Commonwealth Professional Fellowships

Commonwealth Professional Fellowships provide an opportunity for mid-career professionals from developing Commonwealth countries. Fellowships support mid-career professionals to spend a period of time with a UK host organization working in their field for a program of professional development.

Fellowship purpose is to provide professionals with the opportunity to enhance knowledge and skills in their given sector, and to have catalytic effects on their workplaces.

These fellowships are funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), with the aim of contributing to the UK’s international development aims and wider overseas interests, supporting excellence in UK higher education, and sustaining the principles of the Commonwealth.

Applicants must have normally at least five years’ relevant work experience in a profession related to the subject of the application, by the proposed start of the fellowship.

Course Level: Fellowships support mid-career professionals to spend a period of time with a UK host organization working in their field for a program of professional development.

Study Subject(s): The CSC is keen to encourage creative and flexible applications from a wide range of sectors – professional, charitable, public, and private. Priority will be given to applications with practical relevance in the following broadly defined areas: Agriculture / fisheries / forestry, Economic growth,  Education, Engineering / science / technology, Environment and Governance

Scholarship Award: Each fellowship provides:
-Approved return airfare from the Fellow’s home country to the UK
-Stipend (living allowance) payable monthly (or pro rata) for the duration of the award at the rate of £1,580 per month, or £1,959 per month for those at organisations in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at 2015- 2016 levels). Exceptionally, depending on the programme arranged, a peripatetic living allowance may be payable. Further details if applicable will be given at the time of offer
-Arrival allowance of up to £887.83 at current rates, including an element for warm clothing and reimbursement of the visa application fee
-Fixed grant for excess baggage for return travel only, dependent on the airport destination. The Fellow will be advised of the amount close to the date of departure
-Flat rate contribution of £800 to the costs of the host/nominating organisation relating to the administration and support of the Fellow, setting up of appropriate meetings, any materials required, and incidental travel for the Fellow during the award
-Reasonable fees up to a maximum of £3,000 will be agreed in the context of the length of the programme, but full justification must be given for the amount being claimed. Such claims can cover:
-Fees for any conferences or short courses attended during the fellowship, provided that these are approved as part of the original application ? Cost of travel for visits to other organisations in the UK, where these form an integral part of the programme
-Other fees, for which the CSC will consider requests on a case-by-case basis

Scholarship can be taken at: UK

Eligibility: To be eligible for these fellowships, applicants must:
-Be a citizen of a developing Commonwealth country, refugee, or British protected person
-Be permanently resident in a developing Commonwealth country
-Have normally at least five years’ relevant work experience in a profession related to the subject of the application, by the proposed start of the fellowship
-Be available to start their fellowship within prescribed dates as stated on the CSC website
-Not have undertaken a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship in the last five years
-Not be seeking to undertake an academic programme of research or study in the UK. Academics are eligible to apply for the scheme, but only to undertake programmes of academic management, not research or courses relevant to their research subject
-The CSC promotes equal opportunity, gender equity, and cultural exchange. Applications are encouraged from a diverse range of candidates.

Nationality: Fellows must be from eligible Commonwealth countries:

List of Countries: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Botswana, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Ghana, Gibraltar, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Rwanda, St Helena, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and The Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Virgin Islands (British), Zambia and Zimbabwe

College Admission Requirement

Entrance Requirement: Applicants must have normally at least five years’ relevant work experience in a profession related to the subject of the application, by the proposed start of the fellowship.

Test Requirement: No

English Language Requirements: Applicants from outside the home country will often need to meet specific English language/other language requirements in order to be able to study there.

Government Scholarships

Supporting Material: If applicant’s application does not include two references – one from their current employer – it will be considered ineligible. Applicants must check with their referees that they have submitted their references via the EAS – further information for referees on how to submit a reference.

How to Apply: If applicants are nominated by a UK organisation for a Commonwealth Professional Fellowship, applicants will be asked to complete an application using the CSC’s Electronic Application System (EAS).

