The Harvard University Center for African Studies is offering the Harvard South Africa Fellowship Program for talented candidates in the USA.

Building on Harvard University’s longstanding scholarship and education on Africa, the Center for African Studies fosters the creation and dissemination of knowledge about Africa and African perspectives, across the University’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences and Professional Schools.

President Derek Bok established the Harvard South Africa Fellowship Program (HSAFP) in 1979 to address the needs of South Africans who were denied access to advanced education by the apartheid system.  This program was established and is still intended, for mid-career professionals educationally disadvantaged by past laws and resource allocations in South Africa.

Application Deadline: The last date to submit the entries to participate in the following grant is April 30, 2022

Brief Description

• Course Level: Fellowship
• Study Subject: Fellowships are for a year of study in one of Harvard’s Professional Schools or Graduate School of Arts & Sciences
• Number of Scholarships: The Center for African Studies has awarded over 200 fellowships.
• Nationality: South African Citizens
• Scholarship can be taken in Harvard University Center for African Studies, USA

Eligibility

• Eligible Countries: South African Citizens are eligible to apply for this fellowship program.
• Entrance Requirements: In order to apply for a fellowship, applicants must follow the given criteria:
• The HSAFP was conceived largely to provide educational enrichment for men and women in mid-career, that is, individuals in various occupations who have shown considerable skill in their chosen fields and leadership and are expected to benefit from advanced training.
• Thus, candidates who have just completed, or who have not yet completed, a first degree are not selected unless this degree has been pursued concurrently with, or subsequent to, experience in the workplace. Fellows usually range in age from 30 to 45 years.
• Applicants should determine well in advance whether, if awarded a fellowship, they can be granted leave by their employers for Harvard’s academic year. They should generally plan to be in residence at Harvard from September until June.

Application Procedure:

• How to Apply: Complete the application on CARAT and upload the necessary documents such as:
• Submit transcripts from all post-secondary institutions you have attended.
• Two letters of recommendation must be submitted
• An academic essay and a personal statement must be submitted through the “Uploads” tab on CARAT.
• Academic Essay: Briefly describe an important issue relevant to your field of interest and South Africa, where possible. Propose a theoretical framework or strategy to address this issue. Applicants seeking admission into the Special Student or Visiting Fellow GSAS Programs should use this academic essay to describe their research and attach a description of their relevant coursework. Minimum 500 words, Maximum 1000 words.
• Personal Statement: Tell us something about yourself – in particular, why you wish to study at Harvard University and how doing so connects with what you have done in the past and what you plan to do in the future with your career in South Africa. Applicants seeking admission into the Special Student program should use this personal statement to explain how coursework and research opportunities at Harvard University will strengthen their doctoral work and teaching at their home institution. Minimum 250 words, Maximum 750 words.
• The Academic Essay and the Personal Statement should be typed in a standard font and font size (10 to 12 point).  Essays should also be double-spaced.
• Include your full name on the top of each page and your signature at the end of the Academic Essay and the Personal Statement.
• Submit a copy of your most recent resume/CV with your application through the “Uploads” tab on CARAT.
• Complete the Education and Professional Experience Form

Benefits

• The fellowship provides for payment of all tuition for the full period of enrollment at Harvard. The fellowship also funds round-trip airfare between the fellow’s home and Boston.
• A monthly stipend is provided to fellows, with the exception of those enrolled in the Executive Education Programs, to cover the cost of housing and other living expenses.
• A full monthly check is provided for each month or partial month during which the fellow is officially registered at Harvard.

Scholarship Link