O MINDS Scholarship Programme for Leadership Development in Africa was successfully launched in 2017, realising our vision of developing young leaders who have a development mindset across the continent and leaders who can facilitate greater cooperation between African countries.
The Scholarship Programme allows African students to study in an African country other than their country of origin and thus immerse themselves in the richness and diversity that the country and its communities have to offer. By widening access to education, we see the expansion of openness to ideas and the creation of a network of like-minded leaders who will help promote our continent's performance and tangible progress. There is no doubt that a more integrated African economy on a global scale will accelerate growth, generate positive results and benefit all its communities.
MEET OUR ACADEMICS
HOW IT WORKS
MINDS' offers scholarships to Africans who wish to pursue post-graduate studies within Africa, outside of their own countries. Through tailored leadership development activities, the MINDS Scholarship Programme aims to nurture leaders who have a continental development mindset; leaders who will facilitate greater cohesion and cooperation between African countries.
MINDS Scholarships are applicable to full-time studies of a one or two-year Honours or Master's degree at one of the MINDS preferred institutions (listed below). MINDS does not prescribe the course to be studied.
The Scholarship will cover some or all of the expenses below, depending on whether a partial or full scholarship is awarded:
- Tuition
- Accommodation and meals
- One return ticket per duration of studies
- A fixed stipend.
Individuals with a pan-African vision, demonstrated leadership skills and an excellent academic record who wish to study on the African continent outside their home country are invited to apply for scholarships.
Eligibility Criteria
MINDS Scholarships are awarded to deserving candidates after a rigorous selection process. To be considered for a MINDS Scholarship, you must:
- Be a national of an African country, reside in any African country
- Have been formally accepted by one or more MINDS preferred institutions outside your country of citizenship and/or residence
- Have been formally accepted by one or more MINDS preferred institutions to pursue postgraduate studies in the following year
- Have obtained at least 70% in each subject/course in the last two full years of study
- Produce evidence of demonstrated leadership skills or potential guided by the questions/requirements set out in the application form
- Submit a complete online application form (see below) with the necessary supporting documentation.
List of Preferred Institutions:
To be eligible to receive a MINDS Scholarship, a candidate must have been accepted to study at one of the following institutions:
EAST AFRICA
- African Leadership University, Rwanda
- Carnegie Mellon University in Rwanda, Rwanda
- Makerere University, Uganda
- Strathmore University, Kenya
AUSTRAL AFRICA
- African Leadership University, Mauritius
- University of Cape Town, South Africa
- University of Mauritius, Mauritius
- University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
NORTH AFRICA
- Al Akhawayn University, Morocco
- Cadi Ayyad University, Morocco
- Mohammed V University, Morocco
WEST AFRICA
- Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana
- Pan-Atlantic University (Lagos Business School), Nigeria
- University of Development Studies, Ghana
Apply for a MINDS scholarship
MINDS is receiving applications from students starting their studies in 2018/2019. Interested individuals are invited to submit applications as soon as they receive official acceptance from a MINDS-preferred university at which they wish to study. Applications will be processed in the order in which they are received.
If you meet the eligibility criteria above, you can submit your application by clicking on the link below. Have the following documents scanned, saved and ready to upload. All documents sent must be in PDF format. Each attachment must not exceed 2MB in size.
- A copy of the data/biography page of your passport.
- A certified transcript / results sheet from the last two years of study.
- A copy of the official letter of acceptance from the university. The letter must:
- Be addressed to the applicant.
- Indicate the degree the candidate has been accepted to study.
- Indicate the academic year in which the degree will begin.
- Indicate the duration of the course (e.g. one year).
- A copy of a valid study permit or visa OR proof of application. (Optional)
- A detailed CV / Curriculum Vitae of no more than 4 (four) double-sided pages.
- Two letters of reference (no more than 3 pages each) addressing the candidate's demonstration of integrity, their competence and/or potential as a leader and their commitment to the development of the African continent.
Guidance
Are you applying for a MINDS scholarship? We offer some guidelines:
- Make sure you fulfil ALL the requirements and upload ALL the necessary documents. Applications that do not meet the requirements or for which all the required documentation has not been provided are immediately disqualified. Don't disqualify yourself because you're in a hurry to submit an application. Instead, take the time to ensure that you meet the requirements and gather all the necessary documents before submitting an application.
- We are looking for individuals with a pan-African vision, strong leadership potential and a track record of academic excellence. Your application must demonstrate these elements convincingly.
- We encourage applicants to consider universities that are outside of South Africa. The majority of applications received to date have been for South African institutions and there is a limited number that can be allocated to each university. This means that competition is fiercer for South African institutions.
- There are two scholarships available for South African citizens who wish to study elsewhere in Africa.
- We have reserved scholarships for studies related to Actuarial Science, Business Science and Accounting Science. If you want to pursue these studies at any of the South African, Kenyan and Nigerian institutions on our preferred list, don't miss the opportunity to apply. Make sure you fulfil the requirements before submitting an application.
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