Electronic Application System

Application Deadline: The deadline for applications for 2016 (Round 1) Commonwealth Professional Fellowships is 23:59 (BST) on 17 May 2016. Applicants must liaise with their host/nominating organisation well in advance of this date to agree a deadline to complete the EAS, so that the organisation can submit the full application by the official deadline

Scholarship Link

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS-ZAMBIA WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP TRAINING ON WOMEN'S LAND RIGHTS

Theme: "Drawing on existing initiatives to build a vibrant women’s movement advocating for women’s land rights in the new wave of land acquisition in Zambia" 

Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA) will from 18th – 21st April 2016 host a feminist leadership training focusing on the 2 modules of AMwA’s Africa Women’s Leadership Institute (AWLI) Curriculum- Organizing Skills and Taking Action. The training will majorly focus on Feminist Research and Documentation, Advocacy and Accountability, Strategy Development and Communication for Social Change, Movement Building; Understanding Social Movements, Networks and Partnerships; Resource Mobilization: Building Alliances and Networks.

The Institute aims at ensuring that women are able to analyze the impact of land acquisitions with a feminist lens and are equipped to adequately influence laws and policies on women’s land rights
The training entails a follow up activity that will support some of the participants to undertake Research and Documentation of women’s lived experiences to inform policy advocacy, policy influence and movement building.

The institute will bring together 20 feminist/women leaders from Zambia to include AMWA Alumnae and other women’s rights activists working on women’s land issues.Please note that this Call for Applications is only open to participants from ZAMBIA only.

Kindly complete the application form which can be accessed here and send the following support documents to Ms. Patience Ayebazibwe at; patience@akinamamawaafrika.org / amwa@akinamamawaafrika.org 

 or call +256 414 543 681 for more information.

• A support letter from your organisation committing to support your engagement in the training and post training activities
• A brief CV (not more than 2 pages)
• A one-page motivation statement on why you would like to attend the AWLI and how you will use the experience to contribute to the enhancement of the movement on women’s land rights.
• One passport size photograph
• Information (brochures, leaflets) about your organisation

The deadline for receiving Applications is April 12th, 2016. Any applications received after this date will not be considered. Only successful applicants will be notified within five days prior to the training.

Schwarzman Scholars

A call for future leaders

Interested candidates will participate in a rigorous and thorough selection process, designed to identify the most promising young leaders from around the world. The process includes an online application and credentials evaluation as well as in-person regional interviews. Those selected will have demonstrated their potential to not only benefit from but also contribute to the Schwarzman Scholars program.

Required forms and records include:

• A complete and successfully submitted online application, including the requested personal statement(s) and supplementary components below.
• Uploaded transcripts/academic records from every college or university attended (degree or non-degree, full or part-time, undergraduate or graduate). If transcripts are not in English, official translations must be included.
• Four electronic letters of recommendation.  At least one of these letters must come from a recommender who can comment on the specific examples of leadership described in the candidate’s application, but the recommender must at least be able to comment on the candidate’s leadership qualities from direct knowledge of the candidate. Recommendations must be translated to English by a professional translator if written in another language.
• For currently enrolled undergraduate students, one of the four letters should be an institutional letter of recommendation: This brief letter should provide the following information:  If this student is an undergraduate, is s/he on track to complete all requirements for a Bachelor's Degree (or its equivalent) before August 1, 2017; If this student is an undergraduate when will the degree be awarded; Is there anything additional and specific about this candidate that you feel the selection committee should know that is not likely reflected in other parts of the application? Especially helpful are insights that explain academic accomplishments, awards, or extracurricular activities in the context of the university/college, things that an application reader might now know about that particular institution, for example: “This award is given to only one student per year at our college.” This letter of assessment may be completed by different offices, depending on the university. In many universities in the United States, this type of assessment is provided by a Fellowships Office or a comparable university-wide service office. In other universities, it might be completed by the dean of students or the university registrar. More information is available on the Campus Representatives FAQ.

