The Young & Cerebral annual Essay Competition

Deadline: 12th November, 2015

The Young & Cerebral annual Essay Competitions is here again! Commemorative of Nigeria’s Independence Celebrations, the Y&C Essay Competition holds in the month of October to showcase and reward the creative writing skills of young people across the country, providing a platform for them to compete with their peers in the different parts of Nigeria. The Essay Competition is in line with Young & Cerebral’s mission, which essentially is to inspire, empower and to provide opportunities for the youth segment. 

 

Over 400 entries across Nigeria have been received in the previous 2 competitions with 18 winners emerging in 3 categories. Guest judges have been some of the country's finest including the likes of Seun Salami, Ayo Sogunro, Sally Kenneth Dadzie, Oyin Braithwaite, Rayo Adebayo, Rufai Keyede and Tomi Adesina. Competition only gets exciting! Prizes are even more rewarding! 

 

And now, for this year’s competition, the topic is “THE ROLE OF INNOVATION IN CREATING THE NIGERIA OF OUR DREAMS” and is open to 18-35 year olds. 3 winners will emerge and walk away with fabulous prizes like laptops, printers, trendy mobile phones, a writing workshop and more. Essentially, the Young & Cerebral Essay Competitions are usually judged on grammar, creativity, adherence to topic, wow-factor along with other regular skills of standard writing.

The Rules:

1. The competition is open to citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

2. All candidates must be legal residents of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

3. The candidate must be aged between 18-35 years 

4. The essay must be typed in Microsoft Word 

5. The essay submitted must not be more than five hundred and Fifty words (550 Words). Failure to comply with this shall lead to automatic disqualification. 

6. All entries must be written in English language. 

7. The candidate must only apply based on the topic that should be submitted electronically. 

8. Multiple applications will be disqualified. 

9. The candidate’s bio-data shall be used by Young & Cerebral for publicity purposes. 

10. Plagiarism will not be permitted. All entries must be properly referenced. 

Please note that information from Wikipedia or any wiki links websites are not allowed as forms of reference for this competition: The research must reflect appropriate and relevant reviewed journals as well as legitimate websites. 

How to Apply:

All applications should be sent to ec2015@youngandcerebral.com in MSWord using “Book Antiqua” fonts/size 12 with the applicant’s full details (Full Names, Age, Gender, Email Addresses, Phone Contact, School/Institution, State of Residence). 

Only Successful candidates will be contacted. 

Winners will be announced in December, on our radio programme, social media platforms and the winning articles will be published in a major print publication and across several websites, blogs and more. 

Entry Opens: 12th October, 2015 Deadline: 12th November, 2015

Source: http://youngandcerebral.com/essay/#

Become A New Voices Fellow - Washington DC

Deadline: November 1, 2015

The Aspen Institute’s New Voices Fellowship is a year-long media skills, communication and leadership program designed for standout development professionals from the developing world. Candidates for the Fellowship are expected to have both a record of significant professional achievement and a desire to share their perspectives on global development with a broader international audience. The Fellowship is open by nomination only.

While the fellowship is non-resident and not full-time, it does require a significant and sustained time commitment as fellows write opinion articles, participate in interviews with local and international media, and speak at international conferences. All expenses related to the fellowship are paid, including certain media-related travel costs.

Please note, this is not a fellowship for journalists or others trained and working in communications.

Process:

1	Ask someone to nominate you. This person could be a mentor, supervisor or professor. We ask that this person know you and your work well.
2	We will review your nomination. If you pass through the first round, we’ll be in touch with you directly, asking you to submit an application. This application involves two essays and a series of questions.
3	Once the New Voices team has reviewed applications, we will ask a small group of finalists to participate in an interview via Skype or phone. From this group, we will choose the final class of Fellows.

Visit http://www.aspennewvoices.org/Nominations for details. 

