Early Careers Academic Grants winners announced

Press release – 17 July 2013

20 emerging academics from across the Commonwealth will get the chance to broaden their horizons and develop their international contacts for the first time, thanks to the first round of a new grant programme funded by the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU).

The Early Careers Academic Grants, offered to mark the ACU’s Centenary in 2013, provide international learning opportunities to early career academics who have not yet had the opportunity to work, study, or travel outside their own country.

100 grants will be offered in total, in a series of rounds. The first 20 successful candidates, announced today, are:

• Mr Md Bashirul Haque, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh
• Mr Muhammad Bin Sayeed, University of Asia Pacific, Bangladesh
• Dr Julia Carter, Canterbury Christ Church University, United Kingdom
• Mrs Susan De Klerk, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
• Mr Indren Govender, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
• Miss Rebecca Hardwick, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
• Dr Rick Hayman, Northumbria University, United Kingdom
• Mr Godwin Iwuchukwu, University of Calabar, Nigeria
• Miss Marinda Kotze, University of South Africa
• Dr Kirsty Miller, University of Lincoln, United Kingdom
• Ms Thandeka Mkhize, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
• Mr Chisala Ng'andwe, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
• Dr Rahul Nigam, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, India
• Ms Anne Omori, University of Calabar, Nigeria
• Mr Kelechi Osayi, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nigeria
• Dr Teresa Oultram, Keele University, United Kingdom
• Ms Hanya Pielichaty, University of Lincoln, United Kingdom
• Mr Khurram Shahzad, Riphah International University, Pakistan
• Dr Shahina Yasmin, Riphah International University, Pakistan
• Mr Adeel Zafar, Riphah International University, Pakistan

According to Dr John Kirkland, Deputy Secretary General of the ACU, the grants fit with the ACU’s wider emphasis on early career support. ‘A series of studies undertaken here over the past few years confirm that this is a critical period in the development of academic careers’, he said. ‘Our Centenary celebrations, which are focused on looking to the future, are the perfect opportunity to make a practical contribution.’

The Early Careers Academic Grants support individuals to attend relevant conferences or academic meetings in other Commonwealth countries. The next round of applications will open shortly, for eligible staff at all ACU member institutions.

Notes:

1.) The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) is the world's first and oldest international university network, established in 1913. A UK-registered charity, the ACU has over 500 member institutions in developed and developing countries across the Commonwealth. For further information, visit www.acu.ac.uk

2.) The Early Careers Academic Grants Programme provide resources for applicants from ACU member universities to attend relevant conferences or academic meetings in another Commonwealth country. The programme will offer 100 grants worth £100,000 in total over the ACU’s Centenary period, funded by the ACU's endowment income. For further information, visit www.acu.ac.uk/early-careers-academic-grants

3.) The ACU endowment supports mobility amongst Commonwealth university staff, through the Development Fellowships Fund. To date, the fund has supported fellowships – including the ACU Titular Fellowships – scholarships, and research and mobility grants.

4.) For further information, please contact:

Natasha Lokhun
+44 (0)20 7380 6760
[email protected]