What Kader Asmal Fellowship Programme 2027/2028 (Ireland Fellows Programme) actually covers.
The Kader Asmal Fellowship is the South African strand of the Irish government's Ireland Fellows Programme, named for the late South African minister and anti-apartheid activist who spent his years of exile teaching in Ireland. It funds South African nationals to take a master's degree at an Irish higher education institution, with the explicit aims of developing future leaders, strengthening South Africa's capacity to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, and deepening ties between the two countries.
The award is fully funded, covering tuition, living costs and travel for the duration of the programme, which is typically one year of full-time study. Alongside the funding sits a structured leadership development and networking component, which is central to the programme's purpose rather than incidental to it.
Eligible fields are drawn from a published Directory of Eligible Programs and span agriculture, health, education, human rights, computer science, engineering and business. Applicants choose three programmes from that directory rather than applying to a single course.
The eligibility bar is specific. Applicants must be resident South African nationals, hold a bachelor's degree awarded in 2015 or later with a GPA of at least 3.0 out of 4.0, and bring at least two years of substantial work experience relevant to their intended field. Anyone who already holds or is currently pursuing a master's is excluded, as is anyone who has applied more than once before. Selection proceeds through a preliminary application, a detailed application, and an interview, with shortlisted candidates sitting the Duolingo English Test, or IELTS in January 2027 if their chosen institution does not accept Duolingo.
One caveat for applicants: the source lists the closing date as 26 July without stating the year, and the cycle described is for study beginning August 2027. Confirm the exact deadline on the official Ireland Fellows page before relying on it.
Who can apply.
Open to masters applicants seeking to study in Ireland.
Open to applicants from across the African continent. Confirm specific nationality eligibility on the official application page.
Every academic discipline is accepted.
This programme does not restrict by field. Research proposals across humanities, sciences, engineering, agriculture, and medicine are all accepted.
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Other scholarships worth a parallel application.
Same eligibility window or destination. Many strong applicants apply to three or four programmes per cycle.