Dubai: A total of Dh30 million worth of scholarships will be given to outstanding Arab students who will study at the American University in Dubai in the 2017-2018 academic year, it was announced.
As part of the announcement at the Ministry of Education on Thursday, officials underscored that any Emirati high school graduate with a grade-point average of 85 per cent or higher will be automatically granted a full academic scholarship to AUD.
The scholarships targeting the Emirati high school students were launched by the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF) as part of a new phase of its scholarship programme that aims to encourage UAE nationals to pursue media studies at the Mohammad Bin Rashid School for Communications (MBRSC) at AUD.
The programme opens the door to any Emirati wishing to join AUD, particularly the media major, which provides two specialisations, journalism and digital production, and storytelling, in both English or Arabic.
Dr Ahmad Abdullah Humaid Bel Houl Al Falasi, Minister of State for Higher Education, highlighted the important role the media plays at this age, and the need to develop a new generation capable of using modern technology to keep up with the informational developments.
“The launch of the new scholarship programme will help educate generations of creative and qualified professionals. The UAE’s message is big and we depend on media to communicate it to the world, so it is necessary to invest in the media and in people,” he said.
Elias Bou Saab, executive vice-president of AUD, said he encourages nationals to take the opportunity and benefit from the scholarships, noting that if a student has any difficulties in the English language, the university will provide him or her with English courses prior to starting their major.
“What we are passing through in terms of world events requires strong journalism and media; it requires us to focus on building good media in the region. We encourage nationals to specialise in the media field and to take their natural place in the media and elsewhere in the nation — whether online, in the press, magazines, radio or TV,” he said.
Bou Saab pointed out that there are a number of “Mohammad Bin Rashid Scholarships” allocated for other colleges and departments at the university, and it is also possible for outstanding Emirati students, and also Arab students with a grade-point average of 95 per cent, to present requests to obtain them.
“In line with the Year of Giving, and what is in the university budget, the value of scholarships for the academic year 2017-2018 is at Dh30 million, which will benefit almost 200 Arab students,” he said.
Of this, Dh12.5 million is ‘Mohammad Bin Rashid Scholarships’ for students, Dh7.5 million is for studying at MBRSC, which is expected to increase as more Emiratis apply, and Dh10 million is what the university offers to students who are in need financially, he added.
Bou Saab said to date, 921 students benefited from scholarships to AUD.
Jamal Bin Huwaireb, CEO, Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF), said so far 85 students have gained the bachelor’s degree in media studies under MBRF’s sponsorship. Bin Huwaireb did not specify the set number of available scholarships, but said: “We look forward to doubling this number as we offer more scholarships to outstanding students.”
Bin Huwaireb also announced that MBRF has partnered with Oxford University to offer Arabs a full postgraduate scholarship for those who want to pursue their master’s or doctorate degrees, which they can apply for on the university’s website.