Source: http://www.aspennewvoices.org

Microsoft Imagine Cup Global Student Competition ($USD 50,000 Prize) – 2016

Imagine Cup is Microsoft’s global student technology competition that provides opportunities for students across all disciplines to team up and create applications, games and integrated solutions that can change the way we live, work and play.
Eligible student teams will once again compete with thousands of others from across the globe by developing a technology project from start to finish in the following categories:

• Games Competition
  The Imagine Cup Games Competition is your opportunity to be part of the global games revolution. It’s a global contest for the best new student games and the winning team will take home $50,000 (US).
• Innovation Competition
  The Imagine Cup Innovation Competition is here to help you take the first steps. It’s a global contest for the most original student applications, and the winning team will take home $50,000 (US).
• World Citizenship Competition
  The Imagine Cup World Citizenship Competition is a global contest for the best new software to address social issues, and the winning team will take home $50,000 (US).
• Big Idea: Pitch Challenge
  The Big Idea challenges are online competitions intended to help you develop your project from an idea into a reality.
• Big Idea: Plan Challenge
• Big Idea: Design Challenge
• Hello Cloud Challenge
  Master cloud computing with Microsoft Azure and you could win $1,000!
  Every month, one student will win in the $1,000 sweepstakes. To compete, you just complete one or more of our Hello Cloud activities. Each activity you complete gives you another chance to win!
• Imagine Cup Earth Challenge
  Imagine Cup Earth is a new contest for students ages 6-18 in which you’ll use computer programming to create a game, simulation, or story inspired by the kinds of earth science that NASA and other researchers do every day. 18 winning students will win prizes totaling $36,000!

Eligibility Requirements

• You are at least 16 years of age as of July 31 2015 and are actively enrolled as a student at an accredited educational institution that grants high-school or college/university (or equivalent) degrees (including home schools) at any time between 1 January 2015 and 31 May 2016; and
• If you are considered a minor in your place of residence, then you should ask your parent’s or legal guardian’s permission prior to submitting an entry into this Competition.
• You are NOT a resident of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, or Syria; and
  o U.S. export regulations prohibit the export of goods and services to Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan and Syria. Therefore residents of these countries/regions are not eligible to participate.
• You are not an employee or intern of Microsoft Corporation, or an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, at any time between 1 January 2016 and 31 July 2016; and
• You are not involved in any part of the execution or administration of this Competition; and
• You are not an immediate family member of (parent, sibling, spouse/domestic partner, child) or household member of a Microsoft employee, an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, or a person involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Competition between 1 January 2016 and 31 July 2016.

Benefits:
Each World Finalist will be awarded a trip to World Finals. Trip includes round trip coach airfare from major airport closest to Finalist’s home, standard hotel accommodations, and select meals during the World Finals.
How to enter:
To participate in Imagine Cup 2016, you must first create an account at www.imaginecup.com. Once you have registered you can sign up for the competition categories you would like to compete in and start building your team.
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the 2016 Microsoft Imagine Cup Global Student Competition

Standard Chartered Bank International Graduate Internship Programme 2016

As one of the world’s most international banks, one of the key differentiators of the Standard Chartered Bank International Graduate Programme is the opportunities offered across SCB's footprint of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Right from the start of the programme SCB host the five week International Induction Programme in Shanghai to connect with global network of International Graduates with their peers from the 30+ countries SCB recruit for.
The International Graduate Programme is comprised of six business streams, aligned to each of our business banking areas. Each stream is focused on a unique part of the Bank, allowing you to select a business area based on your interests. The streamed programme is designed to help you develop specialist experience right from the start of your career.
After completing your first year as part of the International Graduate Programme you might take a role in one of our local, regional or global teams. You might choose an amazing position in your home country, or like 50% of the Graduates, your first role with the Bank may include an international move.
Choosing the right graduate opportunity can be tough, and the truth is there are no easy answers, but there are lots of great questions. Ask as many questions as possible to get details and clues to point you in the right direction and help you figure out what type of role, business and industry is right for you.
NIGERIA

