The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) is delighted to announce that the cohort of PhD candidates have now been placed as part of the King’s Commonwealth Fellowship Programme (KCFP).
The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) is delighted to announce that the cohort of PhD candidates have now been placed as part of the King’s Commonwealth Fellowship Programme (KCFP), a new initiative inspired by the life’s work of His Majesty King Charles III, who has long championed efforts to address the urgent challenges presented from climate change. The KCFP was developed to empower future leaders in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) by providing them with the opportunity to undertake PhD research focused on critical economic, social, and environmental development challenges.
The programme is designed to upskill academics and professionals living in SIDS, which is essential for these nations' resilience and prosperity. The unique fellowships allow candidates to pursue their PhD studies in their home countries while continuing to work, ensuring their research directly benefits their communities.
Fellows will receive a stipend to support their research, including visits to their dedicated partner universities. Each King’s Fellow will benefit from joint PhD supervision from both their home university in a SIDS and a partner university. Fellows will also gain access to a dedicated online Community of Practice, providing them with professional development support, opportunities to engage with policymakers, public speaking events, and valuable research funding advice.
Professor Colin Riordan, ACU Secretary General and Chief Executive comments: “The King’s Commonwealth Fellowships Programme is testament to the power of collaboration and our shared commitment to building a more resilient future. By empowering PhD candidates from Small Island Developing States to conduct vital research in their home countries, we are not only addressing critical global challenges but also fostering the next generation of leaders who will drive positive change in their communities and beyond.”
The KCFP supports PhD studies in four vital subject areas: climate change/environment, education, engineering, and health. The selected Fellows are poised to make significant contributions to these fields, and their work will be instrumental in finding solutions to some of the world's most pressing climate change issues.
You can learn more about the inaugural cohort of King’s PhD Fellows and their research by visiting our Fellows webpage. Further details about their progress and findings will be shared on the ACU website throughout their studies.