The European Union (EU) has launched a new scholarship initiative under its Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme, known as the "Climate Research and Education to Advancing Green Development in Africa (CREATE-GreenAfrica)" project. The initiative is designed to enhance climate-related skills and qualifications among graduate students across African universities through academic mobility and knowledge exchange.
The CREATE-GreenAfrica consortium is coordinated by the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) in Tanzania and includes five additional African institutions: Mekelle University (MU) in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU) in Zimbabwe, the University of the Free State (UFS) in South Africa, the University of Ghana (UG), and the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) in Nigeria. The European Technical Partner for the project is the University of Southern Denmark (SDU).
The initiative will support 35 Master’s students and 12 PhD candidates from 2024 to 2028. The program will focus on thematic areas including environmental sustainability, climate-related processes, food system resilience, the gender-climate-food system nexus, climate change and water resources, and ecosystem-based adaptation. The scholarships will cover both full-degree programs and short-term credit-seeking mobility.
The mission of CREATE-GreenAfrica is to build the expertise of students, faculty, and stakeholders in climate change adaptation and mitigation. The program will pay special attention to women, girls, and disadvantaged groups to ensure broad and equitable participation.
The scholarship program will support six full-time PhD candidates, six short-term PhD candidates, six full-time Master’s students, and six short-term Master’s students. Recipients are expected to contribute to the project’s objectives through high-level research that may result in journal articles, conference papers, and innovations.
Full-time Master’s students will participate in a 24-month program, while short-term Master’s students will engage in a 4-month program. Full-time PhD candidates will receive support for 36 months, and short-term PhD candidates for 6 months.
CREATE-GreenAfrica aims to produce highly qualified professionals who can address climate change and environmental challenges across Africa. Scholarships are available to qualified African candidates residing on the continent at the time of application, with selected students hosted by participating institutions in Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa.
Article by Nyokabi Wanjiku
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