Ireland-Africa Fellows Programme 2024-2025 - Now Open for Applications!

News

In March 2023, the Embassy hosted a Welcome Back event for recently returned graduates of the Ireland-Africa Fellowship Programme.

The Ireland Fellows Programme enables early to mid-career professionals from eligible countries, with leadership potential, to benefit from a prestigious, world-class, quality education contributing to capacity building. It offers selected students the opportunity to undertake a fully funded one-year master’s level programme at a higher education institution (HEI) in Ireland. The award covers programme fees, flights, accommodation and living costs. Eligible master’s level programmes in Ireland commence in August or September each year and, depending on the programme, will run for between 10 and 16 months. The Ireland Fellows Programme promotes equal opportunity and welcomes diversity.

The aims of the Programme are to nurture future leaders; to develop in-country capacity to achieve national SDG goals; and to build positive relationships with Ireland. 

Studying at postgraduate level in Ireland offers a unique opportunity to join programmes that are driving innovation and changing lives worldwide. Applicants can choose from almost 200 postgraduate programmes specially selected to enhance capacity in line with stated country development goals and the strategy of the Irish Embassy.

Eligible Courses: 

Eligible courses are in a wide range of areas and are listed in a Directory of Eligible Programmes.

Applications are by invitation only to persons that are currently employed in the institutions/organisations listed below:

State Institutions   

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation

Ministry of Justice

Gender Division

Cabinet Office

Judiciary of Zambia

National Assembly

National Prosecution Authority

Anti-Corruption Commission

Drug Enforcement Commission

Ministry of Green Economy and Environment

Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry

Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises

Ministry of Agriculture

Ministry of Finance and National Planning

Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries

Ministry of Youth, Sports and Art

Ministry of Technology and Science

Bank of Zambia

Zambia Development Agency

Zambia Agriculture Research Institute

Legal Aid Board

Zambia Environmental Management Agency

Financial Intelligence Centre

Ministry of Community Development and Social Services

Non State Actors

National Food and Nutrition Commission

Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority 

Before starting your application, you may wish to familiarize yourself with the eligibility criteria.

In order to be eligible for an Ireland-Africa Fellowship applicants must:

Be a citizen of Zambia and be residing in Zambia.

• Hold a bachelor's degree in a related discipline with Merit or higher from an accredited and government-recognised higher education institution.
• Not already hold a qualification at master's level or higher
• Be applying to commence a new course at master's level in Ireland no sooner than August/September 2024.
• Have identified and selected three relevant courses from the Irish Aid Directory of Eligible Postgraduate Courses, available at www.irishaidfellowships.ie and www.dfa.ie/zambia
• Have a clear understanding of the academic and English language proficiencies required for both courses chosen.
• Must not have applied for an Ireland Fellowship on more than one previous occasion.
• Have a minimum of three years' substantial work experience that is directly relevant to your proposed programme(s) of study.
• Be able to demonstrate a strong commitment to the development of Zambia.
• Meet any relevant procedural requirements of the Government of Zambia.
• Be applying to commence a new qualification and not be seeking funding for a course they have already commenced or which will begin before fellowship awards have been notified.

How to apply 

Please read the Application Guidance Note carefully before completing as eligibility criteria may differ from country to country.

 The application process consists of three stages:

• Stage 1   Preliminary Application;
• Stage 2   Detailed Application;
• Stage 3   Interviews.

Application forms can be downloaded from here. All Stage 1 applications must be emailed to Zambiafellowships@dfa.ie.

English Language Proficiency

Irish higher education institutions require a high standard of English language proficiency and this will be verified by English language testing. This is necessary for admission to all Irish Higher Education Institutions, with no exceptions. English language testing is normally through the International English Language Test (IELTS- www.IELTS.org).  

You can apply through Stages 1 and 2 of this process without having completed an IELTS test; however, you must have noted the IELTS score required for your selected programmes and considered whether you can achieve this grade. If you have completed an IELTS test, provide full details as requested under question 2 of the application form and note that the test is only valid if completed in September 2022 or later.

The deadline for receipt of Stage 1 applications is 30^th July 2023.

Please include "Ireland-Africa Fellowship" in the subject line of all emails.

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