MINDS 2023 Fully-funded Scholarship Programme in Leadership Development for African Students

The MINDS Scholarship Programme for Leadership Development in Africa was successfully launched in 2017, bringing to realisation our vision of developing young leaders who have a continent-wide development mindset and leaders who can facilitate greater cooperation between African countries.

The Scholarship Programme enables African students to study in an African country other than their home country and in this way immerse themselves in the richness and diversity that the country and its communities has to offer. By broadening access to education, we see the expansion of openness to ideas and the creation of a network of like-minded leaders who will help promote the performance and tangible progress of our continent. There is no doubt that a more integrated African economy of global scale will accelerate growth, generate positive outcomes and benefit all its communities.

Value of Award: The Scholarship will cover some or all of the expenses below, depending on whether a partial or full scholarship is awarded:

Tuition
Accommodation and meals
One return ticket per duration of studies
A fixed stipend.

Eligibility

To be considered for a MINDS Scholarship, you must:

Be a national of an African country, residing in any African country
Have been formally accepted by one or more MINDS preferred institution/s outside of your country of citizenship and/ or residency
Have been formally accepted by one or more MINDS preferred institution/s to pursue postgraduate studies within the following year
Have obtained at least 70% in each subject/ course in the last two completed years of study
Produce evidence of demonstrated leadership abilities or potential guided by the questions/ requirements set out in the application form
Submit a complete online application form (see below) with the required supporting documentation.

To be eligible to receive a MINDS Scholarship, an applicant must have been accepted to study at one of the following institutions:

EAST AFRICA

African Leadership University, Rwanda
Carnegie Mellon University in Rwanda, Rwanda
Makerere University, Uganda
Strathmore University, Kenya

SOUTHERN AFRICA

African Leadership University, Mauritius
University of Cape Town, South Africa
University of Mauritius, Mauritius
University of Witwatersrand, South Africa

NORTH AFRICA

Al Akhawayn University, Morocco
Université Cadi Ayyad, Morocco
Université Mohammed V, Morocco

WEST AFRICA

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Ghana
Pan-Atlantic University (Lagos Business School), Nigeria
University of Development Studies, Ghana

Application Process

Ensure that you meet ALL of the requirements set out and upload ALL of the required documents. Applications that do not meet requirements or for which all required documentation has not been provided are immediately disqualified. Do not get yourself disqualified because you’re in a hurry to submit an application. Rather take the time to ensure that you meet the requirements and to gather all of the required documents before submitting an application.
We are looking for individuals with a Pan-African outlook, strong leadership potential and a track record of academic excellence. Your application must demonstrate these elements convincingly.
We encourage applicants to consider universities that are outside of South Africa. Most applications received to date have been for South African institutions and there are limited numbers that can be awarded to each university. This means that competition is stiffer for South African institutions.
There are two scholarships available for South African citizens wishing to study elsewhere in Africa.
We have set aside scholarships for studies that relate to Actuarial Sciences, Business Sciences and Accounting. If you wish to conduct such studies at any of the South African, Kenyan and Nigerian institutions that are on our preferred list, do not miss the opportunity to apply. Ensure that you meet the requirements before submitting an application.

Documents Required

All documents uploaded must be in PDF format. Each attachment should not exceed 2MB in size.

A copy of the data/ bio page of your passport.
A certified academic transcript/ results slip of the last two years of study.
A copy of the official acceptance letter from the university. The letter must:
- Be addressed to the applicant.
- State the degree which the applicant has been accepted to study.
- State the academic year at which the degree will commence.
- State the duration of the course (e.g. one year).
A copy of a valid study permit or visa OR proof of application. (Optional)
A detailed CV/ Resume of not more than four (4) single sided pages.
Two reference letters (of not more than 3 pages each) addressing the applicant’s demonstration of integrity, their competency and/or potential as a leader and their commitment to the development of the African continent.