MASS African Design Centre Fellowship 2025 – YOA

Deadline: July 13, 2025

Applications are open for the MASS African Design Centre Fellowship 2025. The ADC Fellowship is a twelve-month arms-on residency program in Kigali, Rwanda, for nationals of an African nation. This program is designed to foster and incubate future African architects and designers by imparting important instruments, mentorship, and assets. The goal is to empower Fellows to develop culturally grounded and neighborhood-pushed design options that deal with the continent’s important infrastructure challenges, whereas concurrently preserving and integrating Africa’s architectural heritage.

The ADC Fellowship seeks rising design leaders with demonstrated dedication to advancing social justice and environmental duty by way of their work, deeply rooted in African heritage. Ideal candidates search to take part within the motion that may outline how regionally pushed, design-primarily based interventions can ship transformational change particularly in three areas of focus: 

• Maternal & Newborn Health – addresses foundational well being and dignity by way of dignified areas for care, development, and resilience from start onward.
• Expanding Opportunities – expands social and financial OPPORTUNITY by designing areas that domesticate innovation, expertise, and native enterprise.
• Building a Climate-Positive Future – reimagines improvement as a catalyst for local weather-optimistic development—advancing ecological stewardship and neighborhood properly-being to make sure that folks and nature thrive collectively.

The Fellows will: 

• Conduct Research: Undertake culturally rooted design analysis exploring indigenous information methods, vernacular structure, and concrete patterns.
• Pilot Projects: Engage in neighborhood-primarily based design tasks throughout the designated focus areas.
• Disseminate Knowledge: Publish reflective items to share insights gained through the Fellowship.

Benefits

• Fellows will obtain help from MASS program employees, assigned design {and professional} mentors. This is a paid fellowship that requires relocation to Kigali, Rwanda, for 12 months.
• In the second 12 months, Fellows obtain ongoing distant mentorship and common check-ins with the MASS crew. They may be eligible for funded help to pursue impartial analysis initiatives.

Eligibility

• Applicants have to be nationals of an African nation, 35 years of age or under.
• Applicants have to be constructed-surroundings professionals and maintain a level in structure, city design, panorama, engineering, or a associated area.
• Applicants should be capable to relocate to Kigali, Rwanda, from September 2025 to August 2026.

Application

The application is a 3-stage choice course of. 

• Stage 1: Expression of pursuits. Eligible candidates might be requested to submit resumes/CVs, references, portfolio, and an announcement of alignment.
• Stage 2: Shortlisted candidates might be contacted to submit pre-fellowship essays and make sure availability to completely take part within the Fellowship actions.
• Stage 3: Candidates with profitable essays will take part in interviews. 

Click here to apply

For extra info, go to MASS African Design Centre Fellowship.