India, Afghanistan and the Heart of Asia: Reading Between the Lines

Sarral Sharma

On 4 December 2016, the sixth ministerial conference of the Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) on Afghanistan concluded in Amritsar, India. The Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi voiced their concern over common issues such as terrorism and trade connectivity in the region in a bid to corner Pakistan. In their respective speeches, they made direct and indirect references to Pakistan’s  reluctance to effectively counter terrorism in the region. 

For instance, Modi appealed to the participating countries to take "resolute action" against those "who support, shelter, train and finance" terrorism in Afghanistan. Although, his less aggressive posturing and no direct mention of Pakistan may have signalled a slight shift in India’s offensive policy against its western neighbour. Domestically, it was perceived as a missed opportunity to publicly denounce Pakistan at a multilateral forum.

In comparison, Ghani was far more blunt and sarcastic in denouncing Pakistan. Ghani has seemingly lost faith in Pakistan's efforts to normalise the situation in Afghanistan. The failed peace negotiations with the Taliban, the killing of Mullah Mansour in Balochistan, and regular terror attacks are a constant reminder of Pakistan’s broken promises that have lead to a deterioration of bilateral relations. Mocking Pakistan's financial assistance of $500 million to Afghanistan, Ghani derisively advised Pakistani Prime Minister's Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaz Aziz to spend it on stopping "cross-border terrorism" instead.

In the light of Ghani's failed attempts to normalise ties with Pakistan, Afghanistan has continued to tilt towards India. Modi has also acceded to Kabul's request to provide both financial and military assistance. India recently delivered the fourth Mi-25 helicopter to Afghanistan and further pledged $1 billion aid for future development assistance in September. On the sidelines of the conference, Modi and Ghani agreed to establish a "cargo air corridor", bypassing Pakistan, which could potentially enhance bilateral trade between the two countries. New Delhi is keen to actively pursue the shortest land route access to Afghanistan. However, Pakistan has consistently refused to allow Indian goods to pass through its territory to Afghanistan. Hosting the conference in Amritsar (close to Attari-Wagah crossing) could be a signal to Pakistan regarding the transit of Indian goods to Afghanistan. 

Ghani and Modi's overlapping of objectives were based on Afghanistan and India’s own assessment of their national interests vis-a-vis Pakistan. Hence, the overall objective was not really to 'isolate' Pakistan, as was appropriated by the media. Presumably, it would have been a difficult objective to achieve as both leaders understand Pakistan's potential role in Afghanistan’s future stability. Aziz's presence also indicates Islamabad's willingness to continue engagement on Afghanistan. However, it should not be seen as Pakistan's attempt to genuinely reach a resolution on the issue. Rather, Pakistan's absence from the conference may have contributed to its isolation in the region.

Aziz's attendance at the conference was a reciprocal gesture to Indian Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj's visit to Islamabad in 2015.More importantly, he attended the conference despite significant domestic resistance. In the light of recent developments, he may have sought to convey the foreign office's willingness to defreeze tensions with India at the time of Pakistan’s military transition. Expectedly, there were no developments as far as the bilateral dialogue process was concerned. Contrastingly, Swaraj met Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during her visit to Islamabad, which paved the way for Modi's Lahore visit on Christmas last year. India, at present, may not be willing to resume talks unless Pakistan tightens the noose around the outfits indulging in cross-border terror activities from its soil.

This year, the names of the Pakistan-based India-centric terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad were mentioned in the unanimously adopted HoA 'Declaration'. Pakistan justified the 'unanimous' declaration by citing that it also includes anti-Pakistani outfits such as Tehrik-e-Taliban and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. It is unlikely that this move will stop the terror activities of these groups in the future. Nonetheless, it was a move in the right direction. Also, it brought some respite for India, which could not convince China and Russia to include these outfits in the 'Goa Declaration' at the 2016 BRICS Summit. 

The attempts to corner Pakistan in the region can be seen as a joint tactical move by Afghanistan and India. This move may be workable in the short-term. However, it might, prove insignificant in the long-term given that Pakistan is deepening its ties with other players in the region, such as China and Russia. Ghani and Modi managed to send across a strong message on the issues of terrorism and regional trade connectivity in South Asia. Some positive takeaways for India include the growing understanding between Kabul and New Delhi over Islamabad's role in the region and the inclusion of Pakistan-based terror outfits in the declaration. Still, the overall success of the initiative will primarily depend on how Afghanistan, India and Pakistan engage with each other in the future.

