Call for Application: ALC Peace, Security and Development Fellowships and Associate Fellowships for 2025/2026
The African Leadership Centre (ALC) is pleased to announce a call for applications for its Peace, Security & Development Fellowships and Associate Fellowships for the academic year 2025/2026.
About the ALC
Established in 2010, the African Leadership Centre (ALC) seeks to build an inter-generational community of transformative leaders producing cutting-edge knowledge that serves as a catalyst for a new peace, security and development agenda in Africa. To this effect, the Centre produces and deploys multi-dimensional forms of knowledge, builds an inter-generational community of value driven leaders, facilitates a catalytical ‘public square’ to set a new agenda for Africa, and enhances the ALC Hub to produce and manage knowledges. The Centre pursues its vision of building an inter-generational community of value driven transformative leaders from its bases in Nairobi, Kenya and King’s College, London.
Learn more about our ALC institutions in Nairobi here and at King’s College London here
AFRICAN LEADERSIHP CENTRE FELLOWSHIPS
For the academic year 2025/ 2026, the ALC will offer three types of fellowships, namely:
· Fellowships for African Scholars in Peace, Security and Development;
· Associate Fellowships Bursaries for African Students in Peace, Security and Development (degree awarding); and
. Bursaries for Associate Fellowships in Global Leadership and Peacebuilding for the Global South (degree awarding).
1. Fellowships for African Scholars in Peace, Security and Development (degree awarding):
About this Fellowship
This award is designed for young African scholars passionate about a career in leadership, security, and development, to impact discourse and practice in these areas.
· Spanning eighteen (18) months, this fellowship combines rigorous academic research, impactful writing, and policy analysis on leadership, security, and development issues, culminating in a six (6) month attachment at a leading African university, regional organization, or centre of excellence on the continent.
· This programme uses modalities of learning that integrate a master’s programme on Global Leadership and Peacebuilding at King’s College London with a uniquely tailored mentoring program—comprising numerous group mentoring sessions, simulation practices, one-on-one and peer-to-peer mentoring sessions, institutional visits, and attachment.
· Upon completion, fellows emerge with academic knowledge, research skills, mentorship training, and practical experience, connected to a network of distinguished African experts in peace, security, and development to take part in setting a new peace, security and development agenda for Africa.
· This is a fully funded opportunity, excluding visa application and processing costs.
Eligibility and Applications
An ideal candidate for this fellowship is someone committed to the values of the ALC, affiliated with an academic or research institution in Africa, and deeply interested in advancing academic and policy knowledge in peace, security, and development to shape security discourses and practices in Africa and beyond. Please refer to the attached document for eligibility requirements.
Learn more about the Fellowships for African Scholars in Peace Security and Development (degree-awarding) programme including the eligibility criteria, phases of the programme, terms and application process, in the attached call for application. To apply for this programme, applicants will need to create an account on the King’s website here and complete all necessary steps until you submit your application successfully. When prompted to select your programme on the King’s application portal, choose Peace & Security Fellowship rather. Do not select MSc in Global Leadership and Peacebuilding. In addition to applying to the above Peace and Security Fellowship programme on the King's system, applicants need to make a separate application through the ALC-Nairobi portal for the fellowship programme here. This link will lead you to a registration portal where you need to first register an account and login to the ALC application system before you see all the information you need about the programme.
2. Associate Fellowships Bursaries for African Students in Peace, Security and Development (degree awarding)
About this Associate Fellowship
This associate fellowship bursary is available to African students applying for the MSc Global Leadership and Peacebuilding at King's College London, for the 2025/26 academic year (beginning in September 2025). It is available to students studying full time only. The bursary is available to young Africans who are pursuing careers in leadership, security, and development.
Successful applicants will receive a bursary that covers 25 per cent of the MSc Global Leadership and Peacebuilding tuition fees at King’s College London for the 2025/26 academic year in addition to five thousand pounds (£5,000) as a contribution to their living expenses in London.
This fellowship combines rigorous academic research, impactful writing, and policy analysis on leadership, security, and development issues. It uses modalities of learning that integrate a master’s programme on Global Leadership and Peacebuilding at King’s College London with a uniquely tailored mentoring programme—comprising numerous group-mentoring sessions, simulation practices, one-on-one and peer-to-peer mentoring sessions, institutional visits, and attachment.
After the MSc programme, Associate Fellows will also have an option to undertake a paid six-month attachment to a leading African university, regional organization, or centre of excellence.
Upon completion, associate fellows emerge with academic knowledge, research skills, mentorship training, and practical experience, connected to a network of distinguished African experts in peace, security, and development to propel their careers forward.
Eligibility and Application
Requirements include being a student from Africa, adherence and commitment to ALC values, and a demonstrated interest in leadership, security, and development issues. Please refer to the attached document for eligibility requirements.
Learn more about the Fellowships for African Scholars in Peace Security and Development (degree-awarding) programme including the eligibility criteria, phases of the programme, terms and application process, in the attached call for application. To apply for this programme, applicants will need to create an account on the King’s website here and complete all necessary steps until you submit your application successfully. When prompted to select your programme on the King’s application portal, choose Peace & Security Fellowship rather. Do not select MSc in Global Leadership and Peacebuilding. In addition to applying to the above Peace and Security Fellowship programme on the King's system, applicants need to make a separate application through the ALC-Nairobi portal for the fellowship programme here. This link will lead you to a registration portal where you need to first register an account and login to the ALC application system before you see all the information you need about the programme.
3. Bursaries for Associate Fellowships in Global Leadership and Peacebuilding for the Global South (degree awarding):
About this Associate Fellowship
This associate fellowship bursary is available to students from the Global South[1] applying for the MSc Global Leadership and Peacebuilding at King's College London, for the 2025/26 academic year (beginning in September 2025). It is available to students studying full time only. The bursary is for students from the Global South who are pursuing careers in leadership, security, and development.
Successful applicants will receive a bursary that covers 25 per cent of the MSc Global Leadership and Peacebuilding tuition fees at King’s College London for the 2025/26 academic year in addition to five thousand pounds (£5,000) as a contribution to their living expenses in London.
This fellowship combines rigorous academic research, impactful writing, and policy analysis on leadership, security, and development issues. It uses modalities of learning that integrate a master’s programme on Global Leadership and Peacebuilding at King’s College London with a uniquely tailored mentoring programme—comprising numerous group-mentoring sessions, simulation practices, one-on-one and peer-to-peer mentoring sessions, institutional visits, and attachment.
After the MSc programme, Associate Fellows will also have an option to undertake a short internship at an international institution or regional centre of excellence.
Upon completion, associate fellows emerge with academic knowledge, research skills, mentorship training, and practical experience, connected to a network of distinguished experts in peace, security, and development to propel their careers forward.
Eligibility and Application
Requirements include being a student from the Global South, adherence and commitment to ALC values, and a demonstrated interest in leadership, security, and development issues. Please refer to the attached document for eligibility requirements.
Learn more about the Fellowships for African Scholars in Peace Security and Development (degree-awarding) programme including the eligibility criteria, phases of the programme, terms and application process, in the attached call for application. To apply for this programme, applicants will need to create an account on the King’s website here and complete all necessary steps until you submit your application successfully. When prompted to select your programme on the King’s application portal, choose Peace & Security Fellowship rather. Do not select MSc in Global Leadership and Peacebuilding. In addition to applying to the above Peace and Security Fellowship programme on the King's system, applicants need to make a separate application through the ALC-Nairobi portal for the fellowship programme here. This link will lead you to a registration portal where you need to first register an account and login to the ALC application system before you see all the information you need about the programme.
The list of Global South countries is available here.