Are you a young African professional looking to gain practical experience working with the United Nations?
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) is now accepting applications for its 2024 Fellowship Programme.
This exciting opportunity provides on-the-job training to early and mid-career professionals in academia, the public sector, or international development.
About the ECA Fellowship Programme
The ECA Fellowship Programme aims to provide fellows with exposure to the UN’s multicultural work environment while contributing to ECA’s mission of promoting Africa’s economic and social development.
Selected candidates will have the chance to familiarize themselves with ECA’s broad range of programmes and services supporting member states and subregional bodies in addressing Africa’s development priorities.
Through the fellowship, participants will improve their skills, capacity, and intellectual ability in areas related to economic and social policy research, development, implementation, analysis, governance, and monitoring and evaluation.
ECA seeks to engage bright young Africans and develop a new generation of policy experts to support Africa’s economic and social transformation.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for the ECA Fellowship Programme, candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Be 35 years of age or younger at the time of application
- Be a national of an ECA member state
- Have graduated with a master’s degree, doctorate, or equivalent before July 1, 2024
- Demonstrate interest in one or more of the fellowship’s thematic areas
- Be willing to work on a predefined project contributing to the mentoring division’s work programme
- Participate in assigned national, regional or international meetings
- Submit and present a peer-reviewed research paper at the end of the fellowship
- Join the alumni association of ECA Fellows after the programme
Thematic Areas
ECA invites applications from qualified young African professionals in the following thematic areas:
- Macroeconomic policy, development planning, economic governance & public finance
- Industrialization and economic diversification policies
- Regional integration, infrastructure and trade
- Private sector development & finance, including innovative finance & capital markets
- Poverty, inequality and social policy
- Food systems and food security
- Gender equality and women empowerment
- Demographic dynamics for development
- Innovation and technology
- Data and statistics management
- Climate change & natural resource management, including green economy
- Labor economics and employment
- Communication, advocacy, media relations
- Knowledge management, information management and librarianship
- Strategic planning, foresight analysis, monitoring and evaluation, partnership and resource mobilization
- Administration, human resources, budget, and financial management
- Organizational behavior and change management
- Risk management and corporate policy
Fellowship Responsibilities
Selected fellows will agree on a work programme focused on either economic and social development (Programme Pillar) or communication, advocacy, knowledge/information management and administration (Programme Support Pillar). Specific responsibilities may include:
- Conducting research and analytical studies
- Drafting reports and supporting other activities
- Contributing to technical and policy reports and briefing notes
- Supporting the organization of expert group meetings, workshops, and seminars
- Preparing and presenting a research paper during the fellowship
Competencies
Ideal candidates will demonstrate the following competencies:
- Professionalism:Â In-depth knowledge of socio-economic and political development issues; ability to analyze critical matters and translate policies
- Communication:Â Effective verbal and written communication skills; ability to present high-level papers with clarity
- Teamwork:Â Collaborative spirit; values others’ ideas; fosters effective working relationships in diverse environments
Benefits and Logistics
- Selected fellows will receive a return air ticket between their country of residence and the assigned duty station.
- A one-off settling-in grant of USD $3,000 will be provided to fellows recruited from outside the duty station.
- Fellows will receive a monthly stipend of USD $3,000 for the duration of the 6-month fellowship, with the final month paid upon submission of required deliverables.
- The fellowship may be extended for a maximum of another six months.
Education and Experience Requirements
- Education:Â Advanced university degree (Master’s, Doctorate or equivalent) in a relevant field such as economics, development studies, political economy, international affairs, social sciences, public administration, law, natural resources, engineering or business administration.
- Experience:Â Academic research or work experience in the selected thematic areas is required, with practical experience in Africa’s socio-economic and political development an asset.
- Languages:Â Fluency in either English or French (UN Secretariat working languages) required; working knowledge of the other is desirable. Knowledge of another UN language is an advantage.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should submit the following documents as PDF attachments in a single email to [email protected] with the subject line “ECA Fellowship for Young African Professionals, 2024”:
- UN Administrative Profile (AP) including a cover letter/motivation statement. The AP can be created at https://inspira.un.org.
- Research proposal (minimum 1,000 words) indicating the chosen thematic area
- Copies of advanced academic degrees
- Copy of national passport (information page)
- Three letters of reference/recommendation
The application deadline is 17 August 2024 at 11:59 PM Addis Ababa time.
Don’t miss this incredible opportunity to launch your career with the United Nations in Africa.
Apply now and take the first step towards becoming an agent of change for Africa’s sustainable development!
For more information, visit the official ECA Fellowship website.
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