Program Overview

Introduction to the RMIT Centre for African Engagement (CAE) PhD Scholarships

The RMIT Centre for African Engagement (CAE) PhD Scholarships are funded by RMIT University to support Africans who want to conduct PhD research that contributes to the development of the African continent and/or issues relating to Africans in the diaspora.

Value and Duration

The scholarships provide tuition fees for a period of 3.5 years and a stipend of $35,886 per annum (2025 rate indexed annually).

Number of Scholarships

One (1) scholarship is available.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for this scholarship, applicants must:

• Meet the minimum requirements for admission to a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program at RMIT.
• Be a citizen of an African country.

Project Summary

The project titled "The Dynamics of Africa's Fintech Entrepreneurial Ecosystems" aims to address the under-representation of Africa's FinTech ecosystem in scholarly literature. It will examine the tensions surrounding the roles of history, creativity, and adaptability in entrepreneurial ecosystem research, drawing insights from FinTech, digital entrepreneurship, and entrepreneurial eco-system theories.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate for this PhD project will be expected to have:

• A master's degree in information systems, management, or entrepreneurship with a thesis.
• Research qualification (for example, MPhil) or experience (demonstrated in a journal publication).
• A background in management, entrepreneurship, or information systems, and a solid foundation in mixed methods research.

Application Instructions

Scholarship applications must include evidence of contact with the proposed senior supervisor. Applicants should submit:

• A brief overview of their motivation and suitability for this PhD project.
• A detailed CV including academic achievements and research experience.
• Academic certificates and transcripts.

End Date of Scholarship Eligibility

17/11/2025

Further Information

This scholarship will support the project titled: "The Dynamics of Africa's Fintech Entrepreneurial Ecosystems". For more information, please note that the project involves examining the FinTech sector in Africa, characterized by rapid adoption of mobile technologies and a high proportion of unbanked and underbanked populations. The project applies a combination of computational, qualitative, and quantitative methods to provide a comprehensive understanding of ecosystem dynamics.