Number of recipients
In addition to being a prestigious academic exchange program, the Fulbright Program is designed to expand and strengthen relationships between the people of the United States and citizens of other nations and to promote international understanding and cooperation. To support this mission, Fulbright Scholars may be asked to give public talks, mentor students, and otherwise engage with the host community, in addition to their primary activities.
Scholars can propose a combination of teaching and research, or teaching-only projects. Activities can include teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, supervising master's and PhD candidate thesis projects, attending/participating in seminars and research symposiums, providing tutorials on research design for thesis-level students, and conducting research.
Eligible host institutions include:
Universite Felix Houphouet-Boigny - UFHB
Social Sciences, Business/Economics - UFHB is the country's leading public sector university and has played a central role in the country's political and economic development. Academics and researchers in the following disciplines are especially sought after: American civilization; English literature or TOEFL and applied linguistics; business strategy and organizational development, including for executive MBA programs. The STEM disciplines are also welcome, especially as Ivorian faculty seek to internationalize and broaden their relationships with other institutions and seek coaching and partnering.
International University of Grand Bassam (IUGB)
Business, Economics/Finance and Engineering - IUGB offers six degrees in its School of Business & Social Sciences (BSS) and School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The school also offers a University Preparatory Program. IUGB is a four-year undergraduate American-style English-language university with a longstanding close relationship with the University of Georgia. It attracts over 800 students from 22 countries and an international faculty. There are excellent on-site residential and other campus facilities. IUGB has expansion plans to partner with districts and municipalities, and are active in the business community. Fulbrighters in any of the above areas and at various stages of their careers from recent PhDs to senior faculty would be very welcome. International University of Grand-Bassam (IUGB) is located in Grand Bassam, a UNESCO heritage coastal city with an important role in Cote d'Ivoire's modern history located some 23 miles from Abidjan. The university seeks to play a key role in regional integration and to prepare its students for roles in telecoms, services, finance, and entrepreneurship.
School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) - Teach undergraduate courses in mechanical engineering technology and possibly in mathematics. The mechanical engineering technology program is new to IUGB. The scholar should be comfortable in contributing to a new program, where students need to be recruited into the program, and not all of the equipment is at hand. The scholar should be willing to work with people who might be able to suggest local alternatives for teaching situations, including local industries. The Mission of the International University of Grand-Bassam is to provide internationally-recognized higher education through technology-enhanced English medium instruction in fields critical to regional development, international success and life-long learning. Please contact koffi.s@iugb.org or info@iugb.org for more information.
Alassane Ouattara University (UAO)
Law/Economics/Public Policy/Social & Medical Sciences - UAO is one of the country's largest institution of higher education, offers the following majors: law; administrative management and law; economic science and development; medical sciences; and, communications and sociology. There are opportunities for both research and teaching, and the University is home to an American center run by US Embassy Abidjan. UAO is located in Bouake in central Cote d'Ivoire some 5-6 hours north of Abidjan. Bouake has long been the country's crossroads and is important to the country's political and commercial development. UAO has more than 20,000 students and over 800 faculty and has important relationships in the country's business and political communities.
Graduate School of Management (GSM)
Accounting/Marketing/Finance - GSM is a UK-style undergraduate business school and seeks accounting information systems; forensic audit; mobile applications developers; digital marketing researchers; e-technology specialists; and US trade-with-Africa experts to teach business development and marketing/organizational development and entrepreneurship classes. Some research capabilities and facilities are available through the school and its network. The school seeks IT, audit/accounting/finance and statistics/research professionals and academics. GSM is located in Abidjan - the economic, commerical, cultural and political hub of Cote d'Ivoire. GSM welcomes opportunities to partner with US institutions and on US business-related academicians. GSM undertakes some TOEFL and youth education-related projects with US Embassy Abidjan. There are approximately 800 students at the school's urban campus and it is among the more developed of Cote d'Ivoire's private higher-educational institutions and is well-regarded.
