The African Youth Climate Hub has announced that application is open for the African Youth Research Challenge, a continental initiative designed to unite young researchers across Africa to tackle climate change through knowledge and policy.
The programme is organised by the UNESCO Youth Climate Action Network (YoU-CAN) and the African Youth Climate Hub (AYCH). It is a research paper competition for young African researchers, students or young professionals aged 18–35 on climate change impact and solutions for the African continent, where 10 papers will be selected, and reformulated by their young authors into policy briefs to inform policy makers.
The African Youth Research Challenge is focused on “Uniting Young Researchers across Africa to Tackle Climate Change through Knowledge and Policy.” The initiative comes at a time when the climate crisis continues to affect communities across the continent. Climate change affects everyone, but Africa feels the heat more severely.
The challenge is a joint initiative launched by the Mohammed VI Foundation’s African Youth Climate Hub and UNESCO’s Youth Climate Action Network to enhance the capacities of young Africans to promote climate action. It is a platform for African young researchers on climate action.
Youth between 18 to 35 years across Africa who are passionate about climate solutions are eligible to join. Selected participants will take part in several activities aimed at building their skills and expanding their impact.
Participants will join a high-level capacity-development programme in Morocco alongside African climate experts and be one of 10 selected young researchers contributing to climate action through science-based insights.
They will also engage in an intergenerational policy dialogue, amplifying youth voices in decision-making spaces, co-develop a policy brief with concrete recommendations to support climate strategies across Africa, and collaborate and exchange knowledge with leading African researchers and experts.
The initiative focuses on research production, capacity building, research-policy synergies, intergenerational dialogue, and a mentor network. It will connect professors, mentors, and leading regional experts to provide scientific guidance and African perspectives for local climate initiatives.
Interested applicants are advised to submit their application by visiting https://youthclimatehub.org/research-challenge/.
