Ireland Fellows Programme – Kader Asmal Fellowship
Government of Ireland, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade
Quick Facts
A word from Eli, founder of Rise Africa Scholars
MSc Information Security — Unicaf Scholar
While you wait for a fully funded opportunity, don’t put your education on hold. I completed my MSc through Unicaf — studying online from Nairobi while working full-time. The tuition discount made it genuinely affordable, and the degree is from an accredited UK university.
If you’re serious about advancing your career now, I’d encourage you to explore it. I only recommend what I’ve used myself.
About This Scholarship
The Kader Asmal Fellowship is a fully funded master’s degree scholarship offered by the Government of Ireland to South African professionals, aimed at nurturing future leaders and developing in-country capacity to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. The fellowship supports talented individuals with strong academic backgrounds and relevant professional experience to pursue postgraduate studies at Irish higher education institutions commencing in the 2027/2028 academic year.
What This Scholarship Covers
- Full tuition coverage
- Accommodation and living expenses
- Return airfare
- English language test costs (Duolingo or IELTS if required)
- Higher education institution application fees
Who Can Apply
- 1 Must be a resident national of South Africa
- 2 Must have a minimum of two years' substantial work experience directly relevant to proposed programme(s) of study
- 3 Must hold a bachelor's level academic qualification from an accredited and government-recognised higher education institution with minimum GPA of 3.0 (4.0 scale)
- 4 Bachelor's degree must have been awarded in 2015 or later (within the last 12 years)
- 5 Must not already hold a qualification at master's level or higher
- 6 Must not currently be undertaking a programme at master's level or higher, or be due to start one in the academic year 2026/2027
- 7 Must be applying to commence a new master's level programme in Ireland no sooner than August 2027
- 8 Must demonstrate leadership abilities and aspirations
- 9 Must demonstrate commitment to achievement of Sustainable Development Goals within South Africa
- 10 Must demonstrate commitment to building positive relationships with Ireland
- 11 Must have identified and selected three programmes relevant to academic and professional background from the Directory of Eligible Programmes
- 12 Must have clear understanding of academic and English language proficiencies required for all programmes chosen
- 13 Must not have applied to the Ireland Fellows Programme on more than one previous occasion
- 14 Must be in a position to take up the Fellowship in the academic year 2027/2028