The Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) published the 2nd Call for Master’s degree and TVET Scholarship Applications for Namibian Youths on September 6, 2023, on the SASSCAL (https://jcoinamger.sasscal.org) website. This announcement represents a significant milestone in the Joint Communique of Intent (JCoI) signed between the Namibian and German Governments, aimed at fostering the development of the Green Hydrogen industry in Namibia.

Following the 2nd call announcement, SASSCAL conducted an extensive outreach workshop in collaboration with the regional Governors and the Namibian Government. Nationwide outreach workshops took place from 18th to 26th September 2023. This educational outreach workshop spanned all 14 regions of Namibia and aims to to impart valuable information on the scholarship application process, eligibility criteria, and the overarching goals of the Y4H2 Programme.

The call officially closed on October 13, 2023, with the closing date extended by a week following a request from 6 out of the 14 regions. Applicants submitted their applications using three methods, which included online applications, hard copies applications, and via email.  A total of 4363 applications were received from all of Namibia’s 14 regions. SASSCAL completed the evaluation of all application with the support of a 16-member Scholarship Evaluation Committee established by the Minister of Higher Education, Technology and Innovation which assessed and recommended successful applicants for the Namibian Youth for Green Hydrogen (Y4H2) Scholarships award.

As part of the reviewing process SASSCAL scheduled a workshop for the Scholarship Evaluation Committee which took place from Monday, November 20th to Friday, November 24th, 2023. The workshop’s goal was to evaluate green hydrogen scholarship applications and recommend successful candidates to the Technical Working Group for approval. Meanwhile, SASSCAL completed the eligibility screening of the applications and recommend those that fulfil the basic requirements to the Committee for evaluation.

The Scholarship Evaluation Committee comprises representatives from the Namibia Training Authority (NTA), University of Namibia (UNAM), Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST), Rundu VTC, Gobabis VTC, Windhoek VTC, Namibia Student Financial Assistance Fund (NSFAF) and National Commission on Research Science and Technology (NCRST).

The Y4H2 Programme offers scholarships to Namibian Youth (18 – 35 years old) in the following two categories related to the Green Hydrogen value chain:

1. Master’s degree (in disciplines such as applied science, renewable energy/sustainable energy systems, logistics and supply chain management)
2. Technical Vocational Education and Training – TVET Certificate Level 3, 4 and 5 related to the Green Hydrogen value chain (in trades such as boiler making, bricklaying and plastering, plumbing and pipe fitting, welding and metal fabrication, solar and wind energy systems installation and maintenance, business services)

This initiative aligns seamlessly with the global movement to transition the energy sector towards climate-friendly solutions, paving the way for a sustainable and environmentally conscious future. The programme is fully funded by BMBF and SASSCAL has been appointed as the implementing partner for the Y4H2 programme.

In December 2023, 30 scholarships for Master’s degrees and 60 scholarships for TVET were awarded for the 2024 call. The scholarships will advance Namibian’s skills for a range of different interests to support the green hydrogen and renewable industries.