The Saeed Foundation for Development offers a number of scholarships to students of Bilad al-Sham (Syria - Lebanon - Palestine - Jordan) to study for a master’s degree in Britain every year. This scholarship seeks to target distinguished students in these countries, who have the leadership qualities that enable them to effect change in their countries and develop them, in addition to offering one or two scholarships for PhD degrees at the universities of Oxford or Cambridge, and it is worth mentioning that the process of applying for the scholarship and studying at Oxford and Cambridge universities ( Either masters degree or PhD) is a little different.
The Saeed Foundation also offers joint scholarships with the British Lebanese Association and Chevening, whereby the student can apply for the Saeed Foundation Scholarship and grant the partner institutions, and if accepted into both scholarships, he is entitled to receive the joint scholarship.
All students, regardless of their specialization, can apply for the Saeed Foundation Scholarship, but they must demonstrate the importance of this specialization in developing and supporting their countries, as students are chosen on the basis of scientific excellence, personal and leadership skills, future career plans, and their ability to benefit from the knowledge that they will acquire in the UK when They return to their country.
This scholarship is available for Master's programs that extend for one year, and in exceptional cases it is possible to accept some two-year programs, and the program must be chosen from among the partner universities with the institution, which can be found here.
Admission requirements
The student must be from one of the following countries: Syria - Lebanon - Palestine - Jordan.
The priority is for students residing in these countries, but there are exceptions for Syrians residing abroad; Due to the current conditions in Syria.
The university average must be equivalent to 2: 1 in Britain (70%) or more.
The student must demonstrate that he has leadership skills in his field.
He must have obtained admission from at least one of the partner universities (in the early stages of application it can be sufficient to prove that the student is applying to the aforementioned universities, but until the final admission takes place, the university admission must be obtained).
That the student possesses practical experience in his field of study after graduation, and a clear professional plan. In the absence of sufficient practical experience, volunteering experience and community work can be counted during university study.
The student must fulfill the institution's English language requirements (IELTS score of 6, with a minimum of 6 for each department - TOEFL certificate is no longer accepted), these requirements can be found here, and if the English language requirements for the university are higher than the requirements of the Saeed Foundation , The student must fulfill university requirements in order to be eligible for the scholarship.
Submit all required files (transcript / high school diploma - transcript / transcript of university study - copy of passport - transcript of IELTS certificate - university acceptance from the desired British University - three letters of recommendation).
Recommendation letters
The letters of recommendation must be in English and addressed to the institution, and they must be signed and have an official letterhead. Saeed's grant requires three letters of recommendation:
Academic Recommendation Letter: From a university professor explaining the student’s academic performance.
Professional recommendation letter: From a current or former manager, and in the absence of practical experience, the student must submit a second academic recommendation letter.
A letter of recommendation from a volunteer work, or any external activity (Calvin, sports, etc.).
The guidelines for writing the recommendation letter for Saeed's grant can be found here.
Application for the Saeed Foundation Scholarship starts from August to November 1. After submitting the application, the students who are nominated for the interview are notified from mid to late February, the interviews usually take place in March, and the final admission is informed of the outcome in May.
Author: Steav