Two complementary postgraduate programmes at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology in Nairobi, Kenya. ARPPIS, the African Regional Postgraduate Programme in Insect Science, has run since 1983 as a three-year structured PhD delivered with 29 partner universities in 16 African countries that handle registration and co-supervision; students from 29 African countries have completed it, and of 210 graduates between 1983 and 2015, 85% remained active in African research institutions or universities. DRIP, the Dissertation Research Internship Programme, has run since 1996 at both MSc and PhD level and accepts students registered at any university worldwide, including institutions in the UK, France and Germany; 87 PhD and 311 MSc students have graduated. Female participation since 2010 stands at 44% in ARPPIS and 45% in DRIP. Together the programmes host up to 100 MSc and PhD students at a time, with ARPPIS scholarships frequently co-funded through the DAAD In-Country/In-Region programme.