My experience admission to the Chevening Scholarships and the Saeed Foundation for Study in Britain

Obtaining funding or acceptance of a grant has always been an obstacle for many to complete their studies abroad. In this article, I will highlight some points that I think are important for the scholarship, and here I do not claim that I know the magic formula for obtaining admission to these scholarships, but rather offer my point of view and what I have learned from my personal experience.
1- What jurisdiction do you want and why?
This is one of the important points to be asked when applying for the grant. Therefore, before starting to apply for the scholarship, you must completely determine what specialty you want, and form a good understanding of it with a clear vision and vision for your career after obtaining a certificate in this specialty. It is not enough to just decide that you want to complete your studies. Rather, you must define your direction and explain the importance of your specialty and its real benefit in supporting and developing your country. What is important for grant management is to see someone who has a passion for the specialty he intends to study while being aware of the requirements of this specialty and how to benefit from it through a clear future plan.

2- Work experience
Scholarships require two years of work experience, which many believe is difficult. But it is not so, these scholarships take into account all work, whether it is full or part-time work and even voluntary work, and if the student works during his university studies, and does volunteer work and certain activities, these are all counted among the years of experience, so you find that a student is still in his year The last academic but possesses the required work experience.


It is preferable that the student applying for the scholarship possesses practical experience in the same field in which he wishes to specialize, but volunteer work and experience in other fields also have importance in assessing the student.

When placing your work experience in applying for a scholarship, do not forget even the smallest work that you have done, which you may feel is not important, what matters is the results and lessons that you have learned from these experiences, and not only the amount of time spent in this or that work.

3- Leadership and communication skills
It is also among the things that are asked about in the application for the grant, they are looking for people who are able to make a real impact and change in their societies. Anyone can claim to possess these skills, but what proves this is that they are supported by examples of work experience, volunteering or even study, and as I mentioned earlier, small details can show great skills so do not neglect them.

4- Language
Language proficiency is certainly important and is among the conditions for grants and university admission. In the Chevening and Saeed Foundation Scholarships, you can apply for the scholarship before obtaining an IELTS certificate provided that it is granted before a certain date that is determined by the scholarship.

There are many articles on how to obtain an IELTS certificate and how to master the English language, but what I will say here is that the most important step for learning the language is to start with it, and then everything comes on its own.

5- The interviews
Upon success in the first stage of applying for the scholarship (which is the application writing stage), successful students are invited to conduct an interview. The interview is with a three-person committee. In which the question about the contents of the application is asked in addition to specific questions whose purpose is to know the personality of the student and his reactions more clearly, all the points mentioned above are also important in the interview stage just as important as when writing the application; In order for the student to demonstrate his competence and full understanding of his future project, and to demonstrate that he deserves this scholarship.

Self-confidence is important in the interview, of course, but increased confidence is not desirable. It is important to listen carefully to the questions and understand them before answering, and there is no objection to asking the committee when a question is not understood.

One of the things that leaves a good impression at the interview is the questions that the student asks at the end of the interview, but certainly these questions should not be general or can be answered from the grant site or by researching on the Internet, the questions show the student's interest in the grant and his seriousness in benefiting from it, Think about these questions and plan ahead in advance as you prepare for the interview.

All you need to know about the Saeed Foundation Scholarship to study in Britain

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.

An opportunity to travel to Sweden on a youth training grant

External scholarships are among the important opportunities that all students seek to exploit, due to the great benefits on the scientific and personal levels, it provides the student with all the tools and means necessary to develop himself and his capabilities and refine his talents in line with the requirements of our time. In addition to the foregoing, there are also funded training programs concerned with training, qualifying and developing Arab youth to be qualified to lead the development process in the Arab world. Perhaps the program of training young leaders in Sweden (YLVP) is one of the most important of these programs specialized in this field.


What is YLVP?
The YLVP program aims to train young cadres in the MENA region, to be able to take the lead in developing their societies, making the desired changes in them, and transforming them into societies based on equality and sustainability. The YLVP program brings together a large number of experts and professionals who come together, share their experiences and experiences, and focuses on developing young people both professionally and personally, what he seeks during the training period is to develop the skills of young people and enhance their self-confidence and provide them with creative ideas, and thus qualify them to be leaders in Their communities.

