The best and brightest Emirati students are accustomed to having the full support of their nation behind them, allowing their natural ability to reach its full potential through studying at some of the world’s best universities. This is an advantage upon which citizens of many other Arab nations can merely look and covet.
Except now the Emirates Foundation has announced a new scholarship programme that will fully fund masters degrees on Middle East or North African subjects at the London School of Economics (LSE), with £30,000 (Dh184,000) to cover both tuition fees and living costs while studying. The difference is that it is open to citizens of any Arab League nation rather than just Emiratis.
This is both generous and far-sighted. Simple logic would suggest that intellect and ability are spread equally throughout the Arab world, and the only aspect that bears any correlation to national GDPs is the likelihood of a student fulfilling that potential.
For three students each year, these scholarships for the LSE Middle East Centre will allow ability and application to determine just how far they can go – and with that, everyone in this region will be better off.
