SCO Digi-Face Scholarships 2027 for Business Research Master’s Students in Africa
A new DAAD-supported scholarship route has opened for African students aiming to move beyond standard business management training and into serious research on supply chains, operations, logistics, and food systems. The SCO Digi-Face Scholarships for the Master of Business Research 2026/2027 are now available at the University of Nairobi for eligible applicants from Kenya, Tanzania, and Ghana.
This is not a routine business degree. The Master of Business Research is a two-year, full-time master’s level programme delivered by the Department of Management Science and Project Planning, Faculty of Business and Management Sciences, University of Nairobi, in collaboration with Kuehne Logistics University in Hamburg, Germany. The scholarship cycle begins in September 2026 and runs until August 2028.
The opportunity is offered through the Africa Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Operations for Resource Management and Food Supply, known as SCO, which was established with financial support from DAAD. The centre connects the University of Nairobi, University of Dar es Salaam Business School, University of Ghana, Kuehne Logistics University, and LEARN Logistics by Kühne Foundation to strengthen advanced business research capacity across Africa.
Why This Scholarship Deserves Attention?
For students who want their master’s degree to lead into research, policy, consulting, logistics, academia, or food supply chain innovation, this programme has a sharper edge than a conventional MBA-style pathway.
The scholarship covers tuition fees, research costs, and a stipend from September 2026 to August 2028, in line with DAAD scholarship regulations. That means selected candidates receive financial support for the full two-year study period while working on advanced business research linked to real economic and supply chain challenges.
The programme is built for applicants who want to investigate how businesses, agricultural systems, logistics networks, and supply chains actually work — and how they can become more efficient, sustainable, and evidence-driven.
What the Master of Business Research Offers?
The Master of Business Research will train students in advanced research skills, techniques, and methodologies required to conduct original and high-quality research in business and related disciplines.
Students will learn from an interdisciplinary team of professors and industry professionals with expertise in operations management, supply chains, business economics, management science, and related areas. This gives the programme a practical research orientation, especially for candidates interested in solving business and resource management problems in African contexts.
The first year of the programme will focus on coursework while students begin developing their research proposals with supervisor support. The second year will be dedicated to research work, including data collection, analysis, preparation of publication papers, and completion of the final thesis report.
Although journal publication is not mandatory, candidates are encouraged to publish at least one journal article before graduation — a useful advantage for those planning to continue into PhD study, academic careers, policy research, or specialist consulting roles.
Priority Research Areas
The SCO Digi-Face Scholarships are especially relevant for applicants interested in business research connected to sustainability, operations, and food systems and the priority research areas include:
- Logistics
- Operations Management
- Efficiency of Food and Agricultural Supply Chains
- Supply Chain Management
- Business Operations
- Management Science
- Agribusiness and related research fields
These focus areas make the programme particularly valuable for applicants who want to work on research questions affecting trade, agriculture, transport systems, business efficiency, and food supply resilience in African economies.
Supervision and Academic Support
Successful candidates will be supervised by a University of Nairobi academic supervisor. Where possible, students may also receive additional supervision from the University of Dar es Salaam Business School, the University of Ghana, Kuehne Logistics University, or an international professor from the LEARN Logistics by Kühne Foundation academic network.
This cross-institutional supervision model is one of the strongest features of the programme. It gives students access to a wider pool of academic and professional expertise instead of limiting their training to one department or one country’s research environment.
Candidates will also have opportunities to strengthen their scientific and professional skills through the Africa Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Operations for Resource Management and Food Supply.
Eligibility Check: Who Can Apply?
Applicants may apply for the SCO Digi-Face Scholarship if they meet the required academic and nationality criteria.
Candidates must hold an earned BSc, BA, MA, MBA, MSc, or related degree in business studies, business administration, entrepreneurship, agribusiness management, economics, operations management, management science, supply chains, or closely related fields.
Applicants must also show outstanding academic performance, normally Second Class Upper Division or above at undergraduate level, or an equivalent GPA score. They must already be admitted into the Master of Business Research programme for the 2026/2027 academic year.
Research experience in agribusiness, business, supply chains, operations management, or related fields will be considered an added advantage. Applicants should also have basic analytical and research skills using relevant data analysis software, along with excellent written and spoken English.
The scholarship is open to nationals of Kenya, Tanzania, and Ghana.
Application Deadline
The last date to apply for the SCO Digi-Face Scholarships for the Master of Business Research 2026/2027 at the University of Nairobi is 15 July 2026.