SA-GER CDR: New Scholarship Holders Started their Studies, New Call for Applications and Network Meeting

South African-German Centre for Development Research (SA-GER CDR) Coordinator, Britta Niklas, introduces scholarship holders who arrived at the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Cape Town, for their studies. Moreover, she provides information on a new call for applications. Gabriele Bäcker shares news from a recent Network Meeting of the Centres for African Excellence.

New scholarship holders commenced their studies

For the intake of 2016, the SA-GER CDR received 478 applications. In August 2015, the selection committee selected 4 Master and 2 PhD students for a Centre scholarship for 2 (MA) and 3 (PhD) years. In January 2016, the 6 new scholarship holders have started their studies at the School of Government and the Institute for Social Development (ISD).

Photo from left: Samuel Kapingidza, Dorcas Okyere, Jeremy Waiswa, Metron Ziga, Phoene Oware and Evans Sakyi Boadu (photo: private).

Evans Sakyi Boadu from Ghana was selected for the Master in Public Administration, while Metron Ziga from Zimbabwe, Phoene Oware from Kenya, and Dorcas Okyere from Ghana started the Master's Program in Development Studies.
Jeremy Waiswa (Uganda) and Samuel Kapingidza (Zimbabwe) both started their research projects at the ISD, working towards their PhDs in International Development Studies.
Moreover, in January 2016, 4 additional CDR scholarships were awarded to students of the MA in Development Management at the CDR. Alex Boakye from Ghana, Ojonwa Deborah Miachi from Nigeria, Linda Eva Ouma from Kenya, and Tiratu Belay Tombe from Ethiopia started their studies in May 2016.
Welcome and 'Have a good time'!

New Call for scholarship applications - deadline 15th July 2016

The Call for applications for Master (MA Development Studies and MA Public Administration) and PhD Scholarships (PhD in Development Studies and PhD in Public Policy) for the intake of 2017 is open until 15th July 2016.
All applicants must fill in an online application form. The online application form and more information is available on SA-GER CDR's website. The application criteria are specifically set out in the "How to apply" pages of the respective programme sections.

Network Meeting of the Centres of African Excellence

From 3rd to 5th March 2016, the 7th Network Meeting of the DAAD-funded Centres of African Excellence took place in Ghana. Representatives of all eight Centres from six African countries attended the meeting, together with their German partners.

Picture from Network Meeting (photo: private).

From the CDR, Gabriele Bäcker, Julian May, Grace Nkomo, and Chris Tapscott attended the meeting. Stefan Buchholz, DAAD lecturer at the CDR, also joined the group. After an official opening at the Institute for Statistical Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at the University of Ghana with keynote and welcoming addresses by the Minister for Tertiary Education of Ghana, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Ghanaian Deputy Minister of Communications, Hon. Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, the representative of the German Embassy, Mr. Abels, the director of ISSER, Prof. Felix Asante, and Dr. Dorothee Weyler from the DAAD centre, representatives engaged in intensive discussions about the impact of the Centres and their future perspectives.
Several ideas and possible future activities, all aimed at supporting the sustainability of activities at the Centres, were also discussed during the meeting. CDR members volunteered to take the lead in developing some of these ideas further, such as publishing a journal with research work of graduate students, alumni and the Centres' staff with the aim of improving the visibility of research output of the Centres.
Another undertaking is the establishment of a series of alumni conferences, which will serve as an excellent instrument for enhancing networking, both between the Centres and with their alumni. These two projects will be kick-started at the first alumni meeting in 2017, most likely to be hosted by the CDR at UWC.

Dipl.-Ök. Britta Niklas
Coordinator SA-GER CDR
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Phone: +49 (0)234 / 32-25148
Fax: +49 (0)234 / 32-14294

Dr. Gabriele Bäcker
Executive Director
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Phone: +49 (0)234 / 32-27770
Fax: +49 (0)234 / 32-14294