• Commercial Banking – Nigeria Requisition ID: IGCBNG16
• Corporate & Institutional Banking Clients & Corporate Finance – Nigeria
  Requisition ID: IGCING16
• Financial Markets – Nigeria Requisition ID: IGFMNG16
• Retail Clients – Nigeria Requisition ID: IGRCNG16
• Wealth Management – Nigeria Requisition ID: IGWMNG16
• Commercial Banking – Nigeria
  Requisition ID: INCBNG16
• Corporate & Institutional Banking Clients & Corporate Finance – Nigeria
  Requisition ID: INCING16
• Financial Markets – Nigeria
  Requisition ID: INFMNG16
• Retail Clients – Nigeria
  Requisition ID: INRCNG16
• Transaction Banking – Nigeria
  Requisition ID: INTBNG16
• Wealth Management – Nigeria
  Requisition ID: INWMNG16

KENYA

• Commercial Banking – Kenya
  Requisition ID: IGCBKE16
• Retail Clients – Kenya
  Requisition ID: IGRCKE16
• Wealth Management – Kenya
  Requisition ID: IGWMKE16
• Commercial Banking – Kenya
  Requisition ID: INCBKE16
• Retail Clients – Kenya
  Requisition ID: INRCKE16
• Wealth Management – Kenya
  Requisition ID: INWMKE16

GHANA

• Corporate & Institutional Banking Clients & Corporate Finance – Ghana
  Requisition ID: IGCIGH16
• Corporate & Institutional Banking Clients & Corporate Finance – Ghana
  Requisition ID: INCIGH16
• Financial Markets – Ghana
  Requisition ID: INFMGH16

TANZANIA

• Transaction Banking – Tanzania
  Requisition ID: IGTBTZ16
• Transaction Banking – Tanzania
  Requisition ID: INTBTZ16

Apply Now for the Standard Chartered Bank International Graduate Programme 2016
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Standard Chartered Bank International Graduate Programme 2016

CALL FOR COUNTRY MEMBERSHIP/COORDINATOR OF THE AFRICAN NETWORK OF YOUTH POLICY EXPERTS (AFRINYPE)

DEADLINE: 16th NOVEMBER 2015
The African Network of Youth Policy Experts have the pleasure to announce that Youth Policy experts across 54 African countries can now apply for -Country membership / coordinator of the African Network of Youth Policy Experts.
The Network was launched on 30th October, 2014 in Baku, Azerbaijan at the closing session of the United Nations backed first Global Forum for Youth Policy.

Eligibility Requirements:
Eligible applicants in 54 African countries include:
• Youth policy practitioners;
• Youth activists and members of youth movements working on youth policy;
• Representatives/experts of youth-led organizations, civil society organizations, and networks
working on youth policy;
• Research experts from institutes, universities and think tanks with a focus on youth policy;
• Development experts from organizations, agencies and institutions in the youth sector;
• Programming experts from donors active in supporting policy change in the youth field.
Applicants should:
• Preferably be aged 18-35;
• Be experienced in formulation, implementation and/or monitoring of youth policy at the
national, regional or global level.
The selection of applicants will take into consideration the following criteria:

• Interest: The applicant is highly motivated and will substantively contribute to the Network;
  • Exposure: The applicant has shown past experience of minimum 2 years related to youth policy formulation, implementation and/or research;
  • Impact: The applicant and his/her organization have the capacity to disseminate the results of the Forum back to the youth community;
  • Gender and geographical balance;

Young people from under represented and marginalized groups and youth policy practitioners working with underrepresented and marginalized groups (such as young people with disabilities, indigenous youth, youth from rural communities/young farmers, young people from conflict affected areas, marginalized ethnic and cultural groups, young people from low social and economic backgrounds, migrants and refugees, young people not in education, employment and training) are encouraged to apply.

