14 April 2014 – Amman, Jordan: PhD-level research scholarships have been awarded to candidates from Kenya and South Africa, as part of a new partnership between the Generations For Peace Institute, and the University of the Western Cape and its Interdisciplinary Centre of Excellence for Sport Science and Development (ICESSD).
The call for applications invited PhD candidates across sub-Saharan Africa to submit their proposed research projects. Following an assessment of applications by ICESSD and Generations For Peace, the scholarships were awarded to two PhD candidates, Erick Mariga, from Kenya and Ben Sanders, from South Africa.
Erick Mariga’s research project will focus on sport for peace building and social transformation programmes, with specific reference to Kenya. Highlighting the importance of the scholarship Mariga said: “The 2014 Generations For Peace postgraduate scholarship will allow me to make contributions to my country, the African continent, and the developing world. Organisations such as Generations For Peace make it possible for dedicated postgraduate students to achieve progress in academic and research work towards peace and development in the world.”
Ben Sanders’ research project will focus on impact assessment of sport for development projects, as part of the emerging field of development cooperation, particularly in the context of South Africa. Sanders said: “It is an honour to be accepted for a doctoral study under the banner of ICESSD and Generations For Peace. This scholarship will allow me to pursue rigorous research and evaluation with a view to determining the impact and sustainability of sport as a tool for peace building in South Africa, and the region. I am grateful for this opportunity and hope that the outputs of such a project will contribute to the growing field of literature that critically examines the role that sport can play in the conflict transformation and development process.”
The scholarships specifically support African students to have access to PhD-level research opportunities in the field of sport for peace and development. The partnership is part of Generations For Peace’ investment in field research to identify best practices and drive greater innovation, impact and sustainability.
