Commonwealth Scholarships To Local Institutions
It used to be that the chances of getting into a good private college or university were slim, mainly due to the expenses involved.But thanks to the latest initiative from a group of educators, the expense is no longer an issue.
The Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) is providing scholarship opportunities for deserving candidates to study at local private institutions for higher education.
Its Malaysian branch launched the RCS Scholarship Foundation recently to enable students from Commonwealth countries to obtain scholarships to study at private universities and colleges in Malaysia.
Datuk Seri Raja Azureen Sultan Azlan Shah, the daughter of the Sultan of Perak, launched the event. She is also the Chancellor for the Masterskill University College of Health Sciences (MUCH).
The foundation was the brainchild of Daud Ahmad, an active member of RCS Malaysia who hopes to increase the quality of education and welfare for upcoming generations.
Daud, who is also the Chairman of the International College of Health Sciences (ICHS), said that the foundation was more of a trust fund that provides opportunities for underprivileged children from Commonwealth countries to show their potential.
"Since its inception early this year, the RCS Scholarship Foundation has managed to collect some RM32 million in scholarship funds for deserving students to further their education in Malaysia," he said during the launch.
PLEDGES FROM 12 UNIVERSITIES
Twelve local private institutions of higher education have pledged to take part by offering places for RCS Malaysia's scholarship recipients. The scholarships cover bachelors, masters and doctorate degree programmes in various fields.
The institutes include ICHS and MUCH. Others are Allianze University College of Medical Sciences, Twintech University College, Nilai University College and YPC-iTWeb Technology College.
Also on the list are the University of Nottingham, Olympia College, Windfield International College, International University College of Nursing, Limkokwing University of Creative Technology and Stamford Raffles College.
The scholarships cover critical courses in the fields of medicine, dentistry, pharmacology, nursing and engineering. They also are for enrolling in courses in information technology, hospitality, architecture, arts and design.
Daud explained that the foundation was established as a contribution to the basic principle that education was the right of every individual, adding that it can be fitted into any lifestyle and fulfills individual and societal needs.
REGIONAL EDUCATION HUB
He was also confident that the foundation could provide financial assistance to deserving students and place them in selected private institutions of higher education, in line with the government's goal of making Malaysia a regional education hub.
The RCS Scholarship Foundation is also expected to popularise Malaysia as a country of choice for higher education among Commonwealth countries.
Daud hoped that scholarship recipients who have completed their studies would become an example of education in Malaysia to attract more international foreign students, particularly from Commonwealth countries, to study in Malaysia.
He explained that the foundation would start disbursing scholarships beginning in September for the academic year 2011/2012.
"Only candidates who fulfill the academic requirements of the courses offered, and are from an underprivileged backgrounds but show potential, will be considered for the scholarships," he said.
STRICT VETTING PROCESS
The value of the scholarships offered depends upon the costs of the courses. However, all recipients can expect scholarships to cover tuition fees as well as living expenses.
To ensure that only qualified applicants receive scholarships, Daud said that every application would be subject to a strict multi-level vetting process.
"The Foundation's Technical Committee, headed by Prof Emeritus Tunku Shamsul Bahrin, will manage the process. It will then forward a proposal on suitable candidates to the Board of Trustees."
"We believe that community development can only be achieved through proper education."
"Therefore, the selection of candidates is not only based upon excellent academic achievement, but also on personal integrity, which needs to be present among future leaders for the sake of their nations," he said.
In terms of the scholarship, Daud said that, for now, none of them would be bonded by any contract to the foundation, RCS or the participating institutions. However, the terms and conditions may change in the future.
MORE ALLOCATION FOR FOREIGNERS
Daud added that, although the scholarships offered were fully contributed to by local schools of higher education, a large number of the allocations provided were reserved for foreign students.
"The foundation is allocating 70 percent of the scholarships to students from other Commonwealth countries. Only the balance would be for local candidates," he said.
Perhaps some may question the breakdown of the allocation, especially since there are already many developed countries providing scholarships specifically for students from third world countries. Many Asian countries qualify for these scholarships, with the exception of Malaysia and Singapore.
Usha Kumari Prashar, RCS President and the Baroness of Runnymede, replied to the query, saying that a benefit to the programme would be giving more students from varying racial backgrounds and nationalities exposure to other cultures.
WIDENING THEIR PERSPECTIVE
"They will build friendships and widen their perspectives, which they can bring back to their respective countries.
"Therefore, the scholarships will be disbursed without fear or favour of creed, skin colour or religion; but only for those who fulfill the criteria set by the foundation," she said.
She believes that since the economy and the world's population are dependent upon each other, any effort on the grounds of trust and respect for the Commonwealth setup would continue to play an important and unique role in the world.
She noted that the foundation has the solid support of the London RCS and over 54 branches across the world. She expressed hope for other Commonwealth countries to follow in the footsteps of the Malaysian branch of RCS.
AN ELITE SOCIAL CLUB
Interestingly, RCS is actually a very prestigious elite social club that supports and develops the modern Commonwealth culture and principles.
The basic principle of modern Commonwealth is tolerance, variety, freedom, justice, democracy, basic human rights and sustainable development.
Through a variety of educational and youth programmes, RCS continues to encourage young people to improve their capabilities and understand their roles as global citizens so they can face the challenges that comes with the status.
The RCS headquarters, known as The Commonwealth Club (The Club) in London, acts as the centre for information exchanges, as well as a platform for debate and research for various international issues.
In line with its role as a cultural centre, The Club also celebrates the work of renowned Commonwealth artists, providing them with a platform to exhibit their artwork.
-- BERNAMA