BJP Scholarship Program

The aim of the BJP Scholarship and Educational Support Program is to support citizens of African countries to pursue their educational goals and ambitions in a higher education institution based in Poland.

We recognize that there are excellent opportunities for higher education in Poland. We understand the reality that a higher education degree from a European-based institution can make a difference in the opportunities that are available to graduates. We also support Poland opening up to the world by facilitating access to higher education institutions in Poland among citizens of African countries.

What we offer through the BJP Scholarship and Educational Support Program:

  • partial funding to cover tuition fees based on documented need of individual applicants,
  • non-financial support that can strengthen general academic learning skills and create opportunities to develop subject-specific knowledge,
  • facilitating connections and networking within a community of Black, African and Afro-descendant scholars and professionals in Poland.

For additional information or in case of any questions about the BJP Scholarship and Educational Support Program, contact us at: office@blackjustice.org.pl

CLOSED: The call for applications for BJP scholarships in the 2024/25 academic year is closed.

We received a record number of applications to the BJP Scholarship and Educational Support Program. Thank you to all the applicants who took the time and made the effort to prepare applications.

The applications that were received within the deadline are now in the review process. 

Timeline for the 2024/25 application review process:

  • 7 June – 5 August 2024: the BJP Scholarship and Educational Support Program is open for submissions.
  • Monday, 5 August 2024 at midnight (CET): final application submission deadline.
  • 6 August – 6 September 2024: the BJP Review Committee evaluates all applications and short-lists applicants to be invited to interview.
  • Monday, 26 August 2024 – 6 September 2024: invitations to interview sent to short-listed applicants and interviews carried out. Interviews will be held online or in-person, as agreed with each short-listed applicant. BJP will contact the referees only of short-listed applicants.
  • Wednesday,11 September 2024: announcement of decisions regarding partial scholarships in the 2024-2025 academic year.

See below for detailed guidelines and additional information about the application process.

In case of questions, please contact us at: office@blackjustice.org.pl

Meet the members of the BJP Application Review Committee, who are carefully reading and reviewing the applications submitted in the 2024/2025 call for applications:

Chemutai Yegon (she/her): a Kenyan living in Poland, Chemutai is a community building professional and an educator with 11+ years of experience, mostly in the Republic of Georgia (2012-2015) and in Poland (2015-present), with a focus on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in education.

Chemutai co-founded and is current Executive Director of the Association of Multiethnic Families Family Voices, a founding organization of the BJP.

Chemutai has a BA in Education from Kenyatta University in Kenya. She also earned the Cambridge Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA) and the Norwich Institute for Language Education (NILE) Certificate in Teaching English in Pre-Primary Education.

Margaret Amaka Ohia-Nowak (she/her): born in Poland and raised in both Poland and Nigeria, Margaret’s work lies at the intersection of academia, civic education and racial justice activism. Academic-wise, her work focuses on anti-Black racist discourses, and media representations of Black Africans in Poland.

Margaret is Assistant Professor at the Institute of Communication and Media Studies at the Marie Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin. She is also a lecturer in Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of Łódź. She is the founder and executive director of the Centre for Intersectional Justice in Poland. She is a faculty member at the Black Europe Summer School, a board member of the Black Europe Foundation and the Journal for Right-Wing Studies. She is a local connector for Central Europe at the Multitudes Foundation. She is part of the Democracy & Belonging Forum community of practice on racialised othering and radical belonging in Europe. She authored and co-authored several publications on race, language and discourse in Poland. Listen to her speak on the Being a Black Woman in Poland Podcast.

Margaret received her Ph.D. from the University of Wrocław, Poland. She was a Fulbright Scholar and a National Science Centre Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley. She was a Visiting Scholar at the University of Amsterdam and at City University London. She is a recipient of the Susan Treadwell Memory Award.

Scolastica Namwai: a Kenyan living in Poland with a passion for the arts and fashion, Scolastica previously worked in fashion houses after graduating from Mcensal School of Fashion Design in Kenya and ran her own fashion and costume designing business in Kenya. She was a costume designer for the Kenyan feature film Supa Modo (a Netflix special), which was nominated for an Oscar in the category of Best Foreign Film in 2018.

Scolastica is also involved in project coordination and change management within her current corporate role. Driven by her passion for entrepreneurship and SME development, she is in the process of setting up her African fashion and lifestyle brand.

Scolastica is passionate about supporting and serving her community both in Poland and in Kenya. She is an active member of Rotaract Lódź Fabryka, where she contributes to the community through various philanthropic projects. Scolastica holds a BA degree in Business Management from the University of Lódź in Poland. She has also completed trainings organized by WeCreate Kenya, a Women’s Entrepreneurial Center of Resources, Education, Access, and Training for Economic Empowerment.

