ADDIS ABABA – The Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence (ACE II) Project, has announced the recipients of the ACE Scholarship Program for 2019.
The Regional Facilitation Unit for the World Bank supports the scholarship. A Call for Applications for Masters Fellowships targeting female students in the nine project participating countries of Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, Uganda, Mozambique and Malawi was announced in March 2019.
The aim of the competitive scholarship is to enhance the participation of young African female scientists at postgraduate level, encourage regional student mobility and identify and cultivate future leaders in the region, according to a press release sent to The Ethiopian Herald.
A total of 28 fellowships were awarded for the 2018/2019 academic year.
An Independent Selection Panel nominated from members of the Regional Steering Committee (RSC) of the ACE II Project selected and recommended 32 applicants out of nearly 500 applicants for the 2019/2020 academic year. The selected candidates have met all required conditions for the scholarship as specified in the Call.
“Our Selection Panel was delighted to learn that the 28 women Fellows selected last year were making good progress in their studies. We were, therefore, determined to identify 32 additional Fellows who were the best from the very large pool of eligible applicants,” said Prof. Goolam Mohamedbhai, Chairperson of the Independent Selection Panel.
He added “Sixty women Master’s graduates in Science &Technology fields could be considered a drop in the ocean, but they can really make a difference in the development of Africa. We need more of them and we hope resources will be available to award such additional women fellowships.”
The selected students will study full time at some of the Africa Centers of Excellence (ACEs) in the priority disciplines of the ACE II Project including STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) or industry, agriculture, health, education and applied statistics.
“The World Bank is committed to supporting expanded access for all students who wish to pursue tertiary education opportunities that inspire them and lead to bright and purposeful futures. This program supporting women in science is one about which we are particularly proud and excited,” remarked ACE II project team lead, Dr. Roberta Malee Bassett.
Five of the winners of the scholarship were Ethiopians, it was learnt.
The Ethiopian Herald September 19, 2019
BY STAFF REPORTER
