AERC Collaborative PhD Fellowship Programme in Economics for African Students

  •  PhD, Fellowship
  •  31-Jul-2022
  •   South Africa
  • $$  Varies

 Launched in 2002, the Collaborative PhD Programme (CPP) in Economics’ primary aim is to strengthen teaching and research capacity in sub-Saharan African countries, to increase the pool of potential researchers and policy analysts, and to gradually build-up and retain African scholars in Africa, leading to an increase in capacity across the continent. CPP aims to increase output of professionals conversant with – and specialists in – African issues, leading to the possible emergence of various theories and African solutions to these problems. CPP integrates theory, tools and African applications into academic teaching, ensuring that theory is firmly grounded on the empirical side.

University of the Witwatersrand Information

University of the Witwatersrand Grants

AERC Collaborative PhD Fellowship Programme in Economics for African Students Founded in 1922, University of the Witwatersrand is a non-profit public higher education institution located in the urban setting of the large city of Johannesburg (population range of 1,000,000-5,000,000 inhabitants), Gauteng. Officially accredited and/or recognized by the Department of Higher Education and Training, South Africa, University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) is a large (uniRank enrollment range: 25,000-29,999 students) coeducational higher education institution. University of the Witwatersrand (WITS) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees such as bachelor degrees, master degrees, doctorate degrees in several areas of study. See the uniRank degree levels and areas of study matrix below for further details. This 97 years old higher-education institution has a selective admission policy based on entrance examinations and students' past academic record and grades. The admission rate range is 30-40% making this South African higher education organization a very selective institution. International students are welcome to apply for enrollment.

Eligibility Criteria

 To qualify, candidates must:

  • Have applied and been admitted to any one of the listed CPP degree-awarding universities;
  • Have attained at Bachelor’s Degree level at least a Second Class Honours (Upper Division) or equivalent in Economics or related field from an accredited university;
  • Have a Masters Degree (with coursework and thesis component) in Economics, Agricultural Economics or related fields from a recognized University. The coursework should have covered microeconomics, macroeconomics and quantitative methods;
  • Female and applicants from post-conflict and fragile states are encouraged to apply.
  • Possession of at least 1 relevant publication in a refereed journal will be an added advantage.
  • Evidence of engagement in economic management, research and/or training in the public sector will be an added advantage.

Offered Benefits

  • The programme is fully funded

Application Process

Please download the application form from  https://www.wits.ac.za/applications/choosedownloads and send it together with the required documents and supporting documents to Ms. Kamo Nhlapo on:  . Please note that for this particular programme only (the AERC PhD programme) you do not have to upload your documents onto the Wits online application system. You must send the required documents to Ms. Kamo Nhlapo. Please send any queries to her.

The supporting documents should be emailed to Ms Kamo Nhlapo –   

Required Documents:

  • Copies of your degree certificates
  •  Copies of ALL academic transcripts
  • SAQA evaluation (This is an evaluation carried out by the South African Qualification Authority (SAQA) on all International qualifications – application details available at  www.saqa.org.za ). If you don’t have SAQA now, please ensure you start the application process immediately.
  • Proof of English proficiency (if qualification completed at an Institution where the medium of instruction was not English)
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Letter of motivation
  • A brief (5-10 page) proposal outlining your research interest
Apply Here
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