The Social Science Research Council is thrilled to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa program, supporting PhD students in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and South Africa at each phase of their doctoral journey, from the formative stages of proposal development through dissertation research and completion.

To mark the program’s anniversary, the SSRC presents a series of essays exploring Next Gen’s goals and impact over the past decade as well as a brochure highlighting key doctoral projects and publications from alumni. 

Watch the following video celebrating the program’s work over the course of ten years:

Established in 2011, the program responds to a dilemma within higher education in the global South caused by an emphasis on increasing undergraduate enrollment without proportionate investment in faculty development.

“Within a decade, Next Gen has made its mark in nurturing a new generation of university-based researchers, academics, and policymakers, all of whom are contributing significantly to the training of future academic researchers and leaders and continue to shape national, regional, and international scholarly discourses and knowledge production.” 

–Cyril Obi, Program Director, Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa

Through fellowships, mentoring, and training, the Next Gen program has fostered cohorts of highly talented early-career faculty, developed a diverse scholarly community of African leaders and researchers, and promoted social science disciplines and research capacity in African higher education. Since its inception, Next Gen has grown to be one of the largest funders of doctoral studies in the social sciences in Africa, providing over 400 fellowships to citizens of over 20 African countries and supporting over 100 scholars in completing their PhDs.

Next Gen is now accepting applications for its 2022 competition. Apply by February 1. Learn more about opportunities with Next Gen.