Kasia Kubin: an academic and activist with two decades of experience designing and managing initiatives and projects that advance social justice and human rights with a focus on racial justice, migrant and refugee rights, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Her academic work focuses on colonial histories and discourses in Central and Eastern Europe. She has (co-)authored, edited and translated work on related topics.

Kasia is a researcher at the University of Warsaw, Centre of Migration Research (Ośrodek Badań nad Migracjami-OBM). She co-founded the Foundation for Social Diversity (Fundacja na rzecz Różnorodności Społecznej-FRS) in 2007, for which she was distinguished with the Polcul Foundation Award in 2017. She co-created the short documentary film series, Migrant Narratives (Narracje Migrantów), which serves as an educational tool for trainers, teachers and educators. Her work on racism and equality was recognized by the Government Plenipotentiary for Equality within the Media and Equality Program (Media Równych Szans, 2012).

Kasia received her PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) – University of London.

Agnieszka Lange: a social worker, educator and activist, Agnieszka has collaborated with organizations that focus on the well-being of children and teenagers, cultural exchange of youth and alternative education.

Within the BJP, Agnieszka is a member of the Direct Support Team where she focuses on community-building activities, training initiatives and coordination of legal aid.

Agnieszka completed her studies in cultural studies (University of Adam Mickiewicz) social arts (the University of Warsaw) and curatorial practice (the University of Bologna). Additionally, she completed the first certificate in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy. She is passionate about sailing, visual arts and psychology.

Read what past awardees of the BJP Scholarship Program have to say about their experience:

“I will be the first to testify about the invaluable support I received from the BJP. They have been instrumental in providing me with essential assistance. The BJP has consistently treated us like family, going above and beyond in their efforts to support and guide us. Their involvement extends beyond scholarships; they are always present, ready to help in any situation. The BJP has become a part of my extended family.”

– Hana, a computer science student from Ethiopia

“I’m super grateful and excited to have been supported by the BJP Scholarship Program. I’m really grateful to the Black-Polish community for assisting me with my school fees…I’m super proud to be part of this community.”

– Chinenye, a third year medical student from Nigeria

“I recommend the BJP scholarship program. They really made things easy for me and my parents, they did annual check ups with us and organised a get together to know how I was doing in school. I am really grateful to BJP.”

– David, first year nursing student from Nigeria, studying at the University of Gdańsk

Students from the 2022/23 cohort of BJP Scholarship awardees at a meet-and-greet event with two BJP representatives, January 2023.

Information and Guidelines for Applicants in 2024/25 academic year:

If you wish to apply for support with your university fees in the 2024/2025 academic year through the BJP Scholarship Program, please review the below Information and Guidelines for Applicants.

Click here to access the online application form.

1. WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM THE BJP SCHOLARSHIP AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT PROGRAM?

Through the BJP Scholarship and Educational Support Program, we offer:

  • partial financial scholarships to help cover the tuition fees of study at an accredited higher education institution in Poland;
  • non-financial support that aims to strengthen general academic learning skills, create opportunities to develop skills and expertise in subject-specific areas, as well as facilitate networking and mutual support within a community of Black, African and Afro-descendant scholars and professionals who work in Poland.
At this time, we cannot cover full tuition fees for any individual applicant.
 

2. WHO CAN APPLY TO THE BJP SCHOLARSHIP AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT PROGRAM?

The program is open to applicants who fulfill the following criteria:

  • Citizenship of an African country;
  • Legal right to stay in Poland;
  • 18 years of age or older at the time of applying;
  • Have secured acceptance to at least one higher education institution in Poland for study in the 2024-2025 academic year;
  • Demonstrate financial need and are not able to pursue the chosen program of study without financial support from the BJP.

At this time, the BJP is not able to offer financial support to students who were previously awarded a BJP scholarship in the 2022-2023 and the 2023-2024 academic years. Although we cannot offer repeat scholarships, we look forward to including previous BJP Scholarship recipients in non-financial forms of support.

3. WHAT KIND OF STUDIES CAN BE SUPPORTED THROUGH THE PROGRAM?

We welcome applications from students studying in diverse fields and accept applications from individuals interested in studying both part time and full time.

