The Nordic Africa Institute (NAI) in Uppsala, Sweden, runs a set of research fellowships and visiting programmes for people working on contemporary Africa. It is a family of tracks rather than one scholarship: some for master and doctoral students, some for post-docs, and one for senior scholars. Which track you can use depends mostly on where you are based and what stage of your career you are at. You can see the full scholarship details on our listing, but this guide goes further into who it really fits.
For a Pakistani student, the short version is this: the named tracks are defined by geography. Read the eligibility section below carefully before you spend time on a proposal.
The fellowship in one table
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Provider | The Nordic Africa Institute (Nordiska Afrikainstitutet) |
| Funding | Full or partial, depending on the specific programme |
| Levels | Master's, PhD, post-doctoral, senior scholar |
| Fields | African studies, contemporary Africa research, policy-relevant research |
| Deadline | Varies, confirm on the official site |
| Country | Sweden (Uppsala) |
| Official site | nai.uu.se |
Four tracks, and why your location decides which one fits
NAI describes its research opportunities as several separate programmes. Each has its own target group.
- The African Scholarship Programme is meant for early-career researchers based in Africa.
- The Nordic Scholarship Programme is for researchers based in Sweden, Finland, Iceland or Denmark.
- The Claude Ake Visiting Chair is a position for senior scholars from African universities.
- Other routes include library programmes, remote access, internships, and hosting for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships.
Notice what is missing. None of these tracks is described as open to researchers based in Pakistan or South Asia. If you live and study in Pakistan, the African and Nordic programmes as described do not match your profile, and the Claude Ake Chair is tied to African universities. Check eligibility for your nationality and current base on the official site before you apply.
That does not mean NAI is closed to every Pakistani researcher. Two situations are worth a closer look:
- You are already enrolled or working in Sweden, Finland, Iceland or Denmark. The Nordic Scholarship Programme is framed around where researchers are based, so read the current call to see how it treats non-Nordic nationals living there.
- You are a post-doc planning a Marie Skłodowska-Curie application and want a host institution with an Africa focus. NAI lists hosting for these fellowships as one of its opportunities.
If neither applies and your research has nothing to do with Africa, this is not the fellowship for you. Your time is better spent on other Swedish options, which you can compare in our guide to all Sweden scholarships.
What a stay at NAI gives you
The money side is not standardised. Funding details vary by specific programme, and the listing describes the funding as full or partial. Do not assume a monthly stipend, travel or housing until you have read the call for the track you want.
What is consistent across the programmes is the institutional support:
- Office space and institutional support at NAI in Uppsala
- Access to the NAI Library and its printed and digital research resources
- Remote access options for digital resources
- Networking with Nordic and international policymakers, including direct engagement with senior policymakers and Nordic ambassadors
- Collaboration with scholars across the Nordic region and Africa
For a researcher in African studies, the library and the policy contacts are the real draw. NAI describes itself as an independent centre for policy-relevant research on contemporary Africa, so a visit here suits people whose work could inform policy, not purely theoretical projects.
Is your research a match for an Africa policy institute?
Eligible fields are listed as African studies, contemporary Africa research and policy-relevant research. That is narrow. A strong application usually shows a clear link between your topic and present-day Africa, and some sense of why it matters to decision makers.
A common mistake is to stretch a general development or economics project to fit. If Africa is a side note in your proposal, reviewers will notice. Pakistani researchers who do have a real Africa angle (for example, comparative work that includes African countries) should make that angle the centre of the proposal, not a footnote.
Master and doctoral students must be actively enrolled in their programmes. If you are between degrees, you are unlikely to qualify as a student applicant.
Paperwork: there is no fixed list
The document requirements vary and should be confirmed on the official site. Each programme publishes its own call, and the call is where the required documents are listed. Do not build your file from a generic checklist. Treat the specific call as the only authority.
If you are based in Pakistan and need degrees or transcripts verified for any foreign application, our IBCC and MOFA attestation guide explains how that process works. It is worth starting early, since attestation can take longer than you expect.
The application route through the NAI portal
- Go to the official NAI opportunities page on the Nordic Africa Institute website.
- Pick the programme that matches your academic level and where you are based.
- Read the specific call for applications and its eligibility criteria line by line.
- Submit your application through the designated NAI portal.
Step two is where most of the work is. If you pick the wrong track, a good proposal will still be rejected on eligibility grounds alone.
Timing when there is no fixed deadline
NAI does not publish one annual deadline for all its tracks. Both the opening date and the deadline vary, so confirm the current cycle on the official portal. Each programme opens its own call, and calls can come up at different points in the year.
The practical answer is to check the NAI opportunities portal regularly. If a call is not open when you look, email nai@nai.uu.se and ask about upcoming application periods for your track. Keep the email short and say which programme you are asking about and where you are based. That second detail matters, because it decides which track can take you.
Where applicants go wrong
- Applying to the African or Nordic programme without being based in the required region. Location is a stated condition, not a preference.
- Treating the funding as guaranteed full funding. It can be full or partial and varies by programme.
- Writing a proposal with no clear policy relevance. The institute's focus is independent, policy-relevant research on contemporary Africa.
- Relying on an old call. Requirements and dates change from cycle to cycle, so use only the call that is open now.
- Applying as a student without current enrolment in a master or doctoral programme.
Frequently asked questions
Can Pakistani students apply to the Nordic Africa Institute fellowship?
The source tracks are defined by where you are based: Africa for the African Scholarship Programme, Sweden, Finland, Iceland or Denmark for the Nordic Scholarship Programme, and African universities for the Claude Ake Visiting Chair. Pakistan is not named. Check eligibility for your nationality and base on the official site before applying.
Is the fellowship fully funded?
Funding is listed as full or partial, and the details vary by specific programme. Read the call for your track to see what is paid for.
What is the Claude Ake Visiting Chair?
It is a position for senior scholars from African universities.
Where is the Nordic Africa Institute?
It is located at Villavägen 6, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden.
Who do I contact about open calls?
For questions about active application periods, contact nai@nai.uu.se.
Can I use NAI resources without moving to Sweden?
NAI lists remote access options for digital resources and library programmes among its opportunities. The details of each are on the official site.
Before you write a single page, check the current calls on the official Nordic Africa Institute website and review the full scholarship details on our listing.