The AERC Masters and PhD Bridge Programme

The African Economic Research Consortium (AERC), established in 1988, is a public not-for-profit organization devoted to the advancement of economic policy research and training in Africa. The Consortium’s mandate and strategic intent is built on the basis that sustained development in sub-Saharan Africa requires well-trained, locally based professional economists. AERC agitates the provision of capacity building in economic policy in Francophone and Anglophone African countries through provision of support

in the areas of policy research and graduate training. Every year, AERC offers scholarships to student from sub-Saharan Africa, admitted into any of the following three training programmes, implemented in a collaborative framework with network and other partner universities:

– The Collaborative Masters Programme (CMAP) in Economics, which spans departments of economics in 26 public universities in Anglophone Africa (excluding Nigeria);

– The Collaborative Masters in Agricultural and Applied Economics (CMAAE) Programme, which is spearheaded by departments of agricultural economics in 17 public universities in Eastern, Central and Southern Africa; and

– The Collaborative PhD Programme (CPP) in Economics, which brings together

eight (8) participating universities in Anglophone and Francophone sub-Saharan Africa.

AERC training programmes have played a big role in producing a pool of better-trained economists in several countries in sub-Saharan Africa. However, there are countries and groups (including women and post-conflict and fragile states) that are under-represented

in the research and training activities of AERC.

This is due to participants from these countries and groups lacking requisite skills to effectively transit in AERC training programmes without cannibalizing on the high value these programmes have created over the years.

AERC has introduced a Masters and PhD bridge programme with the aim of addressing

the limited competitiveness of potential students from under-represented countries and groups (among them, women, post-conflict and fragile states) for admission and performance in the AERC training programmes. The bridge programme aims at equipping participants with skills in quantitative techniques, microeconomics and macroeconomics, which are core courses for CMAP, CMAAE and CPP. Participants are expected to take up to eight weeks (two months) ofintensive skill enhancement in the three courses (four courses for CMAAE) at a joint facility in Nairobi, Kenya, and to sit examinations during the final week of the programme.

Students who successfully complete the bridge programme will form a pool to be enrolled into the CMAP, CMAAE and CPP, or the Francophone Nouveau Programme de Troisième Cycle Inter-universitaire (NPTCI) Masters Programme.

Anglophone Countries

• Application cover letter specifying which fellowship (Masters or PhD Bridge Programme you are applying for;
• Certified copies of transcripts and certificates;
• At least two original letters of recommendation from senior university academics who previously taught the applicant; and
• Curriculum Vitae;

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the AERC MASTERS AND PHD BRIDGE PROGRAMME FELLOWSHIPS 2017