CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
African Early Career Legal Scholars’ Network (AECLSN)
Project Title: Unearthing new voices: Skills development for emerging African law researchers
The problem
There is a serious shortage of senior academics in African higher education institutions who provide mentoring to advance the careers of emerging law researchers, help them to overcome publication barriers, and improve their research output.The opportunity
Are you an advanced African doctoral candidate or postdoctoral researcher looking for career mentoring, especially in publishing? The African Early Career Legal Scholars’ Network (AECLSN) is a new mentorship programme designed by the Centre for Legal Integration in Africa at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, in partnership with Newcastle University, United Kingdom. It will help early career scholars to build skills, produce publishable papers, and generally advance their academic careers.What we seek
We are looking for highly ambitious emerging law researchers in under-resourced African universities who are eager to be mentored, and who possess working papers that examine how legal pluralism, human rights and sustainable development intersect in African settings.Programme structure
Selected scholars will attend two in-person mentoring workshops in 2026:- University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (25-26 May 2026): Two-day intensive workshop on writing skills, grant proposal preparation, methodology, and participatory research action.
- University of the Western Cape, South Africa (12 November 2026): A follow-up session aimed at finalising draft manuscripts for publication in a special issue of the Journal of African Law and the African Journal of Legal Studies
Eligibility:
Doctoral candidates in African universities who are close to completion and African law researchers who received their doctorate after 1 January 2021. Preference will be given to:- Scholars in poorly resourced universities, especially in countries such as Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Liberia, the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo.
- Female researchers (we will provide childcare during the workshops).
Funding
We will cover roundtrip economy flights, breakfast and teas, accommodation in shared apartments, and a daily subsistence allowance of $25 for the duration of both workshops.How to apply
Please submit a thoughtful motivation letter [max. 500 words]. You may also submit a working paper that aligns with legal pluralism, human rights and sustainable development in Africa. An independent selection committee will assess submissions based on applicants’ motivation, location, and thematic quality of their submission. All selected participants will sign an MoU before the commencement of the programme.Timeline
- Call opens: 24 March 2026
- Call closes: 9 April 2026 3
- Call outcomes: 17 April 2026
Please submit your application online at https://forms.gle/4AaiCtZVCw65gTCh8 and indicate if you will need additional support to accommodate a disability.
Enquiries may be sent to Professor Anthony Diala at adiala@uwc.ac.za