Perils of Nuclear Paranoia

Vijay Shankar

If armed hostilities, for the initiator, has very little to do with military balance both conventional and nuclear; then it raises the prospect that balance may indeed be skewed against gravity.

Nuclear Brinkmanship Plus
The late Thomas Schelling remarking on how skewed a nuclear deterrent relationship could get, famously drew the analogy of “one driver in a game of chicken who tears out and brandishes his steering column.” Conventional wisdom suggests that nuclear brinkmanship is the deliberate creation of a recognisable risk, exposing adversaries to mutual intimidation. If that risk is slanted such as by tearing out the steering column, then the act has a high probability of unleashing a nuclear catastrophe. By tossing the steering wheel out, the reckless motorist assumes the other player will concede the tourney. But this is not necessarily so since removal of the steering wheel to the other may well constitute a breakdown in the deterrent relationship, releasing the latter from nuclear restraint that the relationship may have implied.

The Zhenbao Incident
On 2 March 1969, Chinese troops ambushed and killed a group of Soviet border guards on Zhenbao Island; one of the (then) disputed islands on the Ussuri River. As Sino-Soviet tensions heightened, ownership of these islands designated as a border by the 1860 Treaty of Peking, became a grave issue. To Moscow, the Treaty identified the boundary as running along the Chinese riverbank. China saw, in military action, resolve to deter future provocations partly aggravated by the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and further incited by the ‘Brezhnev Doctrine’ that gave rights to the Soviets to intervene in the affairs of Communist countries. Mao intended the limited attack to demonstrate that it could not be bullied. Moscow, however, interpreted China’s actions as aggressive and characteristic of a revisionist tendency. By end March, the battle escalated across a wider front.

On the diplomatic front, each armed escalation was paired with threats of  increase in combat operations. So extensive was the intimidation that Mao feared a Soviet invasion preceded by a nuclear ‘first strike’. Behind the frontline, the USSR had requested US neutrality in the matter - the US had other intentions as diplomatic manoeuvres were afoot that sought China as a means of containing the Soviets. By August the USSR threatened to cross the nuclear Rubicon. For Beijing, the knowledge that Moscow had approached other countries to ascertain response to a nuclear strike greatly increased the credibility of the nuclear attack. However, Beijing’s perception of threat-reliability had unintended consequences that stoked the possibility of a nuclear exchange. China believed that negotiations were a  mask for a nuclear “sneak attack.”
By October 1969, alarmed by an imminent Soviet nuclear strike, Chinese leadership evacuated Beijing, and placed its nuclear forces (stockpile of 60 to 80 warheads), on hair trigger alert. Had China wrenched out the steering column? There is much to suggest that it had. Kremlin, as recent reports testify, was stunned at the prospects of a people’s war under the overhang of a steering-less nuclear arsenal. It would appear that the Soviets had swerved out of the path of an uncontrolled Armageddon, and as in Schelling’s game of chicken, conceded the tourney. The two nations, by end October, were at the negotiation table.

Skewing Against Gravity
A central argument in contemporary deterrence literature is that nuclear weapons induce predictability in inter-state relations and prompt mirror imaging in policy-making; this in turn transforms national behaviour and reduces the likelihood of direct conflict between nuclear-armed states. Nuclear weapons, by this thinking, circumscribe the limits of conventional warfare. To the contrary, the Zhenbao war suggests that there can be armed conflicts that, for the initiator, have nothing to do with the military balance both conventional and nuclear. Critically it raises the prospect that balance may indeed be skewed against gravity. The India-Pakistan hostile correlation; China’s activities in the South China Sea, and the North Korea nuclear stand-off are stark reminders of this precept.

