Applications for the academic year 2024-25 are now open

The deadline for receipt of completed application forms is 30 July 2023. Application documents are available under Application Information below after ticking the box to confirm you meet the eligibility criteria.

The Ireland Fellows Programme enables early to mid-career professionals from eligible countries, with leadership potential, to benefit from a prestigious, world-class, quality education contributing to capacity building. It offers selected students the opportunity to undertake a fully funded one-year master’s level programme at a higher education institution (HEI) in Ireland. The award covers programme fees, flights, accommodation and living costs. Eligible master’s level programmes in Ireland commence in August or September each year and, depending on the programme, will run for between 10 and 16 months.

The Ireland Fellows Programme promotes gender equality, equal opportunity, and welcomes diversity. Our Development Policy is aligned with SDG 16 on building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels, and we are encouraging applications from the broadest possible base. The Programme welcomes applications from applicants with disabilities, and applicants who belong to a minority or disadvantaged group. We would like to increase the representation of female applicants and those whose gender identity does not align with the male/female gender binary.

The aims of the Programme are to nurture future leaders; to develop in-country capacity to achieve national SDG goals; and to build positive relationships with Ireland.

The Programme is intended to support graduates on their return home, through the skills they develop, to contribute to capacity building in their home countries and to become one of the next generation of leaders in their respective fields. It is also envisaged that they will contribute to building enduring positive personal and professional relationships with Ireland, promoting institutional linkages.

The Irish Government, in partnership with the Engineering Institution of Zambia and the University of Galway, have established a Frank Ferguson Fellowship award that will fund one successful Zambian candidate each year to study on a master’s level engineering programme in Ireland. The Engineering School at the University of Galway is ranked in the top 1% globally and boasts strong research support in one of the world’s most welcoming cities.

This Fellowship award is in recognition of the achievements, and in memory of Frank Ferguson, who was an engineer and innovator who dedicated fifty years of his life to promoting development in Zambia through numerous high-quality infrastructure projects.

The Ireland Fellows Programme is fully funded by the Irish Government and is offered under the auspices of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). The Programme aligns with the Irish Government’s commitments under Global Ireland and the national implementation plan for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), The Global Island: Ireland’s Foreign Policy for a Changing World, A Better World: Ireland’s Policy for International Development, and Ireland’s International Education Strategy, as well as Global Ireland: Ireland’s Strategy for Africa to 2025; Global Ireland: Delivering in the Asia Pacific Region; Ireland’s Strategy for Partnership with Small Island Developing States; and Global Ireland: Ireland’s Strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean to 2025. The programme is managed by the relevant Embassy responsible for eligible countries. Programme implementation in Ireland is supported by the Irish Council for International Students (ICOS).

Eligible Countries:
Zambia

Eligible Courses:
Applicants must select from the following list of courses offered by the University of Galway:
Master of Civil Engineering (1MEC1)
ME in Energy Systems Engineering (1MEES1)
MSc in Mechanical Engineering (1MSME1)
ME in Electrical & Electronic Engineering (1MEEE1)
MSc in Marine and Freshwater Resources: Management (1MFR1)

Eligibility

To be eligible for an Ireland Fellows Programme – Frank Ferguson Fellowship award commencing at the beginning of the academic year 2024, applicants must:
Be a resident national of Zambia.
Have a minimum of three years’ substantial work experience that is directly relevant to your proposed programme(s) of study.
Be a member of the Engineering Institution of Zambia.
Hold a Degree in Engineering or related discipline with Merit or higher from an accredited and government-recognised higher education institution.
Have achieved the necessary academic standard to be accepted onto a Master’s level programme of studying in Engineering at the University of Galway.
Not already hold a qualification at master’s level or higher. Not currently undertaking a programme at master’s level or higher, or be due to start a programme at master’s level or higher in the academic year 2023/24.
Be applying to commence a new programme at master’s level in Ireland no sooner than August 2024.
Be able to demonstrate the following: leadership abilities and aspirations; a commitment to the achievement of the SDGs within your own country; and a commitment to contribute to building positive relationships with Ireland.
Have identified and selected two programmes relevant to your academic and professional background from the list of engineering programmes at the University of Galway (see page 7).
Have a clear understanding of the academic and English language proficiencies required for all programmes chosen.
Must not have applied to the Ireland Fellows Programme on more than one previous occasion.
Be in a position to take up the Fellowship in the academic year 2024/2025.

In addition, please see the Ireland Fellows Programme Africa page.

The Fellowship covers the recipient only. Financial support or visas for spouses or dependents are not included within the scope of the programme.

Applications

Please read the Applicants Guidance Note carefully before completing as eligibility criteria may differ from country to country.

The application process consists of three stages:
Stage 1 Preliminary Application;
Stage 2 Detailed Application (including research proposal);
Stage 3 Interviews.

All applicants who are selected to go forward to second stage will be required to sit an IELTS exam, unless they are already in possession of an IELTS certificate that is dated 2022 or later at the time of application which shows the applicant has achieved the necessary score for the course they intend to apply to. Early preparation for the IELTS exam is strongly advised, even for native English speakers.

Application Information

Applications will not be considered for this fellowship unless all eligibility criteria are met. You should carefully check that you can meet the above criteria before requesting application information.
I meet all eligibility requirements listed above. Please show additional information.

Contact

Please email your completed Stage 1 application form to the Embassy of Ireland in Zambia.
Please include “Frank Ferguson Fellowship” in the subject line of all emails, and on the envelope of any postage sent to the Embassy.

Additional Information

To find out what Ireland is doing in Zambia, visit www.irishaid.ie.For information on the Department of Foreign Affairs, visit www.dfa.ie.To learn about education in Ireland, visit www.educationinireland.com. For information about IELTS, visit www.ielts.org.