Applications are now open for United Nations ECA Fellowship Programme for Young African Professionals to promote the economic and social development of Africa.

This Fellowship programme aims to provide practical, on-the-job experience to the young professionals in their early and middle career in the academy, public sector or international development in providing them exposure and learning in a multicultural environment of the UN and contribute to the work of ECA. It will also provide the candidates with the opportunity to familiarize with the Commission’s broad programmes and services to member States and subregional bodies in addressing economic and social dimensions of Africa’s development priorities. This should expectedly improve their skills, capacity and intellectual ability.

ECA’s mission is to deliver ideas and actions for an empowered and transformed Africa; informed by the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063.

The mission is guided by the five strategic directions of the institution, which are; advancing ECA’s position as a premier knowledge institution in supporting evidence based policy making,; developing macroeconomic and structural policy options to accelerate economic diversification and job creation; designing and implementing innovative financing models for infrastructure, human, physical and social assets for transforming Africa; promoting regional integration and addressing transboundary issues and challenges,; advocating Africa’s position at the global level and developing regional responses as a contribution to global governance issues.

As a foremost knowledge policy institution in Africa, ECA seeks to engage bright young Africans for skills and capacity development, training and mentorship through a fellowship programme within ECA’s work programme. This fellowship initiative is in line with the Commission’s effort to assist member States develop their capacities in economic and social policy research, development, implementation, analysis, governance, and monitoring and evaluation. The fellowship aims at developing a new crop of young African intellectuals with strong policy making knowledge and capacity in supporting African countries in the process of economic and social transformation and development.

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Themes
  • ECA is hereby inviting 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;
    • Climate Change &Management of Natural Resources, including Green Economy;
    • Labor Economics and Employment;
    • Communication and strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation.
Logistics
  • The selected Fellows must be available to travel to the assigned duty station as may be decided by ECA after the selection process;
  • The selected Fellows will receive a return air ticket between his/her country of residence and the assigned duty station;
  • The selected Fellows will receive a one-off settling-in grant of USD 3,000 (for fellows recruited from outside of the duty station) and a monthly stipend of USD 3,000 each for the duration of the fellowship. Note that the final month stipend will only be paid upon submission of:
    • A peer-reviewed fellowship research paper,
    • A comprehensive fellowship report, an approved final performance evaluation of the fellow,
    • A completed fellowship programme evaluation form and
    • An exit boarding pass or immigration stamp showing that the fellow has departed the duty station and returned back to his/her home country, where both are not the same, at the end of the fellowship programme.
  • The fellowship program is for six months but may be extended for a maximum of another six months.
Responsibilities
  • Within delegated authority, the Fellows will be responsible for the following duties: The Fellow(s) will agree to a work programme in the area of economic and social development defined mutually with the receiving/mentoring Division, Sub-Regional Office or Centre. The fellow(s) will contribute to the work of the Division, Sub-Regional Office or Centre by carrying out research, analytical studies, drafting reports and supporting other activities, as directed.
  • Assignments within the areas of focus may include, but are not limited to, collecting, evaluating, interpreting, and analyzing economic, social and political development issues in the focus areas. The fellow(s) will also contribute to technical and policy reports, briefing notes, and support in the organization and servicing of expert group meetings, workshops, and seminars; and fulfil various other administrative tasks for the effective delivery of the activities. The fellow(s) will be required to prepare a research paper and make presentation on it in the course of their fellowship.
Competencies
  • Professionalism
  • Communication:
  • Team work
Qualifications
  • Education: Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree or doctorate or their equivalents) in economics, development studies, political economy, international affairs, political and social sciences, , peace and human security, public administration, law, minerals and natural resources, engineering, and related field is required.
  • Experience: Academic research or academic work related to the focus thematic areas is required. Experience in research/analytical work in socio-economic and political development, natural resource management/law, regional integration, infrastructure development, governance, peace and related areas in the context of Africa, either in the academia, private, public or civil society organizations, is an advantage.
  • Language: English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat. For the fellowship advertised, fluency in either language is required and working knowledge of the other is desirable. Knowledge of another official United Nations language is an advantage.
Eligibility Criteria
  • The following conditions will apply:
    • The candidate applying for this fellowship programme must be 35 years of age or below, at the time of the application;
    • The candidate must be a national of a member State of the Economic Commission for Africa;
    • The candidate must have graduated before 1 October 2022 from either a master’s degree or doctorate degree programme, or equivalent;
    • The candidate should have interest in one or more of the identified thematic areas;
    • The selected candidate will work on a predefined project, designed to contribute to specific aspects of the work programme of the mentoring Division, Sub-Regional Office or ECA Centres, and contribute to other activities;
    • The selected candidate should participate in national, regional or international meetings as assigned for exposure;
    • The selected candidate should submit and present at a seminar a peer reviewed research paper at the end of the assignment; and
    • The selected candidate will be part of an alumni association of ECA Fellows and member of practicing international development “community of practice”.
  • Note that the final month stipend will only be paid upon submission of:
    • A peer-reviewed fellowship research paper,
    • A comprehensive fellowship report, an approved final performance evaluation of the fellow,
    • A completed fellowship programme evaluation form and
    • An exit boarding pass or immigration stamp showing that the fellow has departed the duty station and returned back to his/her home country, where both are not the same, at the end of the fellowship programme.
  • The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its recruitment. Qualified female candidates and young scholars are particularly encouraged to apply.

Application deadline: 26 January 2023

Logistics

1. The selected Fellows must be available to travel to the assigned duty station as may be decided by ECA after the selection process;

2. The selected Fellows will receive a return air ticket between his/her country of residence and the assigned duty station;

3. The selected Fellows will receive a one-off settling-in grant of USD 3,000 (for fellows recruited from outside of the duty station) and a monthly stipend of USD 3,000 each for the duration of the fellowship.

Note that the final month stipend will only be paid upon submission of:

 A peer-reviewed fellowship research paper,

 A comprehensive fellowship report, an approved final performance evaluation of the fellow,

 A completed fellowship programme evaluation form and

 An exit boarding pass or immigration stamp showing that the fellow has departed the duty station and returned back to his/her home country, where both are not the same, at the end of the fellowship programme.

4. The fellowship program is for six months but may be extended for a maximum of another six months.

ALL SUBMISSIONS TO BE EMAILED TO:

Email Address: RecruitmentPPost@un.org

Subject Line: ECA Fellowship for Young African Professionals, 2023

For more information and application details, Please visit Official website – United Nations.

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