Differing Ideas of Deterrence
Strategic culture and the differing idea of deterrence characterise a key role in determining actions taken by international players. China’s traditional word for deterrence, weishe, means “to intimidate militarily” without nuances. While the Oxford English dictionary defines the verb “to deter” as to discourage or prevent, usually by instilling anxiety; from this is derived the accepted idea that essentially upholds the status quo. What Pakistan understands remains blurred: whether it is to discourage all forms of armed conflict against India or to provide an umbrella for non-state actors to bleed India is ambiguous. The introduction of jihadists and non-state actors is unique in that it delivers an asymmetricity that keeps the level of warfare well under the nuclear shadow, is deniable, and yet its impact can be as consequential as any act of war.

Indian strategic planners will do well to appreciate that the international nuclear milieu today is complex and multilateral in nature which increases the chances of strategic misunderstanding. The demand is for explicit credibility if deterrence is to be functional and exertive. In addition, the Zhenbao incident highlights an important dilemma: for deterrence to be effective, an opponent must fear the consequences of actions; however, excessive anxiety is also a potential peril, as it can lead to paranoia that ‘tears out the steering column’.

The Denys Holland Scholarship for Financially-Challenged Students 2017/2018

Application Deadline: Friday, 7th July, 2017

Offered annually? Yes

Eligible Countries: International

To be taken at (country): United Kingdom

Eligible Field of Study: Courses offered at the University

About the Award: The Denys Holland Scholarship aims to support undergraduate students from any country, who without the support of the scholarship would be unable to secure the funding required to study at UCL, and who can demonstrate their intention to make full use of the activities offered by UCL and the Student Union.

Professor Denys Holland, in whose memory the Denys Holland Fund was created via donations from his students, was a sociable, compassionate man. A Professor of Law and Dean of Students, one of his principal concerns was the welfare and fulfilment of students under his care. His admissions policy for the Faculty of Laws was aimed at a broad range of students who would enter fully into college life.

Offered Since: Not known

Type: Undergraduate Taught

Eligibility: Candidates should be:

• holding an offer of admission to UCL for full-time undergraduate study in any department;
• in financial hardship, and be able to demonstrate that without the scholarship they would be unable to study at UCL;
• preferably aged 25 or below at the time of commencing their studies;
• able to demonstrate that they have broad interests and intend to be actively involved in and contribute to the life of the university.

Selection Criteria: The scholarship is awarded on the basis of financial hardship, subject to applicants demonstrating their intention to play a full part in extracurricular activities of UCL and the Students Union.

Number of Awardees: Not specified

Value of Scholarship: The scholarship is worth £9,000 per annum and scholars may choose to use all or part of the scholarship to cover fees. Any remainder is paid to the scholar as a maintenance stipend.

Duration of Scholarship: The scholarship is for one year in the first instance, but will be renewed subject to satisfactory progress, for up to a total of three years.

How to Apply: Interested candidates should visit the scholarship webpage to apply.

Visit Scholarship Webpage for details

Award Provider: The University College, London, Denys Holland Foundation

Important Notes: The scholarship may be held alongside other grants, bursaries, awards or scholarships, provided annual total funding does not exceed the cost of fees plus a reasonable sum for maintenance in any one year (as determined by UCL).

University of Manchester Fully-funded Online Masters Scholarships for African Countries 2017/2018

Application Deadline: 17th March 2017.

Application opens: 13th February 2017.

Offered annually? Yes

Eligible Countries: Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania.

To be taken at (country): Online

Eligible Field of Study: Public Health

About the Award: Online learning gives you the flexibility to combine study with work, family and other commitments. We encourage women to apply. Check the online Master of Public Health (in link below) course pages to make sure you understand what the course involves and read the course description carefully.

Type: Masters

Eligibility: Manchester master’s scholarships are aimed at talented applicants, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds, who would not otherwise have the opportunity to study for a UK qualification. To apply for a scholarship, you must:

• have at least two years’ relevant post-graduation work experience (this does not include unpaid internships or voluntary work);
• hold a first or upper second class (or the equivalent) undergraduate degree;
• be a resident citizen of Rwanda and have not previously studied outside Africa;
• be committed to returning home and able to demonstrate the potential to make a positive impact on the future of your home country;
• have a clear idea how studying in Manchester will benefit both your career and the wider community.

Please note that a Certificate of Proficiency from a local university cannot be considered as evidence of your level of English language proficiency.

