IDB and the University of Cambridge Launch a Joint Scholarship Program

IDB-Cambridge University Joint Scholarship Program

Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust and Cambridge Overseas Trust have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on April 9, 2009 to launch the IDB-Cambridge International Scholarship Program. The signing ceremony as held in the Cambridge, England was attended by senior officials of the university and the IDB.

The joint program has been launched within the scope of IDB Merit Scholarship Program for Science and Hi-Technology to place talented and meritorious students from IDB member states and Muslim Communities in non-member countries for 3-year Ph.D. study and research at the University of Cambridge.

This joint program with the Cambridge University, the second top-ranked university of the world in research and higher education, would significantly contribute to the human resources development of IDD member states. In his speech during the ceremony, Dr. Ahmed Mohamed Ali, President of the IDB, stressed that such partnership with an outstanding institution of knowledge would help build future leaders in OIC member states.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Cambridge termed launching of this joint program as a new dimension of the university activities to reach-out emerging and developing countries. She emphasized that the university has a moral role to play to harmonize relationship between developed and developing nations to cater for world peace and stability. She hoped that this partnership is an important step to achieve that aim.

Science and Technology Office of the Islamic Development Bank has already in place a number of scholarship program for OIC member states. IDB-COMSTECH MSc Scholarship Program is one of these initiatives the Bank has taken to make science and technology the driving engine for development in the OIC region. In this regard, COMSTECH and IDB share the vision and have a greater level of cooperation.

Reported by: Ameen Amjad