West African PhD Scholarship
A West African PhD scholarship can change the life of a student. It can provide access to prestigious colleges and universities in Africa and elsewhere. These funds can help bring greater knowledge and understanding of current cycles of political and social change in West Africa. They also add badly needed expertise and increase educational achievement among Africans. Foreign institutions use scholarships to study history and preserve information about cultures that may be in decline.
Priorities on Needs
Some sponsors limit West African PhD scholarships to fields in high demand such as agricultural science while others have selection priorities including education, Internet technology, finance, infrastructure development, and engineering. Agriculture is a critical priority. The United Nations has forecast an enormous population increase in Africa and most of the Third World by the year 2050. Global population growth will challenge present food production technology and resources. The West African region will require experts to implement new methods and techniques. Africa needs increased expertise to teach and study modern agriculture as these advances require localized implementation, and technology adjusted to climate, soil, pests, and rainfall conditions.
Study of Change
West African PhD scholarship funds are available in European universities to promote scholarship and research in the region. Significant social change has occurred in recent decades. Some formerly prominent cultures have gone into steep decline, and a few have virtually disappeared. An academic response to rapid and accelerating rates of change to study these trends in the affected sub-regions is needed. For example, among resources that have focused on the Sahel region, West African PhD scholarship have centered on deteriorating living conditions, government stability, arms, and conflict management.
Preserving Cultural History
A widespread observation has been the disappearance of cultures in West Africa. Many scholarship programs seek to study these radical patterns of change in the region in terms of effects on ancient cultures and language groups. Some focus on research that would help preserve the histories of these groups such as the Hausa, and Tuareg. Others reflect more concern for the impacts of Islamic influences such as pluralism and militancy. The net result is the preservation of information on declining and endangered cultures.
Language and cultural advantages
Many European sources of funds for West African PhD scholarships encourage participation from African applicants. They place preferences on language facility in French and indigenous dialects and strongly favor applicants with prior experience in the region. These preferences serve a dual function: they insure knowledgeable insights in thesis and dissertation subjects, and they help promote higher education achievement among West African peoples. Some successful PhD candidates return to Africa, and they inspire greater educational achievement in others.
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Pending that time you can view all the scholarships available to students from developing countries at all levels of education (Undergraduate, Masters, Ph.D, Post Doctoral, etc). Click the links below to check them out:
Scholarships For Nigerian Students 2013
Top Scholarships For Nigerian Undergraduates 2013
Wishing you all the best with your application!!!