IELTS and TOEFL test results are only valid for two years. Your English language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Also You will require regular access to a modern personal computer (Windows or Mac) with a stable internet connection. You should be confident in using the internet for web browsing and sending emails and also using word processing software, such as Microsoft Word.

Number of Awardees: Not specified

Value of Scholarship: Scholarships cover all tuition fees, course materials and examinations.

How to Apply: You don’t need to have an offer of admission to apply for the scholarship. Please do not apply for master’s admission separately; if your scholarship application is successful then an academic offer will be made.

Applications for scholarships for entry in September 2017 will open on 13 February 2017.

Visit Scholarship Webpage for details

Award Provider: University of Manchester

Apply for the Google Online Marketing Challenge for Students 2017

The goal for students is to gain practical knowledge of creating effective online marketing campaign in Google AdWords.

How it works

Google will provide a US$250 budget for participating students to develop an online advertising strategy for a real business or non-profit organization that has not used AdWords in the last six months.

The competition is open to all students, regardless of major, with teams ranging in size from three to six. All students must register under a verified professor/instructor at a higher education institution.

The global winners and their professor receive a trip to the Google Headquarters in Mountain View, California to meet with the AdWords team. Regional winners and their professor receive a trip to a regional Google office.

Competition Registration 

Professor Registration

Professors register for the Challenge from October 5, 2016 – March 22, 2017. Once a professor registers, he or she will get a confirmation email. Google will verify their employment at the educational institution. Verification may vary depending on the institution.

After verfying professors, the students can register their team on the Student Dashboard. Professors will then receive a notification email from Google to verify their student teams. Once the professor verifies (by clicking a link) that the team is associated with him/her, the AdWords account information for that team will appear in the student dashboard.

IMPORTANT:

• Please make sure to check the email ‘spam’ folders, as some email software may flag Online Marketing Challenge emails as spam.
• Your registration will be complete in 24-48 hours depending on the successful verification of your entry details.

Student Registration

Students can register from October 5, 2016 – April 5, 2017. Professors MUST have registered before students can register their student teams on the dashboard. Students can refer to the registration process below or see the Competition Guidelines for more details:

• Form a team and nominate a team captain.
• Select a business or non-profit organization.
• Access the Student Dashboard and register your team and enter your professor´s email address. Your professor will receive a notification email to verify your team.
• After your professor has verified your team, you create an AdWords account and enter the 10-digit customer ID into the student dashboard.
• Meet with your business and write your Pre-Campaign Report. Once you have uploaded this to the student dashboard, you will see a coupon code appear.
• Follow the instructions below to enter the coupon code and credit your account:
  1. Log into your AdWords account.
  2. Go to the Billing Tab, and click on “Billing Preferences”.
  3. Select the country, then enter your contact details, and press continue.
  4. Select “Manual Payments”, and where it asks for an optional “promo code”, enter the coupon code and press continue.
  5. $250 will immediately be credited to your account and you’re ready to go!

For detailed information on the Challenge, visit registration page

Higher Education Scholarships in Taiwan for Undergraduate, Masters and PhD International Students 2017/2018

Application Deadline: For 2017 Scholarship program, the application period runs from January 1 to March 17, 2016

Offered annually? Yes

Eligible Countries: The students of eligible countries of the region of Asia Pacific, West Asia, Africa (Burkina Faso, Republic of Cote d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Sao Tome and Principe, South Africa, Swaziland), Caribbean, Central America, South America, Europe can apply for this scholarship.

To be taken at (country): Universities in Taiwan

Accepted Subject Areas: For undergraduate, masters and PhD courses offered at any of the participating University in Taiwan

About Scholarship: International education and training has long been one of the TaiwanICDF’s core operations, among many others. Human resources development programs play a vital role in assisting partner countries achieve sustainable development, and education is a crucial mechanism for training workforces in developing countries.

The TaiwanICDF provides scholarships for higher education and has developed undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. programs in cooperation with renowned partner universities in Taiwan.

The scholarship recipients gets a full scholarship, including return airfare, housing, tuition and credit fees, insurance, textbook costs and a monthly allowance.