The Ecole Nationale Superieur des Statistiques et d'Economie Appliquee (ENSEA)
Statistics and Applied Economics - ENSEA is an independent, specialized regional institute with a competitive admission standards and attracting students and faculty from across the African continent. ENSEA's degree programs include data science, actuarial studies, agriculture/agri-business and economics. ENSEA works closely with several of the country's leading ministries, e.g., health, finance, education, and private sector development. ENSEA is located in the heart of Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire's economic, political, cultural and commercial hub.
National Polytechnic Institute Felix Houphouet-Boigny (INPHB)
Advanced School of Agronomy - Agronomy, environmental engineering, business management and applied economics (finance, accounting and law), and transportation engineering. Both are located in Yamoussoukro, the country's administrative capital, some 3 hours north driving from Abidjan. ESA and INPHB share campus facilities. Most useful/sought-after disciplines include water treatment and bioremediation; industrial chemistry and process engineering; transportation economics and engineering; business administration and applied economics (law, accounting/finance); agronomy and agricultural economics; urbanization and construction studies. INPHB, the country's premier research institute, has recently added programs in aviation and petroleum engineering and is actively seeking to align its course offerings, faculty teaching methodologies, curricula and student-focused workshops and trainings to better align with private sector needs. Other topics of interest include forestry and land management, agro-economy, earth sciences, food sciences, agricultural and agronomic economics and engineering; environmental engineering; food and water safety; energy and transportation. Note: Proficiency in French is highly recommended for these two institutions and, while research can be conducted in English and the schools do admit international non-francophone students, the language of operation and teaching entirely in French.
Awards are for a full academic year. The preferred grant period is from August/September 2026 to May/June 2027 depending on the academic calendar. October 2026 is the latest start that can be accommodated.
Academic calendars may fluctuate depending on host institution and local conditions.
Cote d'Ivoire wants very much to move into the English-speaking world and welcomes English/TOEFL instruction and curriculum designers of all types. All of the public universities in Cote d'Ivoire are in dire need of English instructors. They are all trying to re-tool their curriculum and move from the Francophone/European world to competing in an English-for-academics publishing world.
Academics and researchers who have had the opportunity to develop relationships and broaden contacts in Cote d'Ivoire will be of greatest value to the host institutions. In addition to the locations and areas of interest listed above, there are active regional economic development projects ongoing, and may offer some opportunities for Scholars to engage with these regional projects as part of their research. You may contact US Embassy Abidjan Public Affairs Section for further information at civ.eca_exchanges@state.gov
Abidjan is home to the African Development Bank and numerous international NGOs and leading multi-national companies. It is possible for Scholars to develop partnered projects with donors and corporate sponsors, given sufficient time and as aligned with local needs.
All applicants must meet the Program eligibility requirements (click to review the requirements).
US Embassy Abidjan's Public Affairs Section (PAS) can work with applicants to arrange a letter of invitation from host institutions in order to smoothly negotiate assignments for those without experience in-country. For those with experience in-country, the PAS can assist with arranging a letter of invitation for the purpose of obtaining a visa at the Embassy of Cote d'Ivoire in Washington, D.C. It is highly recommended that grantees arrange a visa prior to arrival as online visas may be arranged for tourism purposes only -- all others should have visas issued by the Ivorian embassy in the U.S. Please contact civ.eca_exchanges@state.gov with questions.
Applicants are encouraged to consult the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) “Can-Do Statements” to determine if they are qualified.
Applicants are encouraged to register qualified language evaluator, such as a language instructor or a translator, to conduct the external assessment in the application. Being a native speaker alone does not qualify an individual to conduct the assessment.
Applicants who are native speakers do not need to complete an external evaluation.
French is the language of Cote d'Ivoire and few Ivorians, including within the academic community, feel functional in English. Academics and researchers are strongly advised to have at least intermediate French skills, or be prepared to obtain them, although many research projects and some classes may be conducted in English. All coursework with the exception of English/TOEFL will be taught in French.
Round-trip, economy-class, international travel arranged by travel agent selected by CIES, for scholar and up to two accompanying dependents. A $2,050 allowance will be provided to cover the costs associated with relocation and excess baggage.
