International Scholarship Recipients Discuss Their Decision to Pursue Education Overseas, Encouraging Future Aspiring Students
The New Scholarship Students Forum 2025, organised by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, recently took place at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library in Dubai. This event brought together 592 Emirati scholarship students, currently studying in over 115 top-ranked global universities across at least 22 countries.
These students are part of the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientric Research's scholarship programme, designed to send Emirati youth to world-class universities aligned with national development priorities and key economic sectors. The 2024–2025 academic year saw 187 students graduating from this programme.
One such student is Khadijah Ali, a psychology student at McMaster University in Canada. Khadijah felt a mix of fear, anxiety, and joy when she first got accepted into the scholarship program. However, she has since thrived, learning to be independent at a young age and even launching a small business selling traditional Emirati Mukhawar during her second year.
Khadijah emphasized the importance of seizing every opportunity beyond academics. "Try every experience available," she advises new scholarship students. "It's not just about studying; it's about growing as a person and learning about different cultures."
Dr Mohammed Al Mualla, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, emphasized the importance of maintaining balance between academic, professional, and personal growth during the scholarship period. He also stressed the need for students to take pride in their Emirati identity, uphold national values, and religious ethics while abroad.
The forum also included interactive workshops covering topics such as scholarship activation, communication, student rights and responsibilities, cultural adjustment, personal safety, and academic and career planning. In the weeks leading up to the event, cultural attaches in host countries held virtual sessions to familiarize students and parents with digital services and support mechanisms. Dedicated sessions were held for parents to address their questions.
Abdullah Nabil Alnaqbi, an 18-year-old high school graduate, will pursue a degree in actuarial science at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Abdullah chose to study abroad because of the quality of education and the ease of living in Australia, as influenced by his cousin's experience. His mother is confident in the experience, as the school has numerous preparatory meetings and the UAE's commitment to ensuring its citizens' safety and well-being abroad.
The forum aimed to provide academic guidance, national values, and support for scholarship students. It was a day filled with emotional and interactive moments, such as commemorative photos with families and personal messages to loved ones. As these students continue their academic journeys, they carry with them the support and encouragement of their home country, ready to contribute to the future of the UAE.
- Kim was inspired by Khadijah's story of personal growth and the launch of her small business within the scholarship programme, emphasizing the significance of using opportunities beyond academics for self-development, such as education-and-self-development and personal-growth.
- Established scholars like Khadijah were invited to share their experiences with new students during the forum, stressing the importance of cultural adjustment, scholastic and career planning, and learning about different cultures as critical aspects of the scholarship programme.
- Science, business, and education gained practical applications for students like Abdullah Nabil Alnaqbi, who signed up for a degree in actuarial science, citing the quality of education and ease of living in Australia as key factors in his decision to study abroad—demonstrating the alignment between the scholarship programme and national development priorities and key economic sectors.
- This forum showcased the comprehensive nature of the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research's scholarship programme, offering more than academic guidance, but also focusing on activities that encourage career advancement, communication skills, and personal-safety awareness.
- The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library's New Scholarship Students Forum aimed to create a community that fosters a balance between academic success, professional growth, and personal development, embodying the value of learning and the fostering of a proud Emirati identity—as advanced by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr Mohammed Al Mualla.