Type: Undergraduate, Masters and PhD Scholarship

Who is eligible to apply? An applicant must:

• -Be a citizen of List of Countries Eligible (including select African countries) for TaiwanICDF Scholarship, and satisfy any specific criteria established by his or her country and/or government of citizenship.
• -Neither be a national of the Republic of China (Taiwan) nor an overseas compatriot student.
• -Satisfy the admission requirements of the partner university to which he or she has applied to study under a TaiwanICDF scholarship.
• -Be able to satisfy all requirements for a Resident Visa (Code: FS) set by the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) set by the Ministry of the Interior, of the ROC (Taiwan) government (this means that the TaiwanICDF has the right to revoke a scholarship offered if an applicant cannot satisfy the visa requirements).
• -Upon accepting a TaiwanICDF scholarship, not hold any other ROC(Taiwan) government-sponsored scholarship (such as the Taiwan Scholarship) in the same academic year in which the TaiwanICDF scholarship would be due to commence.
• -Not be applying for a further TaiwanICDF scholarship in unbroken succession — applicants who have already held a TaiwanICDF scholarship must have returned to their home country for more than one year before re-applying (note: to apply for a 2014 scholarship, an applicant must have graduated and returned to his or her home country before July 31, 2013).
• -Have never had any scholarship revoked by any ROC (Taiwan)government agency or related institution, nor been expelled from any Taiwanese university.

Number of Scholarships: Not Specified

Scholarship Benefits and Duration: The TaiwanICDF provides each scholarship recipient with a full scholarship, including return airfare, housing, tuition and credit fees, insurance, textbook costs and a monthly allowance.

• Undergraduate Program (maximum four years): Each student receives NT$12,000 per month (NT$144,000 per year) as an allowance for food and miscellaneous living expenses.
• Master’s Program (maximum two years): Each student receives NT$15,000 per month (NT$180,000 per year) as an allowance for food and miscellaneous living expenses.
• PhD Program (maximum four years; four-year PhD programs start from 2012): Each students receives NT$17,000 per month (NT$204,000 per year) as an allowance for food and miscellaneous living expenses.

How to Apply: Applicants must complete an online application (found in link below). Then submit a signed, printed copy along with all other application documents to the ROC (Taiwan) Embassy/ Consulate (General)/ Representative Office/ Taiwan Technical Mission or project representative in their country.

Please note that each applicant can only apply for one program at a time. The applicant also needs to submit a separate program application to his/her chosen universities.

Visit Scholarship Webpage for the Online Application System and more details about this scholarship.

Sponsors: Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF)

Apply for Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme – $100 million to create 10,000 African Entrepreneurs in 10 Years

Application Period: Interested entrepreneurs will be able to submit their applications to join the programme as from 1st January 2017 until Midnight WAT on March 1, 2017.

Offered annually? Yes. For a period of 10 years

Opportunity is open to: All citizens (18 and above) and legal residents of all African countries with businesses that operate in Africa.

About Entrepreneurship Programme: Nigerian billionaire investor and philanthropist Tony Elumelu has committed $100 million to create 10,000 entrepreneurs across Africa over the next 10 years. Elumelu made the commitment on Monday during a press conference in Lagos to announce the launch of The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme (TEEP).

TEEP, a Pan-African entrepreneurship initiative of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, is a multi-year programme of training, funding, and mentoring, designed to empower the next generation of African entrepreneurs.

Starting From: 2015

Programme Type: Funding for African Entrepreneurs

Number of Entrepreneurs: There are 1,000 positions available annually for 10 years

Value of Programme: The 10,000 start-ups selected from a pool of applicants across Africa will participate in a comprehensive programme which will include;

• A customized 12-week business skills training course
• Start-Up Enterprise Toolkit
• Mentoring
• Resource Library
• 2-Day Boot Camp
• Seed Capital Funding
• Elumelu Forum
• Alumni Network

Duration of Programme: The programme will identify and help grow 10,000 start-ups and young businesses from across Africa over the next 10 years. These businesses will in turn create 1,000,000 new jobs and contribute $10 billion in annual revenues to Africa’s economy.

How to Apply: All applications must be submitted online through the TEEP Portal. Answer a series of mandatory questions and upload additional documents and identification materials. You will receive a confirmation email within 1 working day of submission.

