UAE scholarship fund sees nearly 180 Emiratis through university

Almost 180 Emiratis received university degrees in 11 countries this academic year, the state news agency Wam has reported.

The students were supported by scholarships from the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research as part of the Government’s push to achieve excellence in research and education.

The minister, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak, has reiterated the need for citizens to obtain skills and education to become competitive in an increasingly global workforce.

The aim of the scholarship fund is to provide assistance for students to pursue academic and vocational specialisations that are not currently offered by the nation’s colleges and universities.

According to the ministry’s website, students most often choose to study abroad in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Australia.

The decision to award the scholarships is also a strategic one for the ministry, whose goal is for returning degree holders to meet the socioeconomic needs of the labour market and help advance the country’s sustainable development.

The hope is that the initiative will contribute to Vision 2021, which projects the dream of a cohesive society, a nation that will be “among the best countries in the world by 2021”.