Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, for the first time in Qatar, has launched one of the most innovative and comprehensive scholarship programme in the region. The first edition of the ‘Dynamic Futures Qatar’ programme awarded 32 scholarships to students in Qatar on Thursday.
The scholarship is offered under EAA Foundation’s programme Al Fakhoora, with the support of the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs. The ‘Dynamic Futures Qatar’ scholarship programme aims to provide young adults between 17 and 25 years old, who have spent most of their formative years in Qatar, with access to higher education.
The awarding ceremony held at the Qatar Faculty of Islamic Studies (QFIS) auditorium at Education City was attended by representatives from EAA Foundation, Dr Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al Thani, Director General of the General Department of Awqaf, Dr Aisha Al Mannai, from Hamad Bin Khalifa University, a member of the Shura Council, Director of the Muhammad Bin Hamad Al Thani Center for Muslim Contribution to Civilization, and several other guests.
“We believe that, by investing in human capital, we enable young people to play a key role in building their communities and unlocking their full potential. The uniqueness of the Dynamic Futures Qatar scholarship programmes lies in its focus on civic engagement, and Qatar’s role in investing in expatriates and valuing their potential contribution to Qatar’s future,” said Fatima Al Khater, President of the Dynamic Futures Qatar programme, EAA Foundation.
“We are delighted to have four of the most acclaimed institutes coming forward to support us in this noble endeavour, and we are especially grateful to Awqaf officials for bestowing tremendous trust upon us and supporting us in working to enhance the access to education for these exceptional youth,” she added.
‘Dynamic Futures Qatar’ is a comprehensive programme and it offers recipients the opportunity to gain civic engagement skills, as well as benefit from economic empowerment activities. This holistic scholarship design supports students throughout their studies and prepares them to become productive citizens who can contribute in meaningful ways to the community, both during their studies and after graduation.
The programme is sponsored together with the General Department of Endowments at the Awqaf and includes four prominent universities and colleges in Qatar.
Each institution (Qatar University, College of North Atlantic (CNAQ), Stenden University, and University of Calgary in Qatar) has vetted candidates using their own admissions requirements, and thus eligible beneficiaries for the scholarship programme had their application approved by these institutions accordingly. In addition, Al Fakhoora conducts its own stringent “Selection for Success” process, ensuring the chosen recipients are capable of maximizing the opportunities this unique programme presents to them.
Dynamic Futures Qatar is modelled after Al Fakhoora’s Dynamic Futures Scholarship and Empowerment programme, which originated in Gaza and is currently active in seven regions (Gaza, West Bank, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and Iraq). It works to enable marginalized Palestinian and Syrian refugees and IDP’s to make meaningful contributions to their host and home communities, as well as become economically self-reliant.
