UAE | Education

Four Dubai universities to work with foundation on Pioneers

Initiative will fund entire postgraduate education of 100 students from across the Arab world.

  • Staff Report
  • Published: 14:57 May 4, 2008
  • Gulf News

Dubai: Four universities in Dubai will collaborate with the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation on its 'Pioneers' scholarship programme.

The Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), the region's centre for international higher education and a member of TECOM Investments, on Sunday announced the collaboration of the British University in Dubai, Michigan State University Dubai, Middlesex University and the University of Wollongong as among the 13 universities in the region identified by the Foundation to take forward its newly announced scholarship initiative.

Its remaining partner universities are based in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt and Morocco.

The 'Pioneers' initiative offers 100 scholarships annually to underprivileged students across the Arab world aspiring to pursue their postgraduate studies.

Any Arab student residing in an Arab country where a partner university is located will be eligible to apply for the scholarship. Postgraduate students beginning their academic year in autumn this year will be the programme's first set of beneficiaries.

The grant will cover financial costs, including tuition fees and other related educational expenses for the entire duration of study.

Dr Ayoub Kazim, Executive Director, Dubai Knowledge Village and Dubai International Academic City, said: "We acknowledge the gesture from our partner universities to be a part of this important initiative, which seeks to encourage excellence among students and young professionals in the Arab region. As we work towards building a knowledge-based economy, we shall continue to spearhead and support activities that will further strengthen our educational system, in line with the objectives of Dubai Strategy 2015."

The Pioneer programme, part of the Foundation's commitment to invest in the region's knowledge development and capacity building, is aimed at harnessing the potential of promising Arab students.

Focus on leadership

Launched in May 2007 with an endowment of $10 billion (Dh36.7 billion), the Foundation seeks to invest in a series of programmes to provide the infrastructure and set the appropriate environment for knowledge creation in the Arab world.

Meanwhile, the Mohammad Bin Rashid Programme for Leadership Development (MBRPLD) has launched the Promising Leaders Programme.

The new programme is designed to create a strategic manpower to carry out leadership in Dubai government. More than 2,000 UAE nationals were shortlisted for the programme, and of these, 70 were successful.

Adel Al Sharid, Director, MBRPLD, said: "As the leaders of the future, the candidates have a fundamental responsibility to sustain the economic growth enjoyed by Dubai and the UAE.

"Bearing this in mind, MBRPLD has established the Promising Leaders Programme to strengthen and expand Dubai's pool of elite next-generation leaders by thoroughly preparing high-potential prospects in all aspects of strategic governance, particularly in view of the demanding nature of leading a highly dynamic society such as Dubai."

The training cycle is 24 months long and has been developed by MBRPLD, Duke Corporate Education and Institut European d'Administration des Affaires business school.

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