fellows Programme
Through the Ireland Fellows Programme, early to mid-career professionals from eligible countries who have the potential to take on leadership roles are given the opportunity to participate in a prestigious, world-class, high-quality education that contributes to capacity building. It gives qualified students the opportunity to enroll in a master’s level course that lasts for one year and is completely funded by the program’s sponsoring higher education institution (HEI) in Ireland. In Ireland, programs leading to a master’s degree typically start in August or September of each year, and their duration ranges from ten to sixteen months, depending on the specifics of the program. The Ireland Fellows Programme encourages diversity, as well as gender equality and equal opportunity, and it welcomes applicants from all backgrounds.
The goals of the Programme are to foster future leaders, develop the capacity of the country to achieve its national Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and build positive relationships with Ireland. The purpose of the Program is to provide assistance to graduates upon their return to their home countries, so that they can contribute to capacity building in their home countries and become one of the next generation of leaders in their respective fields using the skills that they have developed while participating in the Program. In addition to this, it is hoped that they will play a role in the development of long-lasting, fruitful personal and professional relationships with Ireland, thereby promoting the formation of institutional linkages.
The Department of Foreign Affairs is in charge of overseeing and administering the Ireland Fellows Program, which receives complete funding from the Irish government (DFA). The Program is in line with the commitments made by the Irish government as part of Global Ireland and the national implementation plan for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as with Ireland’s International Education Strategy, The Global Island: Ireland’s Foreign Policy for a Changing World, and A Better World: Ireland’s Policy for International Development. The program is administered by the relevant Embassy that is responsible for countries that are qualified to participate. The Irish Council for International Students is providing support for the implementation of the program in Ireland (ICOS).
Description
- Eligible Countries: Djibouti, Eswatini, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Malawi, Liberia, Lesotho, Kenya.
- 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
Eligible Courses:
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.
Applications are by invitation only to persons that are currently employed in the institutions/organisations listed below:
- State Institutions
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
- Ministry of Justice
- Gender Division
- Cabinet Office
- Judiciary of Zambia
- National Assembly
- National Prosecution Authority
- Anti-Corruption Commission
- Ministry of Green Economy and Environment
- Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry
- Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises
- Ministry of Agriculture
- Ministry of Finance and National Planning
- Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries
- Ministry of Youth, Sports and Art
- Bank of Zambia
- Zambia Development Agency
- Zambia Agriculture Research Institute
- Non State Actors
- Chapter One Foundation
- Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection
- Civil Society for Poverty Reduction
- National Food and Nutrition Commission
- Food Technology and Food Production Professionals
- Nutrition Association of Zambia
- Zambia Environmental Management Agency
- Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority
Capabilities in the English Language
English language testing will be used to validate the requirement that students have a high level of English language proficiency before enrolling in an Irish higher education institution. This is a prerequisite for entry into any and all Irish higher education institutions; there are no exemptions to this rule. Examination of one’s command of the English language typically takes the form of the International English Language Test (IELTS- www.IELTS.org).
You are able to apply for Stages 1 and 2 of this process without having completed an IELTS test; however, you are required to have noted the IELTS score required for your selected programs and considered whether or not you will be able to achieve this grade. Please provide all of the information requested under question 2 of the application form if you have previously taken an IELTS exam, and keep in mind that the exam will only be considered valid if it was taken in September.
Eligibility
Applicants must meet the following requirements in order to be considered for an Ireland Fellows Programme – Africa scholarship beginning with the start of the academic year 2022:
- You must be a citizen or permanent resident of one of the following countries in order to apply: Djibouti, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, or Zimbabwe.
- Have a minimum of two or three years of work experience that is directly relevant to the program(s) of study that you intend to pursue, depending on the country (see the Guidance Note for Applicants).
- A bachelor’s degree from an institution of higher education that is both accredited and recognized by the government, along with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0) – this equates to either a first class or second class honor, as well as Grade 1 – is required (in some cases a second class honour Grade 2 may be accepted, if the applicant has sufficient directly relevant work experience). It must have been granted some time after 2010 at the latest (i.e. within the last 12 years).
- not already possess a qualification equal to or higher than that of a master’s degree. If you are not currently enrolled in a master’s level or higher program, or if you are not scheduled to begin a master’s level or higher program during the academic year 2021/22, you are not eligible for this scholarship.
- Be applying to start a new program at the master’s level in Ireland no earlier than August 2021 if at all possible.
- You should be able to demonstrate the following: leadership abilities and aspirations; a commitment to the realization of the SDGs within your own country; and a commitment to contributing to the development of positive relationships with Ireland.
- Have you researched and chosen three programs from the Directory of Eligible Programmes that are pertinent to your academic and professional background?
- Ensure that you have a solid grasp of the academic and English language proficiencies necessary for each of the programs that you have chosen.
- must not have submitted an application to the Ireland Fellows Programme on more than one occasion in the past.
- Being in a position to accept the Fellowship during the 2023–2024 school year is a prerequisite.
How to Apply
To apply for this Europe scholarship, applicants need to follow the three stages below:
- Stage 1 -preliminary application (July 4, 2022 – July 31, 2022)
Please contact the relevant Embassy of Ireland to get the stage 1 application form. It is a short application form which allows the selection panel to assess your eligibility under the various criteria of the Program. You will be contacted by the Embassy once final decisions have been made and informed whether you have been successful or unsuccessful at Stage 1. Please do not otherwise contact the Irish Embassy during this period.
- Stage 2 – detailed application (September 5, 2022 – September 25, 2022)
If your Stage 1 application is successful, you will be invited to move on to Stage 2 of the process and complete a more detailed application form, including the submission of all required documents.
- Stage 3 (English language tests and interviews)
At this stage, candidates will be invited for interview and to submit their IELTS qualification if not already submitted. For queries, please contact the relevant Embassy of Ireland.
