Fully Funded Master Scholarships in African Studies

Fully Funded Master Scholarships in African Studies

Building on their outstanding and internationally recognised strengths in African Studies, the University of Bayreuth (UBT), Germany, the University of Bordeaux Montaigne (UBM), France, and the University of Porto (UP), Portugal, propose a Joint Master Programme in the framework of Erasmus Mundus.

The “European Interdisciplinary Master African Studies” (EIMAS) will spearhead innovative approaches in teaching African Studies.

The framing concept of the EIMAS is “Global Africa”. Current concepts of African Studies focus on a concept of Africa in itself, or as the object of outside influences.

Our Global Africa Approach will take Africa and Africans as global players and enhance previous concepts by adding this perspective.

The EIMAS provides an integrated approach, focusing on the nexus between Identity, Territory and Sustainability, designed to transcend the limitations of both conventional area studies and global studies, while acknowledging alternative narratives and encouraging active involvement cooperation in and with Africa.

On the structural level, the EIMAS will offer students a four-step mobility scheme from UP (1st semester) to UBT (2nd semester) and UBM (3rd semester) before they carry out an Africa-based or Africa-related fieldwork or internship, which will result in the writing of a thesis at the university of their choice.

In the first semester, UP will provide a comprehensive introduction to interdisciplinary African Studies.

During the second semester, UBT will widen the students’ perspectives towards development and cultural dynamics, whereas UBM will introduce analytical approaches and provide tools for a practical involvement in contemporary political, ecological and economic challenges in the third semester.

Through its innovative training programme, EIMAS will enable the students to acquire a wide range of practice-oriented knowledge of Global Africa, to enhance their analytical and communication skills and to strengthen their ability to work independently, which will significantly increase their employability. The consortium’s wide range of already existing collaborations with academic and non-academic partners such as government representatives, NGOs, corporate and diplomatic protagonists in Europe, Africa and beyond ensures the best possible connection to the global job market.

The EIMAS will be founded on decades of experience at UBT, UBM and UP in teaching African Studies.

Its structure is designed to support the institutional development of a transformative teaching environment, while remaining flexible enough to adapt to newly emerging issues.

The joint institutional setup will provide a framework for excellent teaching, early-career support, and equal opportunity within a system of professional management, which will implement continuous quality assurance on both the academic level and in its governance structures.

Fully Funded Master Scholarships in African Studies

Who is eligible?