Pan African University Institutes: A Route to Fully Funded Masters and PhD Study in Africa
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 08, 2026 • Graduate & Professional School
The Pan African University runs five graduate institutes across Africa, each covering a different specialization, and its African Union scholarship pays full tuition, a monthly stipend, accommodation, travel and research costs for admitted masters and PhD students.
🎓 PAUSTI (Kenya): science, technology and innovation
🎓 PAULESI (Nigeria): life and earth sciences, health and agriculture
🎓 PAUWES (Algeria): water and energy sciences, climate change
🎓 PAUGHSS (Cameroon): governance, humanities and social sciences
🎓 PAUSS (South Africa): space sciences, the newest institute
💵 Scholarships cover tuition, stipend, travel and accommodation for citizens of African Union member states
What the Pan African University Is
The Pan African University (PAU) is a graduate-level university network set up by the African Union Commission to train masters and PhD students inside Africa instead of sending them abroad. Rather than one campus, PAU operates as five specialized institutes, each hosted by an established African university and each teaching a different field.
The African Union created PAU to build research capacity on the continent and reduce dependence on postgraduate study outside Africa. Any citizen of an African Union member state applies, and admission does not depend on your home country matching the institute's host country.
The Five PAU Institutes
Each institute specializes in one broad field and sits inside a host university that already runs strong research programs in that area.
| Institute | Host University and Country | Focus Area |
|---|---|---|
| PAUWES | University of Tlemcen, Algeria | Water and energy sciences, including climate change |
| PAUSTI | Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Kenya | Basic sciences, technology and innovation |
| PAULESI | University of Ibadan, Nigeria | Life and earth sciences, including health and agriculture |
| PAUGHSS | University of Yaounde II, Cameroon | Governance, humanities and social sciences |
| PAUSS | Hosted in South Africa | Space sciences |
PAUSS is the newest of the five and still building out its full program lineup, so confirm current admission status directly on the Pan African University site before you plan around it.
What You Study at Each Institute
PAUWES runs masters and PhD programs in water engineering, energy engineering and climate change, aimed at students who want to work on infrastructure and environmental problems.
PAUSTI covers computer science, mathematics, molecular biology and related technical fields, with programs delivered mostly in English.
PAULESI focuses on public health, agriculture and natural resource management, drawing on Nigeria's research strength in tropical medicine and agriculture.
PAUGHSS trains students in governance, conflict studies, translation and interpretation, and other social science fields, with programs delivered in both English and French.
PAUSS is building programs in space science and satellite technology, an area few African universities teach at postgraduate level.
What the Scholarship Covers
Admitted students receive full funding through the African Union rather than paying tuition themselves. According to the PAU scholarships page , the award covers:
💵 Full tuition for the entire program, whether masters or PhD
💵 A monthly living allowance
🏠 Accommodation for the study period
✈️ One return ticket between your home country and the host institute
📚 Funding for thesis research, fieldwork, and books
This structure means students from any income background attend without raising tuition money first, provided you meet the academic requirements.
Eligibility and Requirements
You need citizenship of an African Union member state. For masters programs you need a bachelor's degree relevant to the field you apply to, and for PhD programs you need a masters degree. Institutes teaching in French, like PAUGHSS, expect working French alongside English, since some courses run bilingually.
Entry is competitive. Institutes select a limited cohort each intake, and research experience, publications or strong references strengthen an application, though these are not always compulsory.
How to Apply
Check the PAU application portal for the open call and the institutes accepting applications that cycle.
Pick the institute and program matching your background and career goals, since you typically apply to only one.
Prepare transcripts, a degree certificate, a research proposal or statement of purpose, and reference letters.
Submit online before the deadline listed for that cycle and track your status through the portal.
Application cycles open annually, though exact dates shift year to year, so check the portal directly instead of relying on a fixed calendar date.