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MSc Scholarships at the African German Centre of Excellence for Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems and Applied Agricultural and Food Data Science (UKUDLA).

The deadline for applications is 17 February 2025. Photo Liza Summer/Pexels.

The University of the Western Cape (UWC) is delighted to offer four MSc scholarships through the newly established African German Centre of Excellence for Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems and Applied Agricultural and Food Data Science (UKUDLA). Funded by a German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) grant, UKUDLA aims to enhance postgraduate education through transdisciplinary research in Agri-food Systems and Applied Data Science.

Centre Overview: The UKUDLA centre is co-led by the University of Hohenheim (Germany) and UWC, with the University of Pretoria, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the University of Mpumalanga as core and associate partners. The centre’s thematic areas focus on:

• Post-harvest Technologies
• Digital Twins for Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems
• Data Science Applications in Nutrition and Dietetics
• Data Science for Crop Protection from Harmful Pathogens
• Advancing Smarter Crops with Data, Microbiomes, and Sustainability
• Information Systems for Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems
• Food Systems Analysis.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Open to all first-year MSc students, especially those from Sub-Saharan Africa
• Applicants should have a strong background in Agricultural Sciences, Food Systems, Data Science, Computer Science, Information Systems, Nutrition, or related fields
• A research concept linking at least one of the thematic areas to Data Science is essential.

Application Requirements: To apply, candidates must submit the following documents in a single PDF:

1. A one-page motivation letter outlining your interest in the field and the UKUDLA centre
2. A one-page research concept note on one thematic area, linked to Data Science
3. Curriculum vitae
4. Academic transcripts from undergraduate and honours programmes.

Application Information: All application materials must be submitted by 17 February 2025. Please send your complete application to foodsecurity@uwc.ac.za. Only successful candidates will be notified about the outcome of their applications.