Application Deadline: 10th April 2023
On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, Enel Foundation and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) are excited to launch the call for applications for the 2023 edition of Open Africa Power, the programme aimed at empowering women and youth to lead the clean energy transition of Africa. Since 2018 Open Africa Power provides a cohort of young energy professionals with a complete set of technical, regulatory and business skills needed to trigger Africa sustainable energy future for all. This year the programme will engage up to 150 African students, with at least 50% women, and almost 400 Alumni in a series of professional development and leadership activities provided in partnership with top academic institutions in Italy and Africa.
Open Africa Power 2023 comprises of online and residential modules from academic institutions such as the University of Cape Town, Politecnico di Torino, Politecnico di Milano, SDA Bocconi, Florence School of Regulation, and Venice International University. The programme, as in past editions, receives significant support from our institutional partner, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Program Details
• Digital African Module: State of the Art and Capstone Project (May – June)
• Regulation for SDG7 Online Course (May – October)
• Italian Module: New Frontiers (January – March 2024)
• Give back module. Upon completion of the Italian module, The entire cohort of alumni will be involved in knowledge sharing activities in cooperation with Enel Foundation.
Eligibility Criteria
The Open Africa Power selection process is an open, merit-based, competition. The application period opens on March 8th, 2023 and closes on April 10th, 2023.
To be eligible, candidates must meet the following criteria:
· Be between the ages of 24 and 35 by May 1st, 2023;
· Be a citizen of an African country;
· Currently resident in an African country or planning to relocate in Africa within the end of 2024;
· Be eligible to travel to Italy. All candidates are invited to check well in advance the procedure applicable to their specific case;
· Having graduated by May 1st, 2023 from a PhD, MSc, LLM, MPP or MBA degree. Undergraduate students, people with only a BSc degree or people who are currently enrolled in a master’s degree (i.e. Graduate students) are not eligible for this program. At least one degree (PhD, MSc, BSc, LLM, MPP or MBA) must be from an African University;
· Have competences and a demonstrated interest to pursue a career – in private or public sector – in the electricity space at large;
· Be fully proficient in English (CEFR C1 level), and be able to demonstrate this via an official language certificate or completion of at least one degree completely taught in English;
· Willingness to promote gender equality and women´s empowerment within and beyond the programme.
Recognizing that women play a critical role in the energy sector, but they are often left out of decision-making and have restricted access to energy education, employment opportunities and finance, their participation in the OAP is highly encouraged. Enel Foundation and SEforALL will ensure that 50% of the participants are women.
How to Apply
How to apply
Applications are to be filed through our dedicated platform exclusively, using the verification code (OAPF2325). We highly invite you to start and complete your application on both Google Chrome and a desktop environment for the best results possible in terms of stability and reliability of the platform. Please click on the link and copy-paste the code written above in order to begin the process.
Applicants must provide:
· A copy of their CV (in PDF format);
· Copy of their Bachelor’s and Master’s degree certificates (plus eventual MBA/PhD certificates) AND academic transcripts (in PDF format);
· A copy of their Passport (in PDF format);
· A motivation letter (max 700 words, in PDF format);
· Three reference letters from industry, academia and/or civil servant representatives (in PDF format).
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Enel Foundation Open Africa Power Program 2023