• Video: Submission of a video is strongly recommended but not required.  The video  can be up to one minute in length, and candidates are invited to introduce themselves in any style or setting they think best conveys their interests and personality. Note: the file must be less than 20MB in order for you to upload it to the application.
• An essay in three sections: The essay falls into three distinct sections.

1. Personal Statement (up to 750 words): Describe your professional interests and values and how the Schwarzman Scholars program and deeper knowledge of China will help advance your goals. Describe both your short-term objectives for the 1-3 years after the program and your long-term aspirations.  How will you contribute to the community of Schwarzman Scholars and to the program’s mission?
2. Leadership Essay (up to 750 words): Describe one specific example where you exercised leadership. The essay should examine your personal characteristics that constitute your potential for leadership including: the ability to anticipate upcoming trends; the ability to inspire others to join in an effort to create change; and the character, values, and determination to persevere despite difficult and changing circumstances; or any other personal characteristics that you think are key to your success as a leader.
3. Current Affairs Essay (up to 500 words): Choose an issue in contemporary social, international, business, environmental, diplomatic, arts, or other policy that is of interest to you. This essay should lay out the current factors and trends influencing the topic and make a realistic recommendation of how local, national, or international leaders should intervene to contribute to a more peaceful and prosperous future.
• Current resume/CV: Please submit a resume or c.v. appropriate for any application for employment in your country. This can be no longer than 2 pages.

We discourage applicants from submitting any supplemental materials that are not required, such as portfolios, writing samples, additional recommendations, etc. Such materials will not be shared with the Review Committee.

Key dates

Applications will open this March and April for the 2017/2018 class of Schwarzman Scholars. There are two sets of opening and closing dates for Schwarzman Scholars applicants to accommodate different timelines for graduate school applications in China. All candidates should carefully study the deadlines and requirements outlined below:

Applicants who hold passports from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao will apply online from March 23 to June 15, 2016. Finalists will be notified before July 1, and will attend interviews to be held at Tsinghua University in Beijing, July 6-9. Final admissions decisions for Chinese Schwarzman Scholars will be announced before October 1, 2016. The application for Chinese candidates can be accessed on the Tsinghua University Schwarzman Scholars webpage. Link: http://www.sc.tsinghua.edu.cn/column/application

Applicants holding a passport from any other country, will apply between April 15, 2016 and September 15, 2016. Finalists will be notified in mid-October if they are to be invited to interviews. Interviews will take place in Bangkok (October 28th), London (November 2nd), and New York (November 7th), with candidates being invited to the geographically closest location.

China Application System

• Applicants who hold passports from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao must apply via the China application system
• Online application opens on March 23, 2016 and closes on June 15, 2016
• Interviews: July 6-9, 2016 in Beijing
• Admissions Decisions will be made before 1 October 2016.

United States/Global Application System

• Applicants from all other countries and regions must apply using the global application system (see below for exceptions)
• Online application opens on April 15, 2016 and closes on September 15, 2016
• Interviews: Bangkok (October 28th), London (November 2nd), and New York (November 7th)
• Admissions Decisions will be made by mid-November 2016

Exceptions:

• Applicants with Chinese passports who hold legal permanent residency in another country, and who do not intend to work in China after graduation are free to choose to apply via the US/global application system. Evidence of legal permanent residency must by provided at time of application.
• Candidates who are uncertain which application and deadline applies to their situation should secure written clarification before June 1 by emailing admissions@sc.tsinghua.edu.cn.
• Applications will not be considered in the US/Global system from those who hold passports from China, Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan without prior written approval.
• Due to the change of schedule and the challenge for applicants to book seats in TOEFL and IELTS in China, applicants using the China Application System may submit exam scores later in the year to admissions@sc.tsinghua.edu.cn, with a deadline of October 1, 2016. Applicants must explain why they are not submitting their score and provide existing results of tests such as the College English Test (CET) and Test for English Majors (TEM), under the column “Additional Information” in the online application system. Otherwise, the application won’t be considered eligible.

Further detail is available in the Instructions to Applicants (link below) and in the Admissions Frequently Asked Questions page.