$1,000 books and educational materials allowance; if possible, educational materials should be donated to the host institution (or other entity) upon grantee's departure. (For Teaching and Teaching/Research awards only.)
Dependents must accompany the grantee for at least 80% of the period abroad and a minimum of one semester in order to qualify for additional dependent benefits.
Additional living and housing allowance is provided for grantees with one accompanying dependent or two or more accompanying dependent. These amounts range from $200/month to $500/month.
In addition, round-trip, economy class travel is provided for up to two dependents.
Dependent education allowance up to $12,500 per child or $25,000 per family for accompanying dependents in grades K-12 is reimbursed for a full academic year, upon submission of receipts, and depending on funding availability. Amount may be adjusted for shorter grant periods. Reimbursement is based on actual cost of tuition and fees only.
Dependents must accompany the grantee for at least 80% of the period abroad and a minimum of one semester in order to qualify for additional dependent benefits. Dependent benefits are not provided to Flex grantees.
U.S. grantees tend to pay from $500-$1000USD/month for accommodations ranging from studio B&B type arrangements to single bedroom apartments or shared duplex apartments. Most apartments are rented fully furnished but internet, electric, and water are generally separate charges and can range from $50-100/month or more for these utilities. Abidjan is expensive and some newer, centrally located residences can run higher. Public taxi transport is available, generally at $3-7USD one-way in Abidjan and half that amount for secondary cities. The less expensive shared van and bus options are inter- and intra-city options for less money (but may not be "road worthy" and are generally not recommended.) All foods are available, albeit at generally high mark-ups compared to U.S. prices, e.g. cheese, meats, specialty items. Local markets are good options for fresh fruits and vegetables. Restaurants are widely available in all locations with a wide variety of cuisines and price points.
When university housing is provided to Fulbright Scholars, grantees will receive a supplemental housing allowance in lieu of a full housing allowance for refurbishments, utilities, and other miscellaneous expenses that arise. The full housing allowance will not be provided to grantees if they elect to decline on-campus or university housing.
Please refer to the figures above for an estimate of total monthly Fulbright award benefits. Benefits may include a monthly base stipend, living and housing allowances, and additional one-time allowances. Benefits may vary based on a scholar's current academic rank (or professional equivalent), the city of placement, the type of award (teaching, teaching/research, or research), and the number of and duration of stay of accompanying dependents. Research-only or Professional Project grantees receive a standard stipend that is not adjusted for academic rank. In most cases, dependent benefits will not be provided to Flex grantees, or to grantees pursuing grants less than four months (or a semester) in length.
Final grant amounts will be determined prior to the start of the academic year and are subject to the availability of funds. The United States Department of State reserves the right to alter, without notice, participating countries, number of awards and allowances.
Cote d'Ivoire's estimated population of 24 million comprise 60 ethno-linguistic groups, approximately equally divided between Christians, Muslims, and animist/spiritualists along a 40:40:20 split. The northern part of the country is predominantly Muslim while the coastal southern areas are mainly Christian. One-quarter of Cote d'Ivoire's residents are non-Ivorian citizens due to a combination of factors, including the country's modern history as a refuge for those fleeing regional wars as well as post-independence government policies seeking to attract skilled and unskilled labor. Ivorians are proud of their tradition of welcoming hospitality and peaceful tolerance and, following bouts of serious civic strife and violence in the past two decades, the country is positioning itself to be a regional economic hub and bridge between francophone and anglophone Africa. Cote d'Ivoire is the region's fastest growing economy with, on average, 8-9% growth annually, albeit with significant disparities in income and literacy that, if unchecked, pose serious dangers to the country's stability. Together with Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire accounts for nearly three-quarters of the world's cocoa and coffee production.
US Embassy Abidjan actively manages a portfolio of political engagement and economic, health, and infrastructural development programs overseen by U.S. Agency for International Development, the Centers for Disease Control, the Department of State, and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) which signed a five-year $525 million Compact with the Government of Cote d'Ivoire in 2017 targeting agricultural and pedagogical infrastructure development.
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For additional information, please reach out to Public Affairs Section of US Embassy Abidjan at: civ.eca_exchanges@state.gov