More details about the program, including eligibility and the application and selection processes are available on the Tony Elumelu Foundation website at: www.tonyelumelufoundation.org/TEEP.

Sponsors: Tony Elumelu Foundation

Additional note:

• In 2015, TEEP empowered 1,000 African entrepreneurs, selected from over 20,000 applicants, with start-up investment, active mentoring, business training, an entrepreneurship boot camp and regional networking across Africa.

• Entrepreneurs, with an average age range of 21-40, from 51 African countries completed the programme and received $5,000 in seed capital for their start-up businesses.

• The Tony Elumelu Foundation invested a total of $4,860,000, including $1,405,000 in agriculture; $410,000 in education and training; and $365,000 in manufacturing.  The sector-agnostic programme funded start-ups across a further 20 industries, all based in Africa.

Nestle Nutrition Postgraduate Fellowship Program for Young Professionals – Up to 40,000CHF in Grants

Application Deadline: 1st March 2017. 
Offered annually? Yes

Eligible Countries: Developing countries

To be taken at (country): Any scientific institution offering a program in the fields of Maternal and/or Child Health and Nutrition

Brief description: The Nestle Nutrition Institute Fellowship Program is offering Young professionals in healthcare the opportunity to study Nutrition and Maternal and/or Child Health in leading institutions.

Eligible Field of Study: Maternal and/or Child Health, Nutrition and any related field(s)

About the Award: The Fellowship offered by Nestle Nutrition Institute regularly offers young professionals from developing countries training in research skills and knowledge on Nutrition. Since 1981, more than five hundred (5oo) doctors and scientists have benefited from this fellowship and clinical grants in different ways, which have directly impacted the health sectors of Africa and other regions.

Offered Since: 1981

Type: Postgraduate Scholarship

Eligibility: 

• Potential candidates should submit an application describing their interest in participating in the NNI Research training Fellowship.
• Priority consideration for this prestigious fellowship will be given to candidates in junior positions from emerging countries.
• The candidates’ history of previous or alternate grants will be taken into consideration.
• Candidates will be notified of their eligibility by letter.
• The application form must be accompanied by the following:
  1. Curriculum Vitae,
  2. A plan of the proposed training/activity clearly indicating its specific outcomes and
  3. Two letters of recommendation (1 from the institution where the candidate is working and 1 from the host institution*).
  4. Letter stating intent to return to the home country upon completion of the training program
  5. Details of their current level of training

Selection Criteria:

• Fellowships are available for post graduate qualifications only
• Applicant has to be affiliated with an academic/clinical institution
• Successful candidates will be required to start their training within 1 year of being notified of the fellowship award
• Duration of the support for the research training lasts for a maximum of 12 months
• Upon certification, fellowship awardees must return to their home countries.

The Panel will not accept applications, which are submitted by:

• Candidates who have already spent more than 12 months outside their home country during the 3 years preceding the application. Exceptions could be made if the applicant can justify how this additional training will supplement the one(s) already obtained
• Candidates who have already left their country at the time of applying for the fellowship
• Candidates who have completed more than one half of any training programme they may already be enrolled in
• Candidates who, at the time of submitting their application, already have a grant from any other training program
• Applications will not be entertained if the applicant’s home country law prohibits the nature of this activity.

Number of Awardees: Not specified

Value of Scholarship:  The grant includes learning a specific laboratory technique, statistics, nutrition, etc. The NNI grant up to 40’000 CHF can be used to pay course registration fees, round trip travel to the host institution, lodging and living expenses and health insurance coverage for the duration of the course.The grant offer of 40’000 CHF is also given and can be used to pay course registration fees, round trip travel to the host institution, lodging and living expenses and health insurance coverage for the duration of the course.

Duration of Scholarship: Maximum of twelve (12) months

How to Apply: 

• Applications should be sent by email to NNI@nestle.com or by fax to + 41 21 924 2836.
• Applicants should plan to start their program not sooner than 3 months after the application deadline to give time for approval process and administrative arrangements with a host institution.
• Applicants are urged to submit only one application and for a single programme. If you have more than one project, decide which is your best option and submit that one.
• Applications without all documentation, including a letter of acceptance by the faculty at the hosting institution will not be considered.