All applicants will be notified by December 15 2015.
E-Mail: membershipship@afrinype.org
Apply Now to become a COUNTRY MEMBER/COORDINATOR

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the AFRICAN NETWORK OF YOUTH POLICY EXPERTS

Call for Articles: African Youth Journal of Democracy

Submission Deadline: October 31st 2015
The African Governance Architecture (AGA), Department of Political Affairs, African Union, Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth & Advancement (YIAGA) and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) invites researchers, academics, civil society actors, to submit articles or papers for publication in the maiden edition of the African Youth Journal of Democracy.
The journal is published in furtherance of the African Union Agenda 2063 which promotes intellectual debates and knowledge sharing as key drivers of continental integration, prosperity and democratic development. The Agenda seeks to establish platforms for Africans especially young people to engage intellectual discussions that deepen democratization, rule of law, human rights, civic participation and development.
The maiden edition of the journal focuses on institutionalizing the participation of women and youth in political processes in Africa.

Interested contributors are invited to submit manuscripts in the following sub- themes;

1. Party systems and electoral systems
2. Young women and political rights
3. Legal architecture of youth and women political participation
4. Youth leagues or young wings of political parties
5. God-fatherism and money politics in Africa
6. Social media and political socialization
7. Youth leadership and intergenerational dialogue
8. Youth, Electoral violence and radicalization
9. Civil society and political society relationship
10. Innovation in Political Governance
11. Youth, Elections and Constitutionalism

Submission Requirements:

• All submissions will be subjected to a review and selection process.
• Manuscripts must be typed, double-spacing with a minimum of 4000 words and maximum of 5000 words with references.
• References must be in numbered endnotes. Full-length papers must include an abstract of no more than 200 words and a brief biography of no more than 100 words.
• All submissions should be sent electronically to [email protected] as email attachment formatted in Microsoft word.
• All papers must be submitted in English or French. Research papers or articles submitted by young researchers of African descent will be given priority consideration.

Deadline for submission of manuscripts is October 31, 2015.
Benefits:

• Authors of selected papers will receive logistic support to attend the Youth Consultation to the High Level Dialogue and the High Level Dialogue on Democracy and Governance in Kigali, Rwanda in November 2015.

Submission:
All questions on this call should be forwarded to;
Ibraheem Sanusi
Youth Engagement Lead
African Union Commission

sanusii@africa-union.org
 
Or
Samson Itodo
Head of Research, Policy & Advocacy
Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth & Advancement

sitodo@yiaga.org


For More Information:
Visit the Official Official Webpage of the African Youth Journal on Democracy

Announcing the 2016 I4A Competition

Application Deadline: January 31st, 2016

Ideas for Action is an ideas competition on financing for sustainable development for youth sponsored by the World Bank Group and the Zicklin Center,Wharton School.

Today’s youth will be responsible for delivering the post-2015 development agenda, also known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) when they expire at the end of 2015. The SDGs will be more ambitious than the MDGs, covering a broad range of interconnected issues, from sustainable economic growth, to social issues, to global public goods. To realize this vision, a just-as-ambitious plan for financing and implementation is needed.

Youth engagement throughout the design and implementation process is critical for success. The Ideas for Action (I4A) competition engages young people around the world to encourage them to develop and share their ideas for financing solutions to deliver the post-2015 development agenda.

Submission Requirements

Submissions that do not meet the format requirements listed below will be disqualified.

Format:

• Proposals should be between 1,500 and 3,000 words, with proper citations and references. The word count does not include the appendix, footnotes/citations, or any charts/graphs. Teams should use the template at the end of this document and include a 200-word abstract summarizing the key points of the proposal.
• The submission must be in Times New Roman, 12 pt font.
• All appropriate information must be cited.
• The submission should be sent in PDF or Microsoft Word format in English

Solution Areas:

The expectation for teams is to focus on one of the issues below and develop a creative yet

realistic and implementable solution that will increase the financing available and/or improve the efficiency and effectiveness of existing funds. Another possibility is to select more than one issue, and develop a solution that is based on blended sources of finance

1. Domestic Resource Mobilization: improving the ability of countries to collect and
   direct public resources generated from taxes and/or improve efficiency of public
   spending.
2. Better and Smarter Aid: improving how aid is structured and disbursed in light of a
   rapidly changing donor environment.
3. International Private Finance: improving business environments to attract investment.

