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

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