The African Leadership Centre(ALC) is offering Fellowships for African Scholars for the Peace, Security, and Development starting in September 2017.The African Leadership Centre (ALC) was established in Kenya in June 2010 as a joint initiative of King’s College London and the University of Nairobi.The Fellowship program is designed to expose junior African scholars to the complexities of security and development issues facing the African continent.
Objectives of the program
- To produce a critical mass of Africans who understand the African peace and security landscape in a global context;
- To have the next generation of African scholars and analysts with the skills to deploy learning about African societies and their visions of peace for progressive change toward positive and stable peace in Africa;
- To have the next generation of Africans that will shape thinking and policy decision-making on peace and security in Africa;
- To have African home-grown ideas and knowledge base on peace and safety;
- To engage constituency of academic and policy institutions collaborating on peace and security in Africa.
Eligibility
To be eligible for the program, you have to meet the following requirements:
- Must be a citizen of an African country.
- Successful candidates must hold valid travel documents before acceptance.
- Candidates need to demonstrate an interest in pursuing careers in the field of peace, security, and development. Previous study or engagement with the issues of security and development is not required. However, candidates must demonstrate a basic familiarity with these matters.
- Candidates must additionally be able to prove capacity to undertake research on issues relating to peace and security in Africa. Successful candidates will be attached to a Research Cluster where they will work with ALC Research Associates and Senior Research Fellows to undertake research on preferred aspects of the ALC Research Agenda on “Future Peace and the Role of the State in Africa”.
- Candidates will be expected to have a clear plan on how to utilize knowledge gained in the Fellowship upon returning to their countries and academic institutions.
- Candidates must be fluent in spoken and written English.
- Candidates must be able to demonstrate the following values during the application phase: Independent thinking; Integrity; Pursuit of Excellence; and respect for all forms of diversity.
Terms and conditions of the fellowships for international students
- Application to King’s College London: Successful applicants will have the status of full-time MSc students in Security, Leadership, and Society. Details of the MSc Security, Leadership, and Society, can be found at this link.
- Student Visas: All foreign students at King’s College London will be subject to the immigration rules of the UK, which can be found on the King’s College London web page for obtaining student visas. The offer of a place on the program will be subject to successful candidates getting a student visa. Getting a student visa will necessitate an UNCONDITIONAL offer for the MSc Security Leadership and Society. Failure to obtain a visa to enter the UK automatically invalidates the offer of a place on the program with no consequences to King’s College London. Responsibility for processing and financing all visa applications rests solely with successful candidates. The implementing organizations will provide necessary documentation as needed.
- Expectant/Nursing Mothers: Given the intense nature of the program including its short phases in different locations as well as required extensive travel, successful applicants that are expectant or nursing mothers while encouraged to apply, will be advised to defer their admission to the program.
- Medical Exam: Successful applicants will be required to undergo medical examinations at recommended venues before taking up their positions, to aid visa applications and to confirm your fitness for undertaking the program.
- Program completion/Return to Base: The program will last a total of 18 months. During phases 1 and 2, Fellows will be expected to make a full-time commitment to the program. It is a condition that selected candidates shall return to their base or home countries at the end of the program.
Termination
The African Leadership Centre jointly with King’s College London and the University of Nairobi reserves the right to terminate the conferral of a fellowship, in the event of a breach of the Terms and Conditions of the program.
Funding
The scholarship is a fully funded opportunity, not including any visa application and processing costs.
Funds will be made available to cover:
Tuition,
Subsistence in the UK and Africa,
Accommodation,
Research-related costs,
All travel expenses related to the program
N.B
Successful applicants are expected to find their accommodation both in the UK and Africa. In the UK successful candidates will be able to apply for University of London accommodation, and they can also make their accommodation arrangements. Candidates are strongly advised to make all necessary accommodation arrangements well in advance of taking up their positions at King’s College London. Information on KCL student accommodation can be found on this link.
How to apply
The following documents are required before your application will be considered complete:
- A letter of application detailing your relevant experience and qualifications.
- A supporting statement no longer than 1,000 words, detailing why you think that this program is important and your plans for engagement with peace and security research.
- Two letters of recommendation
- Recent curriculum vitae.
- One writing sample (maximum 1000 words).
- One research proposal of no more than 1000 words on a topic dealing with any one of the following five sets of questions:
- What is the powerful vision of peace among Africa’s youth and future leaders? What are the greatest sources of insecurity for African youth?
- What leadership issues confront the next generation of youth seeking to build and sustain peace?
- What can we learn about African youth experiences for future discourses about the governance of security and development?
- How is the dynamics of African societies and societal responses to safety and development challenges compelling a change in the state?
- How are African regional organizations responding to the rapidly changing African security landscape?
Please indicate in your application letter, if you have completed the University application.
All supporting documents should be submitted via the online portal. Please note that no email applications will be accepted. If you are experiencing problems with the online application portal, please contact us at admissions@africanleadershipcentre.org. We encourage all applicants to submit their applications early to avoid delays and failure to file because of technical challenges.
Deadline: April 30, 2017
Location of study: King’s College London.
Duration of study:12 months and six months internship.