Frequently Asked Questions

WASCAL operates within three key areas:

  • Climate and Environmental Services
  • Evidence-based and impact-oriented research
  • Capacity Building Programme

WASCAL Competence Centre is a regional science-based hub situated in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso where WASCAL deploys its research programme to support the provision of climate and environmental services.

  • To provide evidence-based outputs that support the provision of climate and environmental services.
  • To serve as science implementation/advisory agency for other climate service centers and ECOWAS members.
  • To backstop the capacity building program.

WASCAL Competence Centre sets up win- win partnerships at international, regional and national levels with research, academic and service provision organizations

WASCAL research system lies in a transdisciplinary approach with climate science, biophysical and socioeconomics programs as key pillars supported by a regional observation network and a data center

WASCAL Competence Centre is a unique transdisciplinary science-based climate and environmental service center whose scope of intervention, targets the diversity of agroecological zones of West Africa.

WASCAL implements a threefold strategy:

  • To contribute to the emergence of the new generation of climate change experts through training and capacity strengthening.
  • To roll out innovative impact-oriented research programs.
  • To provide demand-driven and science-based climate and environmental services to policy makers and other key stakeholders.

To facilitate academic education amongst 12 West African universities in collaboration with German institutions through the Graduate Studies Programme (GSP), and In-service Training

  • To train Doctoral and Master’s degree students in climate change thematic areas.
  • To strengthen relevant areas of existing human capacity of member countries to allow them participate in the on-going global discourse on climate change and respond to current and future adaptation or mitigation challenges.
  • To develop capacities to assess the impacts of climate change and adaptation strategies. To promote an operational approach to knowledge in the field of climate change through case studies and strategies for better technological absorption in the area of the Green Economy
  • Graduate Studies Programme (DRP) comprising Doctoral Research Programme and Master Research Programme
  • Thesis Grant
    • In-service training (Seminars, Workshops & Visiting Scholar programmes & Building Local Capacity).

The GSP is aimed at engaging representatives of some of the best West Africa universities and encourage them to establish graduate research programmes in thematic areas of climate change studies, in joint efforts with universities in Germany. Each graduate research programme is based in one of the participating countries’ campuses (Lead University) and addresses one of the agreed upon priority thematic areas.

WASCAL has selected the Lead Universities based on existing programmes, staff strength, regional partnership, among others. Lecturers of partner universities of the region contribute by strengthening the teaching faculty of each of the universities and supervise students. In addition, one or more lecturers from universities in Germany contribute to teaching and/or supervision of students. Each university awards the doctoral or master’s degree. However, an Advisory Board composed of representatives of partner Institutions and German universities agree on the curriculum, the criteria for faculty membership, allocation of courses, students’ selection among others.

  • Applicants must have a first degree with a minimum of second class upper to be considered for any of the programmes.
  • Applicants must have done courses related to the Twelve (12) WASCAL Graduate Studies Programs.
  • Must be a citizen of any of the ECOWAS member countries in West Africa
  • Students on Scholarship are fully funded.
  • Fee paying Students should see advertisement for fee structure

DOCTORAL PROGRAMMES

  • West Africa Climate System – Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Nigeria
  • Climate Change and Water Resources – Université d’Abomey-Calavi (UAC), Benin
  • Climate Change Economics – Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (UCAD), Sénégal
  • Climate Change and Land Use –
  • Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana
  • Climate Change and Agriculture –
  • Institut Polytechnique Rural de Formation et de Recherche Apliquée, (IPR-IFRA), Mali and University of Cape Coast (UCC), Ghana
  • Climate Change and Biodiversity Université Felix Houphouët Boigny (formerly, Université de Cocody-Abidjan), Côte d’Ivoire
  • Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management – Université de Lomé (UL), Togo
  • Climate Change and Adapted Land Use Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT-Minna), Nigeria
  • Climate Change and Energy Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey (UAM), Niger
  • Climate Change and Education – University of The Gambia (UTG), the Gambia

MASTER’S PROGRAMMES

  • Climate Change and Marine Science, University of Cape Verde
  • Informatics for Climate Change, University of Ouagadougou 1 Pr. Joseph KI-ZERBO

Through the call for application on the WASCAL website which is www.wascal.org

Short courses (5 days) or workshop aimed at strengthening relevant areas of existing human capacity of member countries to allow them participate in the on-going global discourse on climate change and respond to current and future adaptation or mitigation challenges

  • You must apply when the call for application for In-service training programme is advertised on the WASCAL website.

This programme is to give qualified scholars an opportunity to work on research topics related to Climate Change adaptation and mitigation issues, to distill a publishable journal article from their recent research or to visit a laboratory abroad for data analysis.

  • You must hold a PhD degree and be involved in active research in Climate Change thematic areas.
  • Be affiliated with an academic institution or research centre located in West Africa
  • Have publications in refereed journals