SILMIYA YOUSUF
COLOMBO –The Islamic Development Bank (ISDB) in Saudi Arabia, through its affiliate in Sri Lanka,the Islamic Center, has called for applicants from suitable candidates for its scholarship programmes till February 15.
President of the Islamic Center, Mohammed Hussein Mohammed, former Mayor of Colombo, told the Colombo Times that they will be selecting about 100 beneficiaries under this programme.
The programme is available for suitable candidates for Undergraduate scholarship program, Master’s Scholarship program,PHD scholarship,postdoctoral research programme, vocational education and training and program for Bachelor’s studies.
Mohammed said that the selected candidates will enjoy a monthly allowance of $60 per month till the end of their respective course periods. “ When the beneficiaries successfully employed after the period of their studies, we expect them to pay back the amounts spent on them at affordable instalments so that we can continue the program to fund new students,” the president said,
The Programmes are important parts of the developmental initiatives led by the Islamic Development Bank since 1983 to foster technology and knowledge sharing among its member countries and Muslim communities in non-member countries. They are designed to attract talented male and female students and in order to build the right competencies required with a special focus on sustainability sciences to empower communities and to assist them in achieving their national and global development plans including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The motto is to develop the students/researchers as Good Citizens & Competent Professionals (GCCPs).
“ It is basically a scholarship programme and a development programme at the same time, since the scholarship is given as an interest-free-loan (Qard Hasan) to the students and as a grant to their communities /countries to which they belong,” Mohammed said, pointing out that the students are required to fulfil the obligations detailed, under each programme, after graduation and gainful employment. Besides, the students are also required to take part in the development of their communities/countries, through their respective professions.
The repaid fund will be used to provide scholarships to other students from the same community/country to complement the IsDB Programme and to ensure its continuity in the long run, while the community development services rendered by the students and graduates will contribute to the overall development of the community/country, Mohammed concluded.
