Application Deadline: July 30, 2023
The Courtney Fellowship was set up in 2004 to commemorate the late Archbishop Michael Courtney, the Irish-born Papal Nuncio to Burundi, who was murdered in 2003.
The Ireland Fellows Programme promotes gender equality, equal opportunity, and welcomes diversity. Our Development Policy is aligned with SDG 16 on building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels, and we are encouraging applications from the broadest possible base. The Programme welcomes applications from applicants with disabilities, and applicants who belong to a minority or disadvantaged group. We would like to increase the representation of female applicants and those whose gender identity does not align with the male/female gender binary.
The aims of the Programme are to nurture future leaders; to develop in-country capacity to achieve national SDG goals; and to build positive relationships with Ireland.
The Programme is intended to support graduates on their return home, through the skills they develop, to contribute to capacity building in their home countries and to become one of the next generation of leaders in their respective fields. It is also envisaged that they will contribute to building enduring positive personal and professional relationships with Ireland, promoting institutional linkages.
Each year it provides sponsorship for a student from Burundi to study in Ireland for the MPhil in International Peace Studies at Trinity College Dublin.
Eligible Countries:
Burundi
Eligible Courses:
MPhil in International Peace Studies Programme at Trinity College Dublin
Eligibility
To be eligible for an Ireland Fellows Programme – Courtney Fellowship award commencing at the beginning of the academic year 2024, applicants must:
- Be a resident national of Burundi.
- Have a minimum of three years’ substantial work experience that is directly relevant to your proposed programme(s) of study.
- Hold a bachelor’s level academic qualification from an accredited and government-recognised higher education institution, with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (4.0 scale) – i.e. a first class honour, or second class honour, Grade 1 (a second class honour Grade 2 may be accepted if the applicant has substantial directly relevant work experience). It must have been awarded in 2012 or later (i.e. within the last 12 years).
- Not already hold a qualification at master’s level or higher. Not currently undertaking a programme at master’s level or higher, or be due to start a programme at master’s level or higher in the academic year 2023/24.
- Be applying to commence a new programme at master’s level in Ireland no sooner than August 2024.
- Be able to demonstrate the following: leadership abilities and aspirations; a commitment to the achievement of the SDGs within your own country; and a commitment to contribute to building positive relationships with Ireland.
- Have a clear understanding of the academic and English language proficiencies required for all programmes chosen.
- Must not have applied to the Ireland Fellows Programme on more than one previous occasion.
- Be in a position to take up the Fellowship in the academic year 2024/2025.
Application Procedure
Applications
Please read the Applicant Guidance Note carefully before completing as eligibility criteria may differ from country to country.
The application process consists of three stages:
Stage 1 Preliminary Application;
Stage 2 Detailed Application;
Stage 3 Interviews.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Irish Aid Courtney Fellowship 2024/2025
