The Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) has announced fully funded Master’s and PhD scholarships under the Laser Enabled Manufacturing of Solar Systems (LaSoMa) project.
In a notice on Monday, May 11, JKUAT said the scholarships target African students interested in advanced engineering, artificial intelligence, and solar manufacturing innovation.
The move is aimed at building research capacity in solar manufacturing across Africa through advanced laser technologies and AI-powered systems. The initiative is supported by the African Union and is co-funded by the European Union.
According the notice, the programme will be offered across several partner universities in Africa, including JKUAT, Pentecost University (Ghana), Federal University Lokoja (Nigeria), and Federal University of Technology, Minna (Nigeria)
At JKUAT, the scholarships will support students pursuing master’s and doctoral courses in Mechatronic Engineering.
Eligibility Criteria
The scholarships are open to African nationals who hold a Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s degree in relevant engineering disciplines and demonstrate strong academic performance and research potential.
Applicants must also meet specific academic and language requirements set by the host university. Female candidates, persons with disabilities and individuals from disadvantaged groups are encouraged to apply.
Successful applicants will receive full funding, including full tuition fees, a monthly stipend, insurance cover, and technical research workshops.
The programme offers monthly stipends of €1,230 (Sh186,960) for PhD students and €890 (Sh135,280) for MSc students.
How to apply
Applicants are required to apply online via the La Soma scholarships portal. Applicants must submit academic transcripts and certificates, a curriculum Vitae (CV), a motivation letter, research proposal, two recommendation letters, and a completed application form.
In addition, PhD applicants must submit a two-minute elevator pitch video. The scholarships officially opened on May 8, 2026, and will close on June 22, 2026.
Notification of selected applicants will be issued on July 13, 2026, with the programme scheduled to begin in September 2026.
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