   Domestic Private Sector: mobilizing domestic private capital

   Business and Development Innovations: improving business environments in developing economies via innovative private/public partnership models.

Awards

Winners of the competition will be given an opportunity to influence the post-2015 financing discussions and its implementation, including:

• Present winning proposal at the IMF/World Bank Spring and/or Annual Meetings in April and October 2016, respectively.
• Engagement with experts from development organizations, academia, and business on finance for development post-2015.
• Participation in a boot camp, where the winners will visit a company, organization or university to take part in specific project implementation and get hands on experience.
• Participation in the Wharton School Knowledge Exchange Activities and Global Classroom.

Timeline:

• Informational session: January 8, 2016; 2:00–3:00 PM EST at World Bank Headquarters. The session can also be accessed online. Details will be sent out through the distribution list.
• Deadline for submissions: January 31, 2016
• Announcement of submissions selected for final round: February 22, 2016*
• Deadline for final submissions (incl. comments received, if applicable): March 20, 2016
• Announcement of winner(s): April 5, 2016

For More Information, visit:

http://www.zicklincenter.org/#!ideascompetition/ccl3

 

The Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition

Submission Deadline: 1st May 2016
The Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2016 is now open for entries; submissions can be made until 1^st May 2016.

This year’s theme invites young people to think about whether or not it is possible to be living responsibly and tolerantly in an increasingly interconnected Commonwealth.

Through the world’s oldest schools’ international writing competition, the Royal Commonwealth Society provides an opportunity for young people to share their stories and have their voices heard.

The overarching theme for 2016 is ‘An Inclusive Commonwealth’, which is also the 2016 Commonwealth Year theme, and a topical theme for today’s youth. Both Senior and Junior topics give young people the opportunity to think about aspects of the theme such as: the significance of community; the importance of diversity and difference; the question of belonging; the values of tolerance, respect and understanding; and the sense of shared responsibility that exists within the Commonwealth today.
The topics are a chance to develop critical thinking and to express views in a creative manner.

JUNIOR CATEGORY

Born after 1st May 2002 (under 14 years)

1 Imagine inviting a stranger to your country. How would you welcome them?

2 My ideal community.

3 Are we really so different?

4 Tales of an ‘insider/outsider’.

SENIOR CATEGORY

Born between 2nd May 1997 and 1st May 2002 (14-18 years)

1 Let them in.

2 How can you balance the needs of the individual with the needs of the crowd?

3 The wealth we have in common.

4 Is it possible to have an inclusive and tolerant society?

Submission Requirements:

• The Competition is open to nationals or residents of all Commonwealth countries and territories.
• Entrants must select a Senior or Junior topic depending on their age on 1st May 2016.
• Only one essay per entrant is allowed.
• Entries must be written in English.
• The maximum word counts are 1500 words for Senior entries and 750 words for Junior entries. These word limits apply to all topics and all formats (essay, poem, letter, etc). Exceeding the word count will result in automatic disqualification.
• Plagiarism: Every year a number of students are disqualified because they are suspected of plagiarism.
• The final copy submitted for the competition MUST be the entrant’s own work, and cannot be unduly corrected or improved by another person.
• Essays can only be uploaded in either word doc. or pdf format.

Prize:

• Prizes have traditionally been awarded only to the first prize winners in the Senior and Junior categories and also vary year by year. This means RCS is not able to confirm what the prizes will be until after the winners are announced in September 2016.
• Past prizes have included certificates, resources for winner’s school, visits to Cambridge University, a trip to London and a week of activities, work experience at international organisations, and having your entry featured in worldwide media.

For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the 2016 Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition

Compete for the St. Gallen Wings of Excellence Award Essay Competition

Deadline: February 1, 2016
Compete for the St. Gallen Wings of Excellence Award and qualify for participation as a Leader of Tomorrow in the world’s premier opportunity for intergenerational debates: The St. Gallen Symposium.

