60 students granted prestigious scholarship in Dubai

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Dubai: Sixty men and women from across the Arab world have been awarded fellowships to pursue a higher education as part of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation Fellows Programme.

The fellows will start postgraduate studies in autumn of this year in subjects such as business administration, public administration, public policy and finance at universities including the University of Cambridge, University of Chicago, Harvard University, London School of Economics, Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, London Business School, and New York University.

The Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Fellows Programme will cover all costs related to their education including tuition, books, accommodation, stipend and travel for the duration of their study programme.

Brain drain

After completion of their studies, the postgraduates will return to the Arab world to work.

Launched last December, the highly competitive Fellows Programme guarantees the transfer of knowledge and expertise to the region. It also helps minimise the negative impact of a brain drain on the development of the Arab world.

"Investing in equipping the right calibre of young people with further know-how will drive development efforts across the Arab world, a top priority for the Foundation," said Mustafa Al Ansari, Vice-President, Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation: Operations.

The Arab world has long suffered from the brain drain phenomenon which has deprived the region from qualified individuals, dramatically hampering development efforts across its countries, said Janine Al Tal, Director of Knowledge and Education, Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation

Saleh Abu Kamel, a recipient of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Fellowship who will proceed with his Master of Public Policy at Harvard, said the scholarships have offered Arab youth an unprecedented opportunity to pursue higher education at the most prestigious universities in the world.

"In doing so the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation is not only helping fulfil the dreams and ambitions of a whole generation but also ensuring that we return to the Middle East and apply the skills that we have learned to ensure the betterment and development of the region as a whole," said Kamel.

Academic city: Criteria unveiled

International Academic City (DIAC) has unveiled its criteria for accepting partner universities into its community.

The institution's newly formed academic committee is responsible for reviewing applications and assessing each submission based on various factors including an academic plan's ability to add value to DIAC's overall programme.

Dr Ayoub Kazim, Executive Director of DIAC and Dubai Knowledge Village, said: "DIAC aims to contribute to Dubai's transition towards a knowledge-based economy in line with the objectives of Dubai Strategy Plan 2015."

Only 9.2 per cent of applications were accepted in 2007. A total of 54 applications were received, of which only five fulfilled all of DIAC's criteria.