Visit Scholarship Webpage for details

Award Provider: Nestle Nutrition Institute

Important Notes: The NNI grant will be given to the Host Institution which will disburse it to the fellow. In no case will any money be given directly from the NNI to the fellow.

Before any money can be allocated to the research training fellowship, applicants will need to produce proof of health insurance for the country they will be visiting for the whole duration of stay.

Bangor University, Commonwealth Shared Scholarships for African Students 2017/2018 – UK

Application Deadline: 28th March 2017 (23.59 BST)

Offered annually? Yes

Eligible Countries: Preference will be given to students from East and Central African Countries. We are especially interested in applications from strong candidates resident in Uganda and Kenya who are refugees, internally displaced or have otherwise been affected by conflict.

To be taken at (country): UK

Eligible Field of Study: The scholarships are open to students applying for the following taught masters programmes to begin their studies in September 2017:

• MSc Agroforestry
• MSc Conservation and Land Management
• MSc Environment and Business Management
• MSc Environmental Forestry
• MSc International Banking
• LLM International Criminal Law and International Human Rights Law
• MSc Public Health and Health Promotion
• LLM Public Procurement Law and Strategy
• MSc Wetland Science for Conservation

Type: Masters

Eligibility: To apply for these scholarships, you must:

• Be a Commonwealth citizen, refugee, or British protected person
• Be permanently resident in a developing Commonwealth country, preference will be given to students from Central and East African Countries
• Be available to start your academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September/October 2017
• By August 2017, hold a first degree of at least upper second class (2:1) honours standard
• Not have studied or worked for one (academic) year or more in a developed country
• Be unable, either yourself or through your family, to pay to study in the UK

Number of Awardees: 6

Value of Scholarship: 

• Approved airfare from your home country to the UK and return at the end of your award
• Tuition fees
• Stipend (living allowance) at the rate of £1,034 per month,
• Thesis grant towards the cost of preparing a dissertation, where applicable
• Warm clothing allowance and visa reimbursement, where applicable Study travel grant towards the costs of study-related travel within the UK or overseas

No additional allowances are available for spouses or other dependants

How to Apply: You must make your application using the CSC’s Electronic Application System (EAS). Click here for full information on how to use the EAS, including detailed guides.

Do not apply directly to Bangor University. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to make an application to Bangor University.

Visit Scholarship Webpage for details

Award Provider: Commonwealth Scholarship Commission

UK: University of Sussex Nigeria Scholarships 2017

Application Deadline: 1st August 2017

Offered annually? Yes

Eligible Countries: Nigeria

To be taken at (country): University of Sussex, UK

Eligible Field of Study: The scholarships relate to all full-time taught Masters degree courses at the University of Sussex (e.g. MA, MSc, LLM. MRes) with a few exceptions

About Scholarship: The scholarship is worth £3,000 for applicants that meet the eligibility criteria and will be awarded as a fee reduction upon registering at Sussex.

For applicants holding/expecting to achieve a First Class degree, equivalent to a British Bachelors Honours degree from a Higher Education Institution in Nigeria, the award will automatically be enhanced to £5,000.

Type: Postgraduate taught masters

Eligibility Criteria: In order to be eligible for a scholarship you must

• be a national of Nigeria,
• be a self-financing student
• have accepted an offer of a full-time place on a Masters course at the University of Sussex commencing in September 2016.
• meet the published academic requirements for your chosen course.

If your offer of a place is conditional you will need to meet the conditions of your offer before you are admitted to the University and awarded the scholarship. To receive the enhanced award, you will be required to provide evidence of your First Class degree from a recognised institution in Nigeria.

Number of Scholarships: not specified

Value of Scholarship: Scholarship will be awarded as a fee reduction of up to £5,000

Duration of Scholarship: to one year of study

How to Apply: You must apply for admission to an eligible Masters course via the University’s PG Apply online application system.

It will be possible to register for the scholarship from January 2017. If you are made an offer of a place and are eligible for the scholarship, you will need to register your interest via PG Apply as part of the acceptance process from January. If you have received an offer, you will be notified by email as soon as the declaration is available. You must submit this declaration by 1 August 2017 in order to receive the scholarship.

