The World Bank is partnering with the Republics of Malawi and Mozambique to implement the additional financing of the Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence Project (ACE II). The ACE II project has made significant contributions to building the region’s capacity in a range of priority economic sectors. However, given the large needs for highly skilled labor, there continue to be significant shortages in workers with high-level (postgraduate level) skills, especially in the agriculture sector which need to be met urgently. There also remain limitations in human resource capacity for undertaking applied research to increase agriculture productivity and food security in the region. With enrolment stagnation in agricultural higher education, the ACE II AF Project provides incentives to participating institutions to focus on expanding outreach and information to prospective students and potential employers with the goal of driving demand for study places and graduates.
As the Regional Facilitation Unit (RFU) for the ACE II AF Project, the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) leads the implementation of key elements of Component 2 of the project. Component 2 aims at building strong and sustainable regional partnerships and collaborations to produce competent Masters and PhD holders for the regional market and improve the quality of teaching in higher education and quality of production and services in public and private sectors. To encourage the participation of young African female students at postgraduate level, IUCEA wishes to implement a two-year Fellowship Program to provide competitive Masters Scholarships to academically deserving future talents to promote regional female student mobility. Eligible female applicants who can demonstrate interest to undertake postgraduate training in agriculture and related sciences are encouraged to apply for the 60 Fellowships available for the 2023/2024 academic year.
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible for this Fellowship, the applicant must:
- Be a female national of one of ACE II participating countries Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Burundi;
- Be under the age of thirty five (35) years;
- Be a holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in agriculture and related fields from a reputable university at the level of Upper Second Class Honours;
- Have been admitted in any of the ACEs specialized in agriculture and related fields. In order to promote regional student mobility, the admission must have been obtained from an ACE outside one’s own country of current nationality; and
- Have demonstrated outstanding academic achievement as evidenced by academic transcripts, and academic awards, if any.
Offered Benefits
The provided financial support for each of the ACE II Masters Scholarships will cover:
- University tuition fees: Approximately USD 5,000 per year (payable directly to the Host University according to an official invoice)
- Stipend: USD 500 per month to support living expenses such as housing, food, utilities, local transportation, medication and settlement expenses
- Research: USD 5000 to support student research, payable upon approval of research proposal
- Allowance: USD 2,000 one-off allowance to cover visa, laptop and books
- Air ticket: A round-trip economy fare for the most direct route between the beneficiary’s home country and the study destination of Host University
Note: Candidates must complete all academic work within the specified period of the programme as the scholarship cannot be extended beyond a maximum of 24 months.
Application Process
To apply for this Fellowship, interested candidates are advised tofill in the application form found at ace2.iucea.org or www.iucea.org attach all requested documents, and send by e-mail to with a copy to .
Download Application Form
Download List of Centers of Excellence ACEII
Required Documents:
For proof of eligibility, an applicant should ensure that the following is provided:
- Completed application form;
- Recent passport-size photograph;
- Summarized CV with names and contacts of two referees;
- Certified copies of academic certificates and transcripts;
- Certified copies of passport or national identity card indicating citizenship;
- Copy of admission letter from one of the host universities (please refer to the attached table on Countries, ACEs and Universities); and
- Two (2) reference letters with contact details.
