RWI Afghanistan Programme call for research fellowship applications

RWI Afghanistan Programme call for research fellowship applications

RWI’s fellowships for Afghan scholars and professionals are a central component of RWI’s Afghanistan Programme, which among other aims to support Afghan scholars and professionals in continuing to pursue a career in human rights in the post-August 2021 setting. The programme also supports the production and dissemination of quality research on human rights and gender equality issues in Afghanistan, related expert and practitioners’ dialogue, and public outreach. In this, RWI hosts and collaborates with the UN Special Rapporteur (hereafter “UNSR”) on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, who since September 2022 is a Visiting Professor at the Institute. For more details about RWI’s work on Afghanistan 2021-2023, see: https://rwi.lu.se/afghanistan-programme/ 

The purpose of the fellowships programme is to enable professionals/academics from Afghanistan to conduct focused research on human rights and gender related issues in a supportive and conducive environment.

The fellowships may be undertaken onsite at RWI’s office in Lund, Sweden. There is also a remote option, which when possible, will include visits to Lund. For both modalities, a supportive and conducive research environment will be provided, with access to RWI library resources, to diverse academic seminars and policy forums, and to a research community both among fellows, and with other scholars from RWI and Lund University (LU). All fellows will have the same academic and substantive support of an RWI mentor and of the UNSR.

Qualifications and Selection Criteria

This call for applications is open to all Afghan researchers and human rights professionals who meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Afghan National;
• Advanced degree in human rights or related area;
• Extensive experience working academically and/or practically for/with human rights;
• Ability to communicate professionally in oral and written English (proficiency in English demonstrated through certificates, sample texts and oral interviews with RWI) as well as in at least one Afghan national language;
• Ability to dedicate full time to the research project and related tasks included in the fellowship for the entire duration of the fellowship (in principle the 12 months of 2024).

Please review conditions and Benefits of RWI Fellowships in the Afghanistan Programme.

As noted above, diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity and other relevant factors, among applicants who fulfill the above criteria, will be pursued and considered in the selection.

Applications

Interested candidates should apply from the RWI website no later than 31 October 2023.
Applicants can expect to be notified of the selection in December 2023.

In order to be considered, applications must include:

• A personal statement in support of your application (maximum 800 words) outlining your motivation for applying, and how your research interests, expertise and experience align with the aims of RWI’s Afghanistan programme and Fellowships;
• A CV (maximum 3 pages);