Two research fellowships at Robert Bosch Academy Berlin: "Education in Sub Saharan Africa"

The Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin is now offering two in-residence Research Fellowships - a Junior Research Fellowship and a Senior Research Fellowship - on the topic “Education in Sub Saharan Africa”.

Education in Sub Saharan Africa

It is widely acknowledged that although many Governments in Sub Saharan Africa spend 5% or more of their GNP on education,  supplemented by billions from agencies, NGOs, Foundations and Corporates, this investment is not delivering the desired outcomes. As a result Sub Saharan Africa has more out of school children than any other region in the world and millions of young Africans lack the knowledge and skills to participate in Africa’s social and economic opportunities. It is widely acknowledged that the education systems in Sub Saharan Africa are most in need for substantial development. The forecast demographics will exacerbate these issues.

Academic research on the state of education in Sub Saharan Africa is carried out in various academic contexts worldwide. It is difficult though to dispose of trustful empirical basis for relevant political action in the Sub Saharan African space of education, given the often poor quality of available data.

The aim of two fellowships is to contribute through independent research to map the existing space of education in Sub Saharan Africa, including

• the existing education systems (primary, secondary and tertiary), public and private,
• the availability and quality of domestic and international data,
• the existing funding
• stands (domestic and international, public and private) and their outcomes,
• qualitative and quantitative aspects,
• existing research activities,
• the participants (government, NGO, philanthropists, aid-agencies etc.).

The Robert Bosch Academy invites scholars and experts to submit a project proposal concerning (but not limited to) some of the following questions:

• How would you tackle the mapping?
• How would you conceive cooperation with the other fellowship?
• Which country-selection in Sub Saharan Africa would you opt for, and why?
• How would you proceed in terms of data-collection?
• Which hypotheses would you underpin to your research?
• Which main strands within education in Sub Saharan Africa would you wish to research on?

Terms

The Junior Research Fellowship offers scholars and experts a research leave up to eight months. The Senior Research Fellowship offers a research leave up to ten months.

Senior Fellow and Junior Fellow should team in their research.

Application requirements

Senior fellowship

The Fellowship offers scholars and experts a research leave up to 10 months with a monthly stipend being provided which covers the fellow’s living expenses. A budget for travel and conferences can be made available. Travel expenses to and from Berlin at beginning and end of fellowship will be covered.

Preference will be given to those applicants who can demonstrate an established senior record relating to education in Africa as scholar with a broad international understanding beyond regional expertise.

Specific areas or regions of knowledge as well as connected fields of interest are to be indicated nonetheless. The Fellow is expected to disseminate the results of their research not only through publications, but also through feeding into their future career after the end of the Fellowship.

Junior Fellowship

The Fellowship offers scholars and experts a research leave up to 8 months with a monthly stipend being provided which covers the fellow’s living expenses. A budget for travel and conferences can be made available. Travel expenses to and from Berlin at beginning and end of fellowship will be covered.

Preference will be given to those applicants who can demonstrate an established record relating to education in Africa as scholar with a broad international understanding beyond regional expertise. Specific areas or regions of knowledge as well as connected fields of interest are to be indicated nonetheless. The Fellow is expected to disseminate the results of their research not only through  publications, but also through feeding into their future career after the end of the Fellowship.

We highly welcome applications from African candidates.