WBG Africa Fellowship Program

Application Deadline: August 25th 2019

The Africa Region of the World Bank Group (WBG) announces the opening of the application for the 2020 WBG-Africa Fellowship Program for Ph.D. Students and recent Ph.D. graduates who are Sub-Saharan nationals.

Launched in 2013, the World Bank Group (WBG) Africa Fellowship Program targets young talented African nationals who are completing or recently completed a Ph.D. in an area relevant to the World Bank’s work. The fellowship program has been very successful since its inception, building a strong pipeline of young African talent interested in a career in development, in international institutions, African governments, think tanks, and academia.

The program offers chosen fellows a six-month assignment at World Bank Group (WBG) offices in Washington D.C. or in country offices to gain hands-on experience in the operations of the WBG. This includes knowledge generation and dissemination, design of global and country policies, and the building of institutions to achieve inclusive growth in developing countries. While benefitting from research and innovation in multiple sectors, fellows will also work on research, economic policy, technical assistance, and lending operations that contribute to the World Bank’s goal of eliminating poverty and increasing shared prosperity. Through the fellowship, we aim to build the capacity of the next generation of African change makers in development, policymaking and promote the goals of reducing poverty in the region.

The WBG’s Africa fellows have proven to be valuable resources for their hiring units. They contribute to the work program of their respective units and to the World Bank’s mission. In the process they (i) gain a better understanding of the World Bank’s operations; (ii) access quality data for their research; (iii) interact with and learn from seasoned experts in the field of development.

The 2020 WBG Africa Fellowship Program expects to host up to 15 fellows. This year, with the support of the Think Africa Partnership, a private sector window provides support for 10 additional fellowship positions with a special focus on private sector development and finance. The additional 10 fellows will work on improving the macroeconomic, business and financial frameworks to enhance private sector investment, strengthen economic policy making and ultimately promote economic growth across the region.

Eligibility Criteria

Be a Sub-Saharan national who are recent Ph.D. graduates, or current doctoral students within a year of completing or graduating from a Ph.D. program in all relevant field of development, including, but not limited to economics, education, health, governance, energy, agriculture, infrastructure and demography.
Have an excellent command of English, both written and verbal
Be under the age of 32 by the closing of the application period. Preference may be given to those born on or after Oct 1, 1988.

Selection Process

The deadline to submit applications is August 25, 2019. After applying online, the most suitable candidates will be identified, and their application packages forwarded to World Bank Africa Region managers and participating departments for consideration. Departments and managers will then indicate their preferences, as well as the project to be undertaken. Selected candidates will then be notified and, upon acceptance, will be hired as short-term consultants for a minimum of six months.

The fellowship period of engagement is January-June 2020.

Benefits

Fellows will receive consultant fees, round-trip economy class air travel to Washington, D.C. or a WBG country office from their university, and worker’s compensation insurance.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the World Bank Group Africa Fellowship Program 2020

Application Deadline: October 20, 2016

African professionals interested in a career in early childhood development are invited to apply for the Africa Early Years Fellowship

The year-long fellowship is an initiative of the Early Learning Partnership, a multi-donor trust fund managed by the World Bank to support young children’s development and learning through finance, analytical work and action research

Selected fellows will gain training and work experience across education, health, nutrition, social protection and other relevant areas

The World Bank Group’s Early Learning Partnership (ELP) is launching the Africa Early Years Fellowship to recruit a cadre of young African professionals to support governments and World Bank teams to scale up investments in the early years. This new initiative is complementary to the WBG Africa Fellowship Program, which is targeting Ph.D. students from Sub-Saharan Africa who are interested in starting careers with the World Bank Group. The Africa Early Years Fellowship will recruit promising young professional who will work in their home countries to build capacity in countries to ensure Africa’s children reach their full potential.

Benefits

Approximately 10 fellows will be selected and hired as short-term consultants for one year beginning early 2017, with the possibility of being renewed for a second year.
Fellows will receive ongoing training and work experience across relevant sectors, including education, health, nutrition and social protection.
The Fellowship will include a brief orientation at the World Bank’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., and fellows will also benefit from ongoing professional development and mentoring from WBG staff.
Fellows will be based in select countries in Africa, with the expectation that Fellows continue working in-country after the Fellowship conclusion.

Specific duties may include:

Support World Bank teams to design or implement operations in ECD/early learning or a related field
Support country and core teams in activities associated with the World Bank’s Investing in the Early Years initiative
Support countries’ early learning research agenda associated with the World Bank’s Early Learning Systems Research Program
Contribute to analytical work in ECD/early learning or related fields
Coordinate initiatives to strengthen the capacity of local academic institutions in early learning and ECD

Each Fellow will have a work program focused on one or two countries, and will be based in one of the following priority countries: Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Tanzania.

Interested candidates should be based in-country, or willing to relocate with minimum or no compensation.

Eligibility Requirements:

African nationals 25-40 years of age
Educational and professional experience in ECD/early learning
- Graduate degree in a relevant field (including education, economics, statistics, health and nutrition, and social service) AND at least 3 years of professional experience in education, health and nutrition or social protection, with preference for previous work in ECD/early learning; OR
- Undergraduate degree in a relevant field (including education, economics, statistics, health and nutrition, and social service) AND at least 5 years of professional experience in education, health and nutrition or social protection, with preference for previous work in ECD/early learning
Functional experience in economics, evaluation, project design and operations, policy dialogue, or advocacy desired
Experience in the public sector, civil society, or multilateral organization preferred
Demonstrated interest in ECD/early learning
Demonstrated high potential and commitment to ECD and/or human development in Africa
Strong analytical skills
Strong written communication skills and ability to work well in teams, including with senior officials
Ability to work effectively remotely
Fluency in English required of all candidates; fluency in French or Portuguese required of candidates interested in working in francophone/lusophone countries

Application Procedure:

To apply, please submit a completed application form and resume by October 20, 2016. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
Fellows will be selected by December 2016 and will start work in early 2017.

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the World Bank Africa Early Years Fellowship 2017

World Bank Group Africa Fellowship Program 2020 for Ph.D. students & recent graduates (Fully Funded to Washington, D.C. or a WBG country office)

World Bank Group Africa Early Years Fellowship 2017 for Young African Professionals.

Application Deadline: October 20, 2016