Agora Fellowship Programme

About us

Agora Verkehrswende is a Berlin-based think tank that seeks to promote climate-friendly mobility. Non-partisan and non-profit, it works together with key stakeholders in the fields of politics, business, academia and civil society to decarbonise the transport system. To this end, the think-tank team develops evidence-based policy strategies and recommendations. Agora Verkehrswende was initiated in 2016 by Stiftung Mercator and the European Climate Foundation.
 

Your mission

Agora Verkehrswende is launching a fellowship programme for young professionals from across Africa to gain a deeper insight into the politics, regulation and discussion of transport decarbonisation. The aim of the programme is to discuss the developments on the African continent at large, and in the participants’ countries in particular. You will be equipped with the tools needed to develop strategies and building blocks for a national discourse on transport transformation. The programme is part of the Rethinking Transport project of Agora Verkehrswende and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). 

Agora Verkehrswende will offer six young professionals from the African continent the opportunity to participate in the Agora Fellowship Programme at its office in Berlin. Over four weeks, from February 19 to March 15, 2024, you will work, learn and discuss how to transform the transport sector on the African continent. 

The programme will be full-time and will entail deep-dive sessions led by Agora Verkehrswende team members and renowned German and European experts; co-creation sessions; space for individual preparation; creative work, reflection and clarification; and an excursion. In the end, you, with the support of Agora Verkehrswende, will be equipped to develop and enhance strategies for national discourse on transport transformation in your home countries. 
 

A comprehensive programme to develop new strategies for transport transformation in Africa 
The four-week programme will be divided into three thematic blocks:

1. Block: Transport transformation at a glance – What and how to learn from global examples? 
The Agora Verkehrswende team and external experts will provide in-depth insights into decarbonisation strategies for the transport sector. Based on experiences from Germany, the European Union and international examples, you will analyse key drivers, identify decisive players and elaborate core principles of transport transformation.

2. Block: What does transport transformation on the African continent mean? 
You will discuss, review and scrutinise the elements and key areas of transport transformation on the African continent. Based on the publication Leapfrogging to Sustainable Transport in Africa – Twelve Insights into the Continent’s Sector Transformation, you will dive into the sector transformation on the continent as a whole and in your country of focus more specifically. 

3. Block: From concept to action – How to kick-start the discourse in your home country?  
Based on the takeaways from the first two blocks, in this final block you will have the opportunity to develop a strategy to kick-start the discourse on transport transformation in your focus country. The Agora Verkehrswende team will support and guide you and will provide a platform for developing your ideas. At the end, you will pitch your ideas and concept to an audience of renowned experts.

Your profile

To apply for the Fellowship Programme for Transport Transformation, candidates must fulfil the following criteria: 

• Citizenship and residence in a country on the African continent, where the candidate is actively engaged in a transport transformation-related activity 
• Stable professional situation
• At least 5 years of consecutive experience in a field related to transport transformation (mid-level expert), for example as a researcher, representative, engineer, activist, entrepreneur, consultant, decision-maker or civil servant 
• Proven engagement and interest in transport transformation 
• Fluency in English

To apply, please upload the following documents as a single PDF file with your name in the title (i.e. LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME.pdf) by 23:59 on September 10, 2023 at this link.

• A letter of motivation, outlining your vision for transport transformation in your country (max. 2 pages) 
• Your CV (max. 2 pages) 
• Letter of support from your current employer, ideally verifiable by signature, stamp and contact details. Self-employed applicants must provide credible proof of their stable professional situation. 
• Two references from work, academia, etc. with professional contact information
• Work samples related to transport transformation 
• Certificates and supporting documents  
  
   

You will receive a certificate of participation and become part of the growing network of Agora’s international expert community. 

The following expenses will be covered throughout the programme, and either be provided or reimbursed against receipts: 

• Cost of travel to Berlin (i.e. flights), visa, local transport, accomondation

• Office and workspaces, excursions, insurance 

Daily expenses are not covered by the programme and will have to be shouldered by the participants.
 

If you have any questions, please contact Clara Bartz at clara.bartz@agora-verkehrswende.de or by phone at +49 (0)151 15 97 94 80.