MSU PLS and African Studies Center offering Roger Meece Internship Awards

April 4, 2023

The MSU Political Science Department, together with the African Studies Center, is pleased to offer two annual scholarships to qualified MSU students to cover the program costs for a six-week internship in Lusaka, Zambia from June to mid-July 2023. The program is based at the Southern African Institute for Policy and Research, with affiliations to the University of Zambia’s Institute of Economic and Social Science Research.

During the internship, the student will engage in independent research on a Zambia-related social science project. The student will receive mentoring and guidance from the SAIPAR staff and their MSU instructor.

This opportunity is offered through the Department of Political Science at MSU and is open to both graduate and undergraduate students. Graduate students will be enrolled in PLS 900, for 4 credits. Undergraduates will be enrolled in PLS 494, for 4-6 credits. Professor Michael Wahman will be the faculty of record for both courses.

The scholarship will cover air travel, housing, local transportation and food costs for the interns’ entire stay in Zambia. The total award amount is $5000 per student.
Recipients must be:

• Political science, public policy, history or international relations undergraduate or graduate students
• In good academic standing at the time of application; minimum 3.0 GPA
• Demonstrably dedicated to history, politics, international relations, governance and diplomacy in Africa
• Open minded, with an egalitarian and collaborative research and learning orientation, and with an interest in cross-cultural exchanges

Preferred but not required:
Students who have taken Africa related courses, have studied abroad in Africa and/or are studying African languages, or have some other demonstrable engagement with Africa, or who have an interest in a career in foreign relations. Previous experience of independent research also highly desired.

Please submit a two–three paged single-spaced Statement of Purpose detailing the specific topic you would like to research, your planned methodological approach, the importance of your project, your methodological and substantial preparedness for conducting the research, and how this work and experience in Zambia will contribute to your academic progress and the internship’s potential influence on your future career path.

Please send your application via email to Prof. Michael Wahman
wahmanmi@msu.edu by April 14, 2023.