Applicants to the BJP Scholarship and Educational Support Program must have documentation that confirms they have been accepted into programs of study and courses that meet the following criteria:

  • The program of study or course of study is offered by an accredited higher education institution based in Poland (e.g. universities, schools of higher education, institutes and research centers that offer certificates of higher education);
  • The program of study or course of study must culminate in a higher education degree (e.g. BA, MA, MSc, MPhil, MFA, etc.). We can also support students undertaking study at PhD level as well;
  • The fees for the program or course of study must be confirmed by an invoice or other official financial document issued by the accredited higher education institution based in Poland.

4. WHAT CAN I EXPECT DURING THE APPLICATION PROCESS?

The application process involves two stages:

Stage I:

Prepare and submit your application pack. Your application pack must include:

  • The completed application form, prepared in English and via the online application form;
  • Contacts to two individuals who agree to recommend you. Your referees can be, for example, former teachers or professors, current or former employers, mentors. Your referees must not be friends or relatives in order to avoid conflict of interest. The BJP will contact the referees only of short-listed applicants;
  • A letter from an accredited higher education institution in Poland that confirms your acceptance into the program of study or course of study that you wish to attend. If you have not yet received an acceptance letter, please make it clear in your application when you expect to receive such a letter;
  • A formal document issued by the higher education institution confirming the tuition fee amount and deadline for payment of tuition fees, including the institution’s bank account details. Please specify when you expect to receive such a document if you are not yet able to provide one at the time of submitting your application;
  • Scan of a document that confirms your legal right to stay in Poland. 

Applications from those who are still compiling documents will be accepted; however, if your application is shortlisted and selected for a scholarship in the 2024-25 academic year, disbursement of the awarded sum of scholarship will only be possible upon submission of all the required documents.

The completed application pack must be submitted by the deadline: Monday, 5 August 2024, by midnight (CET)

The BJP Review Committee will carefully read all submitted applications and short-list candidates who will be invited to the second stage of the application process. Invitations to short-listed candidates will be sent by the end of August 2024.

Stage II:

The second stage of the application process will involve short-listed applicants and will include:

  • An interview with the BJP Review Committee. Interviews will be held online or in-person as agreed with each short-listed applicant. The interview will help us to assess your candidacy with regard to the substantive selection criteria, which are outlined below.
  • At this time, the BJP Review Committee will also contact the shortlisted applicants’ referees who were listed in their application forms.

Decisions about the final selection of applicants who will receive a partial BJP scholarship toward their tuition fees in the 2024-2025 academic year will be released by Wednesday, 11 September 2024.

5. WHAT ARE THE SELECTION CRITERIA, HOW ARE APPLICATIONS EVALUATED?

Applications are assessed according to the following criteria:

Formal criteria:

  • Does the applicant meet the criteria outlined in the above point 2 of the Information and Guidelines for Applicants (i.e. “Who can apply to the BJP Scholarship and Educational Support Program”)?
  • Does the application meet the criteria outlined in the above point 3 of the Information and Guidelines for Applicants (i.e. “What kind of studies do we support through the program?”)?
  • Was the application received within the deadline?
  • Is the application form completed in the English language and using the online application form?

Substantive criteria:

  • Are the applicant’s answers to the questions on the application form genuine and authentic? Please note: we accept the use of Assistive or Generative-AI only to improve readability of your original content, to translate, and/or to refine the language in the application (e.g. text editing, rewording etc.). AI can make suggestions, corrections and improvements to content that applicants authored themselves, but we will not accept the use of such technology to produce content on behalf of the applicant.
  • Are the applicant’s answers thoughtfully prepared, clearly presented and compellingly argued?
  • Are the applicant’s education and career goals and plans thoughtfully prepared, clearly presented and compellingly argued?
  • Were the applicant’s answers and overall presentation during the interview thoughtfully considered and well-prepared?
  • Does the applicant demonstrate a need for financial support that justifies a partial scholarship toward their tuition fees?
  • Is the application in line with the objectives of the BJP Scholarship and Educational Support Program?

Please note, we can offer partial funding for tuition fees based on documented need of individual applicants. At this time, we cannot offer to cover full tuition fees for any individual applicant.

At this time, the BJP is not able to offer financial support to students who were previously awarded a BJP scholarship in the 2022-2023 and the 2023-2024 academic years. Although we cannot offer repeat scholarships, we look forward to including previous BJP Scholarship recipients into non-financial forms of support..

6. WHEN WILL I KNOW THE DECISION ABOUT MY APPLICATION AND WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE BJP SCHOLARSHIP AND EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT PROGRAM?

We aim to inform applicants about the decision on their application by email no later than by Wednesday, 11 September 2024.

For more information about the BJP Scholarship and Educational Support Program, please write to us at: office@blackjustice.org.pl