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Application Deadline: October 5th 2018

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.

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.

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, demography.
• Have an excellent command of English, both written and verbal
• Be under the age of 32 by the closing of the application period

Benefits:

• Fellows will spend a minimum of six months at the World Bank offices in Washington, D.C. or in field offices, getting hands-on experience in development work. 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 goal of eliminating poverty and increasing shared prosperity.
• This year, thanks to a generous contribution from the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), there are 10 additional fellowship positions with a special focus on forced displacement.
• The 10 selected fellows will work on forced displacement research in the context of operations led by the World Bank Group (WBG) or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, or the Middle East. For these additional 10 positions, candidates from refugee and internally displaced communities and/or with proven experience on forced displacement will be given a priority. Selected candidates with a strong interest in the area of forced displacement will work on research programs targeting refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and host communities.Fellows will be expected to complete a research project or prepare a research paper to present to staff. High-standard papers may be published internally. Specifically, selected participants will:
  • Gain a better understanding of the World Bank Group’s mission and operations
  • Access quality data for their research work
  • Interact with seasoned experts in the field of development
  • Contribute to the World Bank Group’s mission

Selection Process:

• Selected candidates will then be notified and, upon acceptance, will be hired as short-term consultants for a minimum of six months.
• 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.

Apply for the Africa Fellowship Program now

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the World Bank Group (WBG) Africa Fellowship Program 2019