Hi my name Yaya Saidou Jallow am currently doing my MPhil (Economics) at the University of Ghana- Legon. I finished my undergrad last year (University of The Gambia), and for the following six months had been looking for scholarships online to do an MSc. in Finance. Needless to say I didn’t get one. But it occurred to me that i wasn't the only Gambian looking for funding to do a Masters program. I thought about starting a blog were I'd collect as much info as possible on the scholarships available to Gambians (both national and International). First, it would save people a lot of time and second, Gambian graduates would be able to make the most of the funding opportunities available to them. For the most part I ll be listing the scholarships available in different countries and institutions, provide statistics with regards to number of scholarships, number of applicants, the profile of the average scholarship recipient and also if possible any info on the country and tips on how to adapt to life in that country.
If you have any information about scholarships that Gambians are eligible for and have not been listed on the blog please feel free to contact me on yayasjallow@live.com
African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) Collaborative Masters Program (CMAP) for African Universities
The CMAP-JFE program started in 1993 and is run by the African Economic Research consortium (AERC) in Nairobi Kenya. The idea of the program is to help African Universities’ Economics Departments to build capacity and conduct research on Economic issues relevant to African countries. Currently there are 23 African universities that are part of the program. The universities are divided into 2 groups, Category A and category B schools. The Category B schools offer an MA program in Economics. The programs last for 2 years with the first year being coursework and the second, for thesis. Between the first and second year, students from the Category B schools go to Nairobi for the Joint Faculty Electives (JFE). The purpose is for students in the CMAP program to take elective courses Economics (areas which are not offered by their respective institutions due to a lack of expertise in that area). The students spend 14 weeks at Nairobi were they take two elective courses of their choosing.
Category A universities usually do not have an MA Economics program, but it is expected that by sending their staff to Category B universities, they will be able to offer them in the future. More info on this program can be found on the AERC site, aercafrica.org.
Below is a list of the Category B universities
Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe
University of Nairobi, Kenya
University of Botswana, Botswana
University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
University of Malawi, Malawi
University of Ghana, Ghana
Makerere University, Uganda
University of Namibia, Namibia
University of Mauritius, Mauritius (International, Econometrics, Development and Financial)
The AERC fully funds all international students enrolled in the CMAP-JFE program provided they fulfill the following:
1. Applicant must be on staff development at a Category A university or be an outstanding individual recommended by the department.
2. Must be employed by the public sector, ideally in key ministries, such as Planning, Finance, Industry, Commerce or in the Central bank; and
3. Must be admitted to a Category B university.
Funding includes, full tuition scholarship, monthly stipend, book allowance and relocation allowance.
The areas that are offered at the JFE are:
· Agricultural Economics
· Corporate Finance and Investment
· Econometrics Theory and Practice
· Environmental Economics
· Health Economics
· Industrial Economics
· International Economics
· Monetary Theory and Practice
· Public Finance
· Labor Economics
No separate application is needed for the scholarship. Once one gets admitted into a Category B university, one is automatically considered. As can be seen from the criteria above, government employees stand a better chance of being awarded the scholarship than those in the private sector.
Economic Policy Management Program (EPMP)
The ECONOMIC POLICY MANAGEMENT Program (EPM) is a 12 months master’s degree program which entails the study of Economics, Policy and Management.
The program targets mid career public and civil servants in West African Anglophone countries, with at least three years working experience.
The entry requirement is a Bachelors degree with at least second class lower in Economics or any other relevant field of study
The EPM is sponsored by the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and the Joint Japan World Bank Graduate Scholarship Program (JJ/WBGSP).
For more information, visit srgs.ug.edu.gh and http://go.worldbank.org/D6RR140VQ0
DAAD Scholarship- African Regional Postgraduate Programme in Insect Science (ARPPIS)
The ARPPIS program is a continental program for Africa. Its main objective is to train African scientist in the areas of agricultural insect pest management and in the management of insect vectors of diseases. The program has three sub-regional centers in Africa. The South African sub-regional centre is located in the University of Zimbabwe, the East African centre is in the University of Ethiopia and the centre for West and Central Africa is located in the University of Ghana, Legon. Each center caters to students in their respective region.
The entry requirement for this program is a first degree in Biological sciences, Agricultural sciences or Public Health with at least a second class upper.
Students from all West and Central African countries are eligible for a DAAD (German Funding Body) scholarship which covers all study expenses including feeding, accommodation, health insurance and any other expenses.
The program is a two year program comprising of course work in the first year and research and thesis writing in the second year. At the end of the two years students are awarded MPHIL Entomology.
The ARRPIS program is coordinated by the International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) in Kenya.
For more information visit http://srgs.ug.edu.gh/programmedetail.php?id=59 and
Joint Japan World Bank Graduate Scholarships (JJ/WBGS)
The JJ/WBGS program awards scholarships for those intending to pursue their masters degrees (masters degree only) outside their country. There is no restriction as to the institution one can attend, but preference is given to those pursuing a degree in a development related field (economics, development studies etc). For more details on this scholarship check http://go.worldbank.org/6KLLM2C0Q0
The Commonwealth Scholarship (UK)
About the CSFP
The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) is an international programme under which member governments offer scholarships and fellowships to citizens of other Commonwealth countries. The CSFP was established at the first Commonwealth education conference in 1959 and is reviewed by education ministers at their triennial meetings – the only scholarship scheme in the world to receive such high-level recognition.
The CSFP was set up to provide a framework through which any Commonwealth government could offer scholarships or career development opportunities to citizens of other Commonwealth countries. The five main principles of the Plan, laid down at the time of its formation, are that it would:
- be distinct and additional to any other schemes
- be based on mutual cooperation and the sharing of educational experience among all Commonwealth countries
- be flexible, to take account of changing needs over time
- be Commonwealth-wide, and based on a series of bilateral arrangements between home and host countries
- recognise and promote the highest level of intellectual achievement
It is for each individual country to decide whether to offer awards and, if so, what type of awards. For many years, awards were focused on postgraduate Scholarships – at both Master’s and doctoral level – with some undergraduate awards and mid-career Academic Fellowships. Since 2000, however, there has been greater diversity, including the introduction of Distance Learning Scholarships, Post-Doctoral Fellowships, undergraduate exchange, and short Professional Fellowships. See Countries offering awards for details of what awards are available at the moment.
Taken from the CSFP site
For more information on this scholarship visit http://www.csfp-online.org/about.html
British Chevening Scholarships
The Cheveniing scholarship is primarily aimed at mid career professional aiming to study in the UK. Besides providing funding for its successful applicants, the scholarship also aims to create a network for those who have benefitted from the Chevening Scholarship.
What is Chevening
The Chevening programme is named after Chevening House in Kent, the official country residence of the Foreign Secretary. It began in 1983 and has developed into a prestigious international programme of Scholarships and Fellowships. The first Scholars started in 1984, the first Fellows in 2005. The programme provides nearly 1,000 Scholarships at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the UK for postgraduate students or researchers from over 130 countries. It also provides over 200 Fellowship places for mid-career professionals who are already working in fields related to the FCO’s policy goals. The programme is largely funded by the FCO. The Scholarship scheme receives significant contributions from HEIs and other organisations in the UK, and from a wide range of overseas sponsors including governmental and private sector bodies, with which the FCO or its overseas Posts have partnership agreements. It is managed by the British Council, on behalf of the FCO, both in the UK and overseas.
Taken from the Chevening site
Check http://www.chevening.com/home for more information