• Join the debate with 600 top global leaders and decision makers
• Share your thoughts, ideas and visions with the global elite
• Expenses for travel, board and lodging covered, travel service provided
• Meet 200 of the world’s brightest young minds
• Small and intimate gatherings with world leaders, exclusively for the Leaders of Tomorrow
• CHF 20,000.– prize money shared by the three winners
• Broad media coverage
• Become member of a truly unique and strong global community

Qualify with an excellent essay.

Your essay must answer the following question: What are alternatives to economic growth? Leaders of Tomorrow have expressed scepticism towards economic growth as it stands today. We challenge you to develop your alternative guidelines to the concept of growth. Present your own idea to convince the jury. We expect a professional, creative and thought-provoking essay. Be bold and unconventional! The following criteria must be met:

Form	Essay (max. 2,100 words)
Language	English
Deadline	1 February 2016, 11:59 p.m. last time zone (UTC-12)
Anonymity	Your name must not be mentioned anywhere in the contribution file
Individuality	Individual work expected, no group work allowed. The essay must be written exclusively for this contest
Citation	All sources must be cited and referred to the respective part in the essay

Check your eligibility and prepare documents.

To be eligible, you must fulfil all of the following criteria:

• Enrolled in a graduate or postgraduate program (master level or higher) in any field of study at a regular university
• Born in 1986 or later

Make sure you can provide the following documents:

• Copy of passport or other identification (in English for non-Roman languages)
• Confirmation of matriculation/enrolment from your university which proves your enrolment in a graduate/postgraduate level programme as of 1 February 2016 (download sample document here)
• Your contribution file with no indication of your name in the file name, the file metadata or the file itself

Impress the Jury.

All contributions will be evaluated according to specific criteria by an independent jury composed of professors, corporate executives and entrepreneurs. The authors of the best 100 contributions qualify as Leaders of Tomorrow and will be invited by the ISC to the next St. Gallen Symposium. You qualify as a semi-finalist to compete for the prestigious award 2016 if your essay makes it in the top 20. You will be asked by mid-March the very latest to pitch the essence of your essay in a 3-minute video presentation. Based upon the quality of both the essay and the video pitch, the jury selects the six finalists who will compete for the award against each other on the symposium’s big stage. The award will be bestowed to those finalists who show the very best performances both on the essay and on the stage in St. Gallen.

Click here to apply for the St. Gallen Wings of Excellence Award Essay Competition.

 Source: http://opportunitiesforyouths.com

2015 UBA FOUNDATION NATIONAL ESSAY COMPETITION FOR SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NIGERIA

UBA Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has announced the opening of entries for the 2015 edition of its annual National Essay Competition. 

ESSAY TOPIC “What matters most to you in life and why” UBA Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, has announced the opening of entries for the 2015 edition of its annual National Essay Competition. 

The competition is part of the Foundation’s initiative to promote creative and analytical thinking in senior secondary students in Nigeria and is a follow up on the Foundation’s Read Africa initiative, which promotes reading culture among students through the reading and free distribution of Africa literary classics in secondary schools. 

The national essay competition is also held in Ghana and Senegal. 

PRIZES 

1st Prize: N1 Million Educational grant for the winner to study in any African university of his or her choice. 

2nd Prize: N750,000 Educational grant. 

3rd Prize: N500,000 Educational grant. 

Entries received for the competition will be reviewed by a distinguished panel of judges made up of professors from reputable Nigerian Universities, who will then shortlist 12 best essays for further assessment. A second round of the competition will involve the 12 finalist who will write a second supervised essay from which three best essays will be selected. 

“Three best essays will be selected as the overall winners from 12 finalists that will emerge from the first round of the competition. 

ENTRIES SUBMISSION 

Entries should be sent to: 

UBA Foundation, 

Marketing & Corporate Relations Division, 

United Bank for Africa Plc | UBA House (3rd FLoor), 

57 Marina, Lagos, Nigeria. 

Deadline for Submission is on November 13th, 2015.