The Embassy of Ireland in South Africa is offering fully-funded scholarship opportunities to South African students to study at Master’s level in Ireland’s world-renowned Higher Education Institutions.
The Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme is targeting early career professionals in South Africa, with leadership potential. The scholarship broadly supports leadership for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which includes support for the development of women’s leadership capacity and women’s participation in STEM as key priorities.
In addition, the Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme aims to support students from Historically Disadvantaged Institutions and Universities of Technology, who would not otherwise have had the opportunity to pursue Master’s level education in Ireland. These students are encouraged to apply.
For more information on the Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme, please visit the Canon Collins Trust website.
Degree level
Master's
Deadline
28 July 2024
Who can apply?
- Be a South African citizen;
- Have a minimum of two years relevant work experience;
- Hold an Honours degree from a recognized public university, with an average of at least 75%;
- Not in possession of a Master’s degree or higher level qualification;
- Be able to take up the fellowship in the academic year 2025/2026;
- Be able to demonstrate leadership abilities and aspirations, as well as commitment to the achievement of the SDGs within your own country;
- Have identified and selected two relevant courses from the Ireland-Africa Fellows Programme Directory of Eligible Courses;
- Have a clear understanding of the academic and English language proficiencies required for both courses chosen;
- Should not have applied for the Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme on more than one previous occasion.
Please read the application guidelines carefully before applying.
Fields of Study
The fellowship programme has two strands:
- 12 Annual Awards for Postgraduate Study in the following areas:
- Climate Change & Resilience, Environment, Marine, Sustainable Development, GIS
- Engineering and Sustainable Technology
- Development Studies, Human Rights, Peace Studies, International Relations, Politics, Public Policy
- International Law, Human Rights Law, Business Law
- Health, Medicine, Pharmacy, Biotechnology and related
- Education
- Sociology, Social Policy, Social Research and related
- Women’s Studies, Gender Studies and Equality Studies
- Information Systems, Communications Technology, Digital Media
- Business, Economics, Project Management, Strategic Management, Leadership and related
- Food Science, Food Engineering and Food Industry
- Tourism and Hospitality
Please refer to the Directory of Programmes for more information about the eligible course.
- Two annual awards will be made for a fellowship in Human Rights Law at Trinity College Dublin
- Master’s degree in Human Rights Law, specifically the LL.M (International and Comparative Law) at the prestigious Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. This will be selected by the Council for the Advancement of the South African Constitution (CASAC).
Please refer to the Directory of Programmes for more information about the eligible course.
What the fellowship offers
- University application fees;
- Tuition fees;
- Examination and other fees;
- Economy travel to and from your country of residence to Ireland;
- Settling in allowance, book allowance and study allowance;
- Accommodation;
- A monthly stipend to cover other living expense; and
- The costs of an entry clearance (student visitor visa) application.
Please note: The Fellowship covers the recipient only. Financial support or visas for spouses or dependents are not included within the scope of the programme.
Application process
The application process consists of three stages:
- Stage 1 - preliminary application:
Opens 1 July 2024, closes 28 July 2024
Stage 1 application form is a short application form which allows the selection panel to assess your eligibility under the various criteria of the Programme. You can access the Stage 1 application form at Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme — Canon Collins Trust.
You will be contacted by Canon Collins Trust once final decisions have been made and informed whether you have been successful or unsuccessful at Stage 1. Please do not otherwise contact the Irish Embassy during this period.
- Stage 2 - detailed application:
Opens in September 2024
If your Stage 1 application is successful, you will be invited to move on to Stage 2 of the process, and complete a more detailed application form including the submission of all required documents.
- Stage 3 –English language tests and interviews:
Stage 1 Application - Applications should be submitted online via the Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme - Canon Collins Trust application link.
Contact
Please direct scholarships enquiries to
Documents and links
Kader Asmal Fellowship website
Directory of Eligible Postgraduate Programmes in Irish Higher Education Institutions
Note
Please note that this opportunity is not offered by the Department of Higher Education and Training. Applicants are required to undertake their own research into programmes and institutions and are responsible for ensuring that the qualifications will be recognised in South Africa by contacting the South African Qualifications Authority and the relevant professional bodies. If there are any discrepancies in the details provided, the information given by the sponsor supersedes the details provided above. No additional financial support will be provided by the Department of Higher Education and Training.
