International Scholarships for African Scholars to study in the UK

Overview

There are a number of international postgraduate scholarships available to African scholars to study in the UK. Some are offered as part of broader schemes, which are not restricted to African students, while some are specifically for African students. Information on a number of scholarship schemes are given below:

Chevening/African Fellowship Trust Scholarships: since the fellowship programme was launched in 2005, over a million pounds has now been generously provided by donors in support of the programme. This funding has provided for leadership training; the development of professional networks and supporting work experience, together with study opportunities on the master’s programme in International Rural Development at the Royal Agricultural College. All of the Fellows subsequently return to Africa and many are now making significant leadership contributions through their various occupations to managing change in food supply and security, farming, agribusiness, agricultural education and government.

Fellowships are offered to Africans mainly from Southern and East Africa who have experience in agriculture, food or natural resource exploitation and management; an interest in land reform; and a desire to make a strategic and sustainable contribution to Africa's development. In short, tomorrow's innovators and leaders.

The fellowship will cover tuition fees, accommodation, living costs, flights to and from the UK and provision for networking and a short industrial placement in the UK. The Programme is specifically linked to the MSc International Rural Development and the MSc Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security courses.

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission offers a number of scholarships for postgraduate study to students and academics from Commonwealth African countries. Applications must generally be made via national nominating agencies or via universities in the student's home country. The Commission is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), and hosted by the Association of Commonwealth Universities. Commonwealth Scholarships are available for both Masters and doctoral level study in at UK universities. For details see www.cscuk.org.uk

The Commonwealth Shared Scholarships Scheme is also managed by the Commission and offers awards for Master's study only. It is funded jointly by host universities in the UK and DFID. For further details see www.cscuk.org.uk/apply/sharedschol.asp
Commonwealth Split Site Scholarships are also offered, which enable students registered at their home institution to spend one year studying at a UK university. For details see www.cscuk.org.uk/apply/splitsite.asp

The Chevening scholarship scheme is a UK government scholarship scheme for international students wishing to undertake postgraduate study in the UK. It is funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and managed by the British Council. Procedures and priority subjects depend on the applicant's home country. For details on how to apply see www.chevening.com

The Canon Collins Trust awards approximately 20-30 postgraduate scholarships to the UK for southern African students each year. Scholarships fall under several different schemes, including the the Graca Machel Scholarship Programme and The Richard Turner Scholarship. Some are administered in partnership with the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office, while others are offered in partnership with UK universities including Edinburgh, Leeds, Oxford Brookes, Sussex, Sheffield and Reading. All scholarships are for postgraduate study for one academic year. Full scholarships, including maintenance and tuition fees, or partial grants are provided for taught/research Masters programmes. For details see www.canoncollins.org.uk/scholarships/uk-scholarships.php

The Beit Trust offers a small number of Scholarships for postgraduate studies or research to graduates who from Malawi, Zambia or Zimbabwe for a maximum of three years. Scholarships are for study at a university in the UK, Ireland or South Africa. A small number of one-year taught Masters degrees are offered at the University of Leeds, known as the Beit Chevening Leeds Scholarship. Similar awards, known as the Beit Chevening Reading Scholarship, are also offered at the University of Reading; and a Beit-Rhodes Scholarship is offered at Rhodes University in South Africa. For further details see www.beittrust.org.uk/Scholarships.htm

Ford Foundation International Fellowships are offered to scholars resident in Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda to pursue masters or doctoral study. Fellowships are tenable in any country in the world, including an applicant's home country. For details see www.fordifp.net

Scholarships offered by individual UK universities

UK universities offer their own scholarships for particular courses or to students from particular regions. Some have specific scholarships for students from African countries.

University of Oxford

Rhodes Scholarships are available to students from Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe to study for postgraduate qualifications at Oxford University. For details see www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/infoscholar.htm.

The CSAE Scholarship (Centre for the Study of African Economies, University of Oxford) is worth £10,000 and is to support African students wishing to pursue economic research at the University of Oxford for the degree of D Phil. For details seewww.csae.ox.ac.uk/scholarships/CSAE/Mscholar.html

ORISHA Studentships (Oxford Research in the Scholarship and Humanities of Africa) All applicants to the African Studies MSc course can apply for an ORISHA scholarship awarded in the amount of £10,000 towards course and college fees. Every year one student from our applicant pool is selected to receive this award. For further details seewww.africanstudies.ox.ac.uk/prospective_students/scholarships/orisha or contact msc.enquiries@africa.ox.ac.uk

University of Edinburgh

The University of Edinburgh Southern African Scholarships The University offers two scholarships for postgraduate study in any subject offered by the University to students from Southern African countries. One of the scholarships is available for a one year Master's degree programme and the other scholarship for a three year PhD degree programme. Students from the following countries are eligible to apply: Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe. For details see www.scholarships.ed.ac.uk/postgraduate/internat/sas.htm or contactAfrican.Studies@ed.ac.uk

The Centre of African Studies at the University of Edinburgh offers a number of scholarships each year for students from any Commonwealth African country for the one year MSc in African Studies, funded by the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme. For details see www.cas.ed.ac.uk

University of London

The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) offers a scholarship for students from African Commonwealth countries, funded by the Commonwealth Shared Scholarship Scheme. For details see www.soas.ac.uk/registry/scholarships/.

Governance for Development in Africa Initiative (GDAI) PhD Scholarships (Centre of African Studies, SOAS) 3 scholarships are offered of £11,000 each year for 3 years, for research on issues of governance in Africa. The scholarships are offered on the basis of the first year being spent at SOAS in London, and the second year doing fieldwork, and most of the third year based in a home university in Africa while writing up. For details see www.soas.ac.uk/cas/gdai/gdai-phd-scholarships.html

W Charitable Foundation Scholarships at SOAS are available to African students undertaking the MSc Environmental Management. Five awards (£8,700 each) are available to cover the cost of registration and the module fees. No other fees or associated costs (eg customs and import duties, travel, accommodation, local exam fees and research costs) will be covered by the scholarship. For details seewww.soas.ac.uk/registry/scholarships/w-charitable-foundation-scholarships-msc-environmental-management.html

University of Leeds

Adrian Hastings Africa Scholarship provides funding for research students from Africa studying in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies. For details see www.leeds.ac.uk//trs/Postgraduate%20Pages/pgfees.htm

http://www.africadesk.ac.uk/asauk/pages/funding/scholarship

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