Scholarship Program for Leadership Development

MINDS offers scholarships to Africans who wish to pursue post-graduate studies within Africa, outside of their own countries. Through tailored leadership development activities, the MINDS Scholarship Program aims to nurture leaders who have a continental development mindset; leaders who will facilitate greater cohesion and cooperation between African countries. 

MINDS scholarships are applicable to full-time studies of a one or two year Honors or Master's degree at one of the MINDS preferred institutions (listed below). MINDS does not prescribe the course to be studied.  

The scholarship will cover some or all of the expenses below, depending on whether a partial or full scholarship is awarded: 

• Tuition,
•  Accommodation and meals,
• One return ticket per duration of studies,
• A fixed stipend.

Individuals with a Pan-African outlook, demonstrated leadership ability and an excellent academic record who wish to study on the African continent, outside their home country are invited to apply for the scholarships.  

Eligibility Criteria

MINDS scholarships are awarded to meritorious applicants following a rigorous selection process.  To be considered for a MINDS scholarship, you must: 

• Be a national of an African country, residing in any African country;  
• Have been formally accepted by one or more MINDS preferred institution/s outside of your country of citizenship and/ or residency;
• Have been formally accepted by one or more MINDS preferred institution/s to pursue postgraduate studies within the following year;
• Have obtained at least 70% in each subject/ course in the last two completed years of study;
• Produce evidence of demonstrated leadership abilities or potential guided by the questions/ requirements set out in the application form;
• Submit a complete online application form (see below) with the required supporting documentation.

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List of Preferred Institutions

To be eligible to receive a MINDS scholarship, an applicant must have been accepted to study at one of the following institutions:

   East Africa   African Leadership University, Rwanda   Strathmore University, Kenya   Carnegie Mellon University in Rwanda, Rwanda   Makerere University, Uganda      Southern Africa African Leadership University, Mauritius    University of Mauritius, Mauritius   University of Cape Town, South Africa   University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa                                        North Africa   Al Akhawayn University, Morocco    Université Cadi Ayyad, Morocco   Université Mohammed V, Morocco     West Africa   Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Ghana   University for Development Studies, Ghana   Pan -Atlantic University (Lagos Business School), Nigeria                   

Applying for a MINDS Scholarship

MINDS is currently receiving applications from students who commence their studies in 2018/2019. Interested individuals are invited to submit applications as soon as they receive official acceptance from a MINDS preferred university at which they wish to study. Applications will be processed in the order they are received.

If you meet the eligibility criteria above, you can submit your application by clicking on the link below. Please have the following documents scanned, saved and ready for uploading. All documents uploaded must be in PDF format. Each attachment  should not exceed 2MB  in size.

• A copy of the data/ bio page of your passport.
• A certified academic transcript/ results slip of the last two years of study.
• A copy of the official acceptance letter from the university. The letter must:
• Be addressed to the applicant.
• State the degree which the applicant has been accepted to study.
• State the academic year at which the degree will commence.
• State the duration of the course (e.g. one year).
• A copy of a valid study permit or visa OR proof of application. (Optional)
• A detailed CV/ Resume of not more than four (4) single sided pages.
• Two reference letters (of not more than 3 pages each) addressing the applicant's demonstration of integrity, their competency and/or potential as a leader and their commitment to the development of the African continent.        

Guidance

Applying for a MINDS Scholarship? Here is some guidance: 

1. Ensure that you meet ALL of the requirements set out and upload ALL of the required documents. Applications that do not meet requirements or for which all required documentation has not been provided are immediately disqualified. Don't get yourself disqualified because you're in a hurry to submit an application. Rather take the time to ensure that you meet the requirements and to gather all of the required documents before submitting an application.
2. We are looking for individuals with a Pan-African outlook, strong leadership potential and a track record of academic excellence. Your application must demonstrate these elements convincingly.
3. We encourage applicants to consider universities that are outside of South Africa. Most applications received to date have been for South African institutions and there are limited numbers that can be awarded to each university. This means that competition is stiffer for South African institutions.
4. There are two scholarships available for South African citizens wishing to study elsewhere in Africa.
5. We have set aside scholarships for studies that relate to Actuarial Sciences, Business Sciences and Accounting. If you wish to conduct such studies at any of the South African, Kenyan and Nigerian institutions that are on our preferred list, don't miss the opportunity to apply. Ensure that you meet the requirements before submitting an application.
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