MINDS Scholarship Programme for Leadership Development

Published July 16, 2022 · Updated July 16, 2022

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

The MINDS Scholarship Programme enables African students to study in an African country other than their home country and in this way immerse themselves in 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.

Eligibility Criteria

Minds Scholarships are awarded to meritorious applicants following a rigorous selection process. 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.

List of Preferred Institutions:

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

Scholarship covers:

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.

Application Process

Interested individuals are invited to submit applications as soon as they receive official acceptance from a MINDS preferred university at which they wish to study. Applications will be processed in the order they are received.

Please have the following documents scanned, saved and ready for uploading. 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.