OPEN AFRICA POWER 2021 PROGRAM – ENEL FOUNDATION

admin March 7, 2021

6 minutes read

Apply for the Enel Foundation Open Africa Power Program 2021

Deadline: 06 April 2021

About Enel Foundation Open Africa Power Program

Enel Foundation announced the call for applications for the Open Africa Power 2021 program, which this year will begin in May.

The call for applications will officially remain open from March 4 to April 6,to high-profile African students undergoing or having completed Master’s, MBA or PhD studies in African universities. After receiving more than 750 applications last year, Open Africa Power is welcoming candidates who want to acquire a holistic know-how of the electricity sector, enhancing their technical, regulatory and business skills required to work in the private and public sector towards the electrification of Africa. African Nationals currently living abroad, but wanting to relocate back to Africa, will also be admitted, as one of the program’s aims is to contribute to talent retention in the continent.

The 2021 edition will engage up to 60 African students and alumni in a series of professional development and leadership activities, comprising online and (if possible) residential modules.

Enel Foundation invites all interested candidates to carefully read the call for applications available at the Enel Foundation website. Those fulfilling the required criteria can submit their applications via the dedicated online platform using the verification code (OAP21CFA) until April 6, 2021. After visiting Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Africa in previous editions, Open Africa Power 2021 will stage its program online, for a smooth and safe experience for all its participants, despite the current global health emergency.

Open Africa Power is an education venture initiated by Enel Foundation in 2018, in partnership with top Academic institutions such as Strathmore University and University of Nairobi in Kenya, University of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, University of Cape Town in South Africa, and Italian institutions such as Politecnico di Torino, Politecnico di Milano, Bocconi University, Florence School of Regulation, and Venice International University.

The ambition of the program is to empower and retain African talent in a crucial sector like energy, of paramount importance to unlock Africa’s sustainable future. The program offers knowledge on all aspects of sustainable electricity production and distribution to the best and most motivated PhD, Master’s, and MBA students and alumni. The program also aims to create a networking platform for participants in order to maximize impact.

Open Africa Power has seen a constant and remarkable increase in the number of applicants, from 140 in 2018 (its first year), to over 750 in 2020; almost 40 African Nations were represented. Last year’s 61 selected candidates were highly skilled (63% of them held, or were in the process of obtaining, a PhD), and showed diverse and complementary backgrounds, ranging from IT to law, from engineering to economics.

One of the key aspects of the program is to focus on geographical, as well as gender diversity. With a high percentage of female participants (43% in 2020), the program is providing a concrete demonstration of African women’s role in pushing forward a new generation of African leaders deeply engaged with their respective country’s clean energy future.

1. Overview

Open Africa Power is an education venture initiated by Enel Foundation in 2018 in partnership with top Academic institutions in Italy and Africa, aiming to forge a new generation of African leaders deeply engaged with their country’s clean energy future.

The Open Africa Power Program provides high-profile African graduates with a holistic knowhow of the electricity sector, enhancing the technical, regulatory and business skills required to work in the private and public sector towards the electrification of Africa.

This collaborative program brings together Enel Foundation, Strathmore University, the University of Cape Town, Politecnico di Torino, Politecnico di Milano, Bocconi University, Venice International University and Florence School of Regulation.

The 2021 edition will engage up to 60 African students and alumni in a series of professional development and leadership activities, comprising online and residential modules.

2. Program Structure

Online Module and Exams

The online module Regulation for Universal Access to Energy will start on May 3^rd and will end on July 10^th, 2021 (September 20^th ,2021 for the 15 top performers). This course will enable the learners to gain a comprehensive vision on how to design appropriate policy and regulatory framework needed to ensure sustainable energy for all. Successful completion of this course is required to be selected for the Italian Module.

Digital African Module: State of the Art

This module will occur between May 3^rd and July 10^th, 2021. It will take place in digital form only, due to the impact of the current global pandemic. The module will explore the fundamentals of the global electricity sector through the lenses of sustainable development goals. It will cover the following areas:

Networks technology, regulation, economics;
- Renewables technology, regulation, economics;
- ICT digitalization of the electricity industry

The faculty will consist of local and international experts both from academia and industry. Following the African Module, participants will be asked to put forward a research abstract

on a specific aspect/solution for the electricity sector that can become a key element in the race from poverty to prosperity for the entire Continent or for a specific African country. The top twenty per cent participants of the course, based on valuation of their abstract, class interactions and successful completion of online course, will be invited to attend the Italian module.

Italian Module: New Frontiers

Lasting two weeks in October 2021, this module will take place in Italy (decision subject to the evolution of the current pandemic situation). Participants will explore the new frontiers of the electricity sector, sharing knowledge and experience first-hand innovation. They will be called to actively interact with prestigious academic partners and research representatives, meet with government, business, and non-profit leaders; engage in a dialogue around issues of Africa’s clean energy future; and visit sites where innovative technologies are a reality in the electricity space.

Give Back Module

Upon completion of the Italian module, alumni will be involved in teaching activities related to Enel Foundation education initiatives in Africa.

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3. Eligibility

The Open Africa Power selection process is an open, merit-based, competition. The application period opens on 4^th March, 2021, and closes on 6^th April, 2021.

To be eligible, candidates must meet the following criteria:

Be between the ages of 24 and 35 by May 3^rd, 2021;
- Be a citizen of an African country;
- Currently resident in an African country or planning to relocate in Africa within the end of 2021;
- Be eligible to travel to Italy. All candidates are invited to check well in advance the procedure applicable to their specific case;
- Having graduated from or being a student (having an admission letter is also acceptable) of a PhD, MSc, LLM, MPP or MBA degree. Undergraduate students or people who are not at least enrolled in a master’s degree are not eligible for this program. One of the two degrees (Bachelor or Masters) 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.

4. How to Apply

Applications are to be filed through our dedicated platform exclusively. Please click on the link and copy- paste the following code in order to begin the process:

Applicants must provide:

A copy of their CV;
- Copy of their Bachelor’s and Master’s degree certificates AND academic transcripts;
- A copy of their Passport;
- A motivation letter;
- Three reference letters from industry, academia and/or civil servant representatives.

The application process begins with a registration form that allows applicants to sign up by entering their contact details. They will then receive a confirmation email redirecting them to the actual application form, which is divided into stages. At any given stage, if the required document is not uploaded, the system will prevent the applicant from advancing to the next stage. To successfully complete the process, all the documents listed in the bullet points above are required. Applications can be saved and resumed at a later stage. However, once an application is submitted, it cannot be amended. Therefore, please make sure your submission meets the requirements.

Interested candidates acknowledge that by submitting their application they will share personal data and authorize the treatment of personal data only for the scope of this program. Without such authorization, the application will not be submitted. For full information please read the privacy note.