NiZA & CODESRIA: Africa Thesis Award 2006, 05/06
Africa Thesis Award 2006
The Award
The African Studies Centre (ASC), the Netherlands institute for Southern Africa (NiZA) and
the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) are
offering you the chance to win ¤4000 in The African Thesis Award.
The award aims to encourage student research and writing on Africa and
to promote the study of African cultures and societies. It is presented
annually to a student whose Masters thesis has been completed on the
basis of research conducted on Africa. The award may also be granted to
any other final-year piece of work in the form of film, video or CD-ROM
that presents a clear analysis of an issue relating to Africa.
The award consists of a prize of ¤1000 for the winning thesis and an
additional ¤3000 for the writing of a PhD proposal or for fieldwork to
update the original data for a wider audience. The winning thesis will
be published in the ASC Research Report Series and a summary of the
work will be proposed to a CODESRIA journal.
Who can apply
Any final-year student who has completed his/her Masters thesis with
distinction (80% or higher or a Dutch rating of at least 8) at a
university in Africa or the Netherlands can apply. The thesis has to be
based on independent empirical research related to Africa in one of the
subjects listed in the following section and must have been examined
within one year prior to the deadline for submitting manuscripts (see
below).
The ASC, NiZA and CODESRIA specifically encourage students from Africa
to submit their theses for this annual competition.
Subject of the thesis
Any thesis thematically related to socio-geographical, economic,
political, juridical or anthropological issues or focusing on the
humanities such as history, religion and literature (but with the
exception of language and/or semiotic studies) can be submitted. For
submission to the ASC, its geographical focus should be on Sub-Saharan
Africa or its migrant communities elsewhere in the world. For
submission to CODESRIA, the geographical focus of the thesis should be
on Africa or its migrant communities around the world. The thesis must
be socially relevant.
How to submit a thesis
If a student or his/her supervisor feels that a Masters thesis merits
an award because of its high quality and originality, the thesis should
be submitted either to the ASC-NiZA Awards Committee or the CODESRIA
Awards Committee. Every submission must include:
- a letter of recommendation from the student's supervisor containing
details about the quality of the thesis and the educational institution
from which the student has graduated, and
- a copy of the thesis as well as a summary of a maximum of 500 words.
Applicants based in the Netherlands are requested to submit 2 hard
copies of their thesis. Those based in Africa are welcome to send an
electronic version of their thesis by email. If a hard copy of the
thesis is submitted, the applicant's email address must also be
included.
The application will not be processed if it is incomplete.
Please note that the initial selection for the award will be made based
on the summary, the table of contents and the letter of recommendation.
Where to submit a thesis
Theses can be submitted to the ASC or CODESRIA (but not to both)
depending on the following criteria:
- A thesis can be submitted to the ASC if it is written in English,
French or Dutch. If the thesis is in Dutch, a five-page English or
French summary should also be attached.
- A thesis can be submitted to CODESRIA if it is written in English,
French, Portuguese or Arabic. If the thesis is written in Arabic or
Portuguese, a five-page English or French summary should be attached.
Quality of the thesis
The ASC, NiZA and CODESRIA seek to attract theses that demonstrate a
high quality with regard to the subject matter of the research as well
as the way the research has been conducted. The jury attaches
importance to an original approach and insight, and the relevance of
the research to a scientific understanding of the issues covered. In
addition, the jury will consider the significance of the thesis in
relation to development-related issues and its interest for the general
public.
Time schedule
This year's deadline for the submission of theses is 31 May 2006. From
all the entries submitted to both institutes, a shortlist of three
theses will be drawn up from which a joint jury will select the winning
thesis. The jury will announce its decision in September 2006. In
November 2006, the winner will be invited to present his/her work at a
seminar in Leiden and may also be invited to do the same at a seminar
hosted by one of CODESRIA's member institutes in Africa.
The jury
The following researchers are on the jury of the 2006 Africa Thesis Award:
- Prof. Meine Pieter van Dijk (Erasmus University), (chair)
- Prof. Eric Aseka (Kenyatta University)
- Prof. Kwame Boafo-Arthur (University of Ghana)
- Dr Rijk van Dijk (African Studies Centre)
- Dr Gerti Hesseling (African Studies Centre)
- Mindanda Mohogu (independent economist)
- Cyril Obi (Nordic African Institute)
Ms. Gitty Petit (ASC) (secretary)
Ms. Chifaou I. Josiane Amzat (CODESRIA) (secretary)
The jury's decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
Further information
For more information or queries regarding the submission of a thesis,
please contact Ms Gitty Petit, the secretary of the ASC-NiZA Awards
Committee:
African Studies Centre (ASC)
P.O. Box 9555
2300 RB Leiden
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)71 527 3376
Fax: +31(0) 71 527 3344
www.ascleiden.nl
E-mail: petitg@ascleiden.nl
or to Ms Chifaou I. Josiane Amzat, the secretary of the CODESRIA Awards
Committee:
CODESRIA
Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop X Canal IV,
BP 3304 Dakar
18524, Senegal
Tel: +221 8259814
Fax: +221 8640143
www.codesria.org
E-mail: chifaou.amzat@codesria.sn or chifaou@yahoo.fr
For more information about the presentation of the award in November,
please contact: Ms Nathalie Ankersmit
Netherlands institute for Southern Africa (NiZA)
P.O. Box 10707
1001 ES Amsterdam
The Netherlands
Tel: +31 (0)20 520 6210
Fax: +31 (0)20 520 6249
www.niza.nl/scriptie
E-mail: Nathalie.Ankersmit@niza.nl
The African Studies Centre (ASC) is an independent scientific institute
that generates and disseminates knowledge on Africa. The ASC's main aim
is to promote a better understanding and insight into historical,
current and future societal developments in Sub-Saharan Africa. It
publishes books and articles, organizes seminars and has an extensive
library that is open to the general public.
The Netherlands institute for Southern Africa (NiZA) is a politically
independent organization working towards a democratic southern Africa.
NiZA cooperates with organizations in southern Africa that are striving
for political, social and/or economic changes and links the southern
problems strategically to lobby activities and public campaigns in the
North.
The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa
(CODESRIA) was established in 1973 as an independent Pan-African
research organization with a primary focus on the social sciences. It
has its headquarter in Dakar, Senegal. It is recognized not only as a
pioneer African social research organization but also as the apex
non-governmental centre of social knowledge production on the continent.
Read more at the ASC's website:
<http://www.ascleiden.nl/Research/Award/>http://www.ascleiden.nl/Research/Award/ or
below.
There is also a French version:
<http://www.ascleiden.nl/Research/Award/MastersThesisAward-R.aspx>http://www.ascleiden.nl/Research/Award/MastersThesisAward-FR.aspx
Page Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar, Ph.D.