Applications are open for the WASCAL Master Scholarships for ECOWAS Countries. The program has been created by the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL), under the sponsorship of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The program focuses on academic and transdisciplinary research, building graduate-level scientific capacity and serving policymakers in West Africa with science-based advice on adaptation to climate change impacts and land use management. It cooperates with many agencies and universities in the region, providing a knowledge platform of excellence for its partners.
Applications to the International Master’s Program in Informatics for Climate Change (MRP-ICC) in all fifteen (15) ECOWAS countries is now open. The program is designed to train a critical mass of experts with adequate scientific computation and climate data management skills in West Africa. After graduation, participants can pursue doctoral studies or undertake professional careers in meteorological agencies, research centres, universities, public administration, private sector, NGOs, International Institutions, self-employment as innovators, etc.
Applicants must have a background in English to be able to follow courses. To improve their language skills, an English language course will be offered by WASCAL to selected Francophone students at the University of Cape Coast (Ghana), to help them meet entry requirements. Anglophone students will also be given the opportunity to take French language courses at Université de Lomé (Togo). The Language Course is geared towards fostering future professional communication, collaboration, negotiations, and friendships between French and English-speaking students.
Program Details
- Host Institution: Université Joseph KI-ZERBO, Burkina Faso.
- Field of Study: Master Research Programme in Informatics for Climate Change.
- Number of awards: Not Specified.
- Duration: 24 months.
- Eligible countries: Open to nationals of ECOWAS countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
WASCAL Master Scholarships Benefits
WASCAL will grant scholarships to selected students in the Master Research programme in Informatics for Climate Change. The scholarship is extended every year after successful completion of the study programme. Selected candidates for this program will enjoy a fully funded scholarship that provides the following items.
- monthly stipend to cover accommodation and living expenses for the period of studies;
- payment of university fees;
- research budget;
- a personal laptop computer on loan for the duration of the programme.
In addition to the selected students for the WASCAL scholarship, limited places will be offered to high-performing candidates capable of covering the cost of training at the rate of 2290 euros per year. For these reasons, the fees must be paid to the Accounting Agency of the Université JKZ before the start of each year’s courses.
Programme Duration
The time frame for the Master’s programme is two years. During the first-year, students participate in the course programme of their Master Research Programme and work on their research outline. Research will be conducted during the second year within a period of six to nine months. Students are expected to complete their thesis and internships with relevant government ministries, national meteorological/hydrological agencies or relevant industries during the last three to six months of their study. The 24-month full time programme has the following components:
- Preparatory phase: four (04) months of language proficiency courses in English language for francophones and lusophones at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, and French language for anglophones at the University of Lomé in Togo;
- Lectures – 14 months, comprising 3 semesters at the Université Joseph KI-ZERBO (UJKZ);
- Research proposal preparation – concurrent with (ii) above;
- Internship/Field/Research work/ – 4 months. Students are expected to select topics that are in line with the research agenda, mission, and objectives of WASCAL;
- Final thesis write-up and defense – 2 months.
Eligible Program : Master Research Programme in Informatics for Climate Change (MRP-ICC)
The Master’s Research Programme in Informatics for Climate Change (MRP-ICC) is implemented at the Université Joseph KI-ZERBO (Burkina Faso). It is aimed at training a critical mass of experts with adequate scientific computation and climate data management skills in West Africa. This Master’s program includes all aspects of data management and administration of high-performance computing facility that will be used to run regional climate models and its auxiliaries for operational and research institutions and universities in West Africa.
Students will be exposed to interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary approaches to climate data analysis and management skills as well as operations and maintenance of HPC systems. Upon completion of their study, the students are expected to acquire adequate knowledge in:
- climate and environmental data storage and management,
- climate data analysis techniques and provision of climate data service,
- operation, installation, and maintenance of the HPC,
- current licensed climate data analysis software/packages,
- use of open source climate data analysis packages.
WASCAL Master Scholarships Eligibility
To be considered for this scholarship program, candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Have a minimum of BSc degree (second class upper division) or equivalent in Computer Science, Physics, Chemistry, Health sciences, Meteorology and Climate science, Geography, Biological sciences, Geoscience, Environmental Sciences, Economics, Agriculture, Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Engineering, Electrical engineering, Electronic Engineeringo
- Be a citizen of WASCAL member country (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Togo, Cabo Verde and Senegal).
- Proficiency in English Language will be an addition.
Similar opportunities
- Schwarzman Scholars program at Tsinghua University;
- Fulbright Foreign Student Scholarship to the USA;
- University of Windsor Entrance Scholarships to Study in Canada.
How to Apply for the WASCAL Master Scholarships
Interested applicants who would like to apply for this university scholarship program are required to submit the completed application form (complete with all Required Documents below) by email addressed to: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]
- Partially completed forms will be discarded;
- Each document must be attached individually and as a single document;
- All applicants must fill out the form at the following link: forms.gle/hDHJWNsTDVHhzLoS6
- In order for your application to be validated, in addition to the required documents, you must complete the form above.
Required Documents
The following documents are required for the application, with the corresponding names of the files in brackets [].
- Copy of academic degree (B.Sc or equivalent) [ Degree ]
- B.Sc Official Transcript or equivalent [ Transcript (1, 2, 3…) ]
- Detailed Curriculum Vitae [ CV ]
- WASSCE or SSCE Certificate (Anglophone Countries) [ WASSCE or SSCE ]
- Baccalaureat Certificate (Francophone countries) [ BAC ]
- Letter of motivation [ Letter-Motiv ]
- Support letter from an employer (if employed) granting study leave for the two (2) years duration of the Master programme [ Letter-employer ]
- Copy of Certificate of Nationality or State of Origin [ CN ]
- A copy of the English proficiency test or, alternatively, a statement indicating and justifying your self-assessment in the context of English proficiency [ English ]
- Recommendation letter from one (01) referee, the letter must contain detailed functional contact addresses (e-mail, WhatsApp) and telephone numbers of the referee [ Recom ].
Note : Official English translations if the originals documents are not in English. The complete application folder must include 8 to 9 separate files. Each Applicant must ensure that they do not provide 2 or more items from the list in the same file. Incomplete application will be cancelled..
The application deadline to this scholarship program is . For more details on the WASCAL Master Scholarships for ECOWAS Countries, please visit the official page. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.