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About the ECA Fellowship Programme

As a foremost knowledge policy institution in Africa, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) established a fellowship programme embedded within its work programme to engage bright young Africans for skills and capacity development, training, and mentorship. This programme is a contribution by the ECA to the development of highly skilled human capital for Africa that can promote transformative development on the continent.

The fellowship is for an initial period of six months, renewable for another six months after a satisfactory performance evaluation by the designated supervisor. The fellowship will not exceed a maximum period of 12 months.

About ECA Fellowship

Early Career Development

The ECA fellowship programme provides practical, on-the-job experience to young professionals in the early and middle stages of their careers in academia, the public sector, or international development institutions. It provides them with an opportunity to learn in the multicultural environment of the United Nations and contribute to the work of ECA. The programme also allows fellows to familiarize themselves with the Commission’s broad programmes and services to member States and subregional bodies in addressing the economic and social dimensions of Africa’s development priorities.

Early Career Development
Early Career Development

Key Expected Outcomes

The programme is intended to build a community of experts in Africa that can serve as a resource for formulating, implementing, and monitoring development activities at national, subregional, regional, and international levels. Ultimately, the fellows will have improved their skills, capacity, and intellectual ability by the end of the programme. This includes :
  • Enhancing the practical experience of the fellows in a multicultural setting, providing them with a better understanding of policy processes and policymaking in Africa.
  • Improving the intellectual capability of the fellows through the research work they undertake, which will result in a report considered for publication in the Journal of African Transformation.
  • Developing a network of alumni, exchanging knowledge, ideas, and information, thereby promoting career and professional development.
Key Outcomes

Geographical representation and Gender mainstreaming of the ECA Fellowship programme

Thematic Areas Thematic Areas Thematic Areas

Thematic Areas Covered by the Fellowship Programme

  • Macroeconomic policy, economic governance, and public finance
  • Private sector development and finance, including innovative finance and capital markets
  • Poverty, inequality, and social policy
  • Gender equality and women’s empowerment
  • Demographic dynamics for development
  • Innovation and technology
  • Climate change, environment and natural resources management, including the green economy
  • Industrialization and economic diversification policies
  • Development planning and statistics
  • Regional integration, infrastructure, and trade
  • Labour economics and employment
  • Strategic planning, monitoring, reporting, and evaluation
  • Communication, human resources development, and administration
Thematic Areas

Application Requirements

As a foremost knowledge policy institution in Africa, the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) established a fellowship programme embedded within its work programme to engage bright young Africans for skills and capacity development, training, and mentorship. This programme is a contribution by the ECA to the development of highly skilled human capital for Africa that can promote transformative development on the continent.

The fellowship is for an initial period of six months, renewable for another six months after a satisfactory performance evaluation by the designated supervisor. The fellowship will not exceed a maximum period of 12 months.

Application Requirements