IPS Africa - How to apply
The participants of the 2025 IPS Africa (© German Bundestag/ Inga Haar)
The German Parliament invites politically and socially committed young graduates from Southern Africa (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa), East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda), and West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal) to Berlin in January for a scholarship programme.
The concept
Since 2020, the German Bundestag has offered a scholarship programme under the patronage of the President of the Bundestag for young graduates from sub-Saharan Africa who want to learn more about the German parliamentary system and who want to play an active and responsible role in shaping the democratic future of their countries.
In a compact four-week programme, up to 24 fellows from Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda learn first-hand about the German parliamentary system and the political decision-making processes in the German Bundestag.
IPS Africa 2025 fellows from East Africa (© German Bundestag/ Inga Haar)
The programme
In 2026, the programme will take place in Berlin from 5 January to 3 February 2026.
The core of the programme is a one-week placement in the office of a Member of the German Bundestag, shadowing an MP and their staff members. The programme provides a compact introduction to parliamentary democracy and the functioning of the German Bundestag. Other topics include pluralist society, the protection of minorities and culture of remembrance as a political task. There will be a series of workshops on a variety of topics, including anti-corruption and intercultural training. A project management workshop will help participants develop their own project ideas to promote democracy and civil society in their home countries.
Eligibility criteria
- Citizenship of a participating country (Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda)
- Under the age of 30 at the start of the scholarship/January 1st
- University degree
- Good knowledge of German (at least level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages)
- Interest in politics, social/political engagement
How to apply?
Please send your application as one single PDF file (titled: Surname-First Name) to the German Embassy in your home country. The PDF file must not exceed 10 MB in size. If the PDF file exceeds 10 MB, please split your application into several emails. Please do not send ZIP files. Follow the link on the right-hand side of this page which will take you to the documents you need (in German only).
Your application must include:
- Application form (in German)
- Recent language certificate, not older than two years
- Letter of motivation (in German, max. two pages, signed by you personally)
- Copy of passport or identity card as proof of citizenship of a participant country
- University degree certificate (in original or certified copy in English or German)
- A letter of recommendation (in German or English) from a professor/teacher or employer, which assesses the applicant's suitability for the IPS programme.
Application deadline
The deadline for applying to join the 2026 programme is 13 July 2025.
The selection
Applicants will be invited to an interview at a German diplomatic mission, where an independent selection committee appointed by the German Bundestag will select the fellows on the basis of their professional, social, linguistic, and intercultural skills.
The scholarship
Participants will receive a stipend of 700 Euros. Accommodation will be provided free of charge. Travel costs to and from Berlin will also be covered. The German Bundestag will also cover the cost of health, accident and personal liability insurance.
Contact
For more information, please send an email to: ips‑afrika@bundestag.de
Important note
Namibian and South African citizens are eligible to apply for the global five-month IPS programme. For more information, please visit https://www.bundestag.de/ips_global. Please note that you can apply for both programmes at the same time, but you can only participate in one of them, and it is not possible to participate in the other programme at a later date.