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Scholarship Provider: University of Sussex UK

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False Unities: Brexit in the New Year

Binoy Kampmark

London.

The pile of detritus in Tooting had been growing ahead of the New Year’s Eve gatherings. The pubs were initiating their usual trick of closure and charging for tickets in the hope of getting some ruddy cash ahead of 2017. In parts of London, an air of dark pessimism lingered like a cold fog. Ominously, bad weather threatened Heathrow at points with grounded flights and cancellations.

With the celebratory fireworks in London, the city’s mayor had come out with the rather feeble remark that the city was ‘open’. (For what? Business, or perhaps defiantly open in the face of another round of renewed security threats.)

The Prime Minister, Theresa May, was even less convincing. Another year would usher in the crude realities of a Brexit negotiation process her servants are ill-prepared for. It is a point she wishes to keep from discussion in Parliament. The Labour Party’s Jeremy Corbyn has even accused May of being an autocrat akin to Henry VIII. If so, she is at best a confused one.

Across the various departments, and in the interest of austerity, the Brexit section charged with engineering Britain’s departure from the European Union has been rapacious and unrepentant in its demands.

The minister overseeing that side of government business, David Davis, has not impressed his European counterparts with either his negotiating stance, or management. German MEP Manfred Weber, chairman of the centre-right European People’s Party, wondered whether Davis and May were even on the same, confused page.

In November, Weber tut tutted any idea that Britain could stay in the single market and continue to ‘have very close cooperation in legal issues.’ Brexit, after all, meant Brexit, necessitating a pruning ‘back on our relationships.’

May has entertained the British public with a vast array of inanities to soften the effects of Europe’s threatening hammer. She has proposals, so he claim, for a ‘truly global Britain’, a poor assertion suggesting that it was not global to begin with. Her new year message was a patchwork of similar comments in an effort to claim that Britons were not as divided as thought.

‘If 2016 was the year you voted for that change, this is the year we start to make it happen.’ The referendum, however, had ‘laid bare some further divisions in our country.’ The June referendum had been ‘divisive at times. I know, of course, that not everyone shared the same point of view or voted in the same way. But I know too that, as we face the opportunities ahead of us, our shared interests and ambitions can bring us together.’

Before the European negotiators, she has promised ample visions of jam and richness, claiming that ‘the right deal’ will be forthcoming for all – including the shell shocked remainers. ‘This is the year we need to pull down these barriers that hold people back, securing a better deal at home for ordinary, working people.’

The ‘ordinary working people’ as a concept is, at best, a rickety one. In the European zone, citizens have been crossing borders, inhabiting and enriching various economies with their subsidizing industrious presence. Germany has two million Poles; France 650,000 Portuguese, and Spain over a million Romanians.

What made the British case before Brexit odd was how Europeans were made an object of swamping terror, a shift of sorts from traditional targets of racial opprobrium (Africa, the subcontinent, the Caribbean).

This was fed by the customary manipulation of the working class vote, ever vulnerable to concepts of loss and privation in a changing economy. The British problem here is a broader one of internal organisation of a lopsided labour market rather than external one of uncontrollable borders.

Britain, after all, has shortages in health workers, not to mention areas that require such personnel as painters, carpenters, electricians and plumbers. That is not a point being made by the Davis-May team.

What The Independent envisaged was a gloomy attack on Britain’s estranged working classes if discrimination against European citizens was to go ahead. ‘That massive blow to the material economy would be far more damaging to Britain’s working class than allowing Lithuanians to pull leeks from Lincolnshire fields in freezing weather.’

As for broader sentiments of unity, very little of that liquor is available for consumption, especially with May behind the bar. ‘This is the year’, suggested William Keegan rather grumpily in The Guardian, ‘when our politicians and the so-called “people” – all 28 percent of the population who voted to leave the European Union – will reap what they have sown.’

So, as the booze inflicted headaches wear off this morning, Britain remains fractured and disillusioned, marked by a government of enormous confusion and inconsistencies. As this continues, the biggest barker in favour Brexit, Nigel Farage, continues to draw an EU salary. A most compromised political attack dog, if ever there was one.