SSRC’s APN/Next Gen Programme Provides 840 Fellowship Awards

By; AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna

The Programme Director of African Peacebuilding Network (APN) and Next Generation (Next Gen) Social Sciences in Africa Programme, Dr Cyril Obi, has stated that about 840 scholars in Africa have been awarded fellowships under the Next Gen Programme.

Speaking on Saturday at the Inaugural African Peacebuilding Network and Next Gen Universities Seminar Series (AUSS – NG) at the Main Campus of University of Abuja, Obi explained that the fellowship awards included 563 Next Gen fellowships and 277 APN fellowships.

Obi who was represented at the event by Ms Maimouna Cherif, Program Assistant for the African Peacebuilding Network and Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa (Next Gen) Program.

He said awards of the fellowship was made possible by the long standing Support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY), and the commendable efforts of the Social Science Research Council, which is one of the world’s foremost social research councils committed to advancing knowledge based on the behavioural sciences in the service of the public good, and nurturing successive generations of Social Scientists across the world.

According to him, “Of significance in this regard is the work of the SSRC through the African Peacebuilding Network (APN) and Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa (Next Gen) Program which has been the flagship program of the SSRC in Africa for over a decade. It is during this period that with the long standing support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY) that fellowship in question were provided.”

Obi stressed that the APN and Next Gen has contributed immensely to the professional development of Africa-based scholars, supporting to produce high-quality and globally visible research, complete their doctoral studies and transform their careers in ways that have also positively impacted higher education and shaped knowledge production and public policies across the continent.

He explained that the African Universities Seminar Series (AUSS) is a carefully calibrated initiative of the SSRC’S APN and Next Gen Program to connect it’s fellows to each other, within an organic community of knowledge and practice, which is grown and nurtured within the framework of self-organized seminars by fellows and alumni.

He explained, “AUSS brings together former and current fellows, led by a Local Organizing Committee (LoC) drawn exclusively from within the community to design, in collaboration with two program-appointed co-advisors and organize this two-day national seminar which highlights the research results emerging from the program-supported projects of fellows based in Nigeria.”

In their votes of thanks the co-Chairs Dr Joyce Agofure and Dr Sani Adam thanked the Program Director of APN and Next Gen, Dr Cyril Obi, particularly his able representative, Ms Maimouna Cherif for her wonderful representation.

The duo also thanked the keynote speaker Professor Babatunde for an incisive and thought provoking lecture.

They thanked all participants that came from different universities across Nigeria for volunteering to attend the historic and Inaugural AUSS-NG.