The YLVP program is based on the idea of collective (cooperative) learning and exchange of experiences between participants through interactive sessions and practical exercises, in which they all try to find solutions to some of the challenges facing the entire world, and the program focuses its attention primarily on major issues, the most important of which are: community development and qualification of leaders who place values in mind Its eyes, the consecration of democracy and human rights as the indispensable pillars of building a society based on equality and sustainability as well as interest in technology and the digital world.


YLVP stages
The YLVP program is divided into two main phases:

The first stage:
This stage will be held in Stockholm, Sweden, and will start from April 23 to May 11, 2018. The focus of this phase will be training individuals in leadership styles based on each other's personal experiences and exchanging experiences between them, focusing specifically on the issues of individual and group development, and of course Sufficient time will be devoted to meaningful hearings, exchanging views, brainstorming, and evaluating the participants ’work, which will provide a safe space for them to present their methods of social change.

This stage will also include several workshops dealing with many topics, the most important of which are diversity, tolerance and human rights, and will give the participants the opportunity to go on a field visit to a Swedish institution.

The second phase:
This stage - the venue has not been decided yet - will take place over a week between 13-19 October. The large time gap between the two phases is due to the opportunity for participants to apply what they have previously learned in their field of work within their countries. Therefore, the aim of this phase will be to consolidate and expand this vast network of young leaders. So that they can continue to complete the learning and development process.

YLVP features
The YLVP Program is a fully funded scholarship that provides young people with many advantages in the forefront:

Give participants new tools, ideas and tools that will allow them to achieve their goals.
Establishing the leadership personality capable of making decisions in the hearts of participants, by enhancing their self-awareness and developing their personal visions.
Practical training for the participants on digital means regarding its security and methods of use.
Exchange of experiences between the participants on the common challenges facing their countries.
Create a wide and effective network of program graduates to help each other achieve their goals.
Conditions for applying for a YLVP scholarship
There are some conditions that must be met by applicants to the scholarship in order for their applications to be accepted, and they are as follows:

A person should have a leadership position in his field of work, be it a journalist, social activist, young politician, or legal activist.
The person must be active in the fields of human rights, democracy, diversity and achieving sustainability.
Participation in all stages of the program without exception.
He must be a citizen of one of the following countries: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Sweden, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen.
He must be between 22 to 32 years old.
Be prepared to share the experience and knowledge that he will gain in the program.
How to apply for a YLVP scholarship
All persons must follow the following steps while applying:

Fill out the application with basic information.
Go to the application site, and then register a new membership.
The application is submitted in English, provided that it includes the following: The applicant's personal data, as well as the personal data of two of his acquaintances
Upload the CV of the applicant in English.
Submit a letter of recommendation.
Upload a personal photo of the applicant (optional).
It is worth noting that the letter of recommendation - only 500 words - should be sent by someone who is fully familiar with the activities of the young man in the fields of human rights and democracy, and it is better to use the letter of recommendation template written in English, but it can be used as letters of recommendation letter written in French and Arabic.

Of course, the Swedish Institute will assign a committee of experts and representatives from the partner institutions to evaluate all applications according to several criteria, the most important of which are: practical experiences in the same field, personal motivations, educational background related to the program positions as well as the analytical skills of the applicants, and the extent of the program's ability to assist them in their endeavors to effect change The desired social.
After the application screening process, it will be shortened to a mini list, and then the applicants will be interviewed between 19-22 January 2018 (interviews will be via Google Hangouts or Skype applications). In the final stage, the Swedish Institute will contact the 30 admitted people via email or phone.

The Bill Gates Postgraduate Scholarship at Cambridge University

Yes, you did not misread your name. He is appointed by Bill Gates, Microsoft founder and one of the most influential men in the world, and also one of the most generous investors globally. In 2000, Melinda and Bill Gates provided Cambridge University with the single largest donation in its history of US $ 210 million. This scholarship is for students from all over the world outside the United Kingdom. To study in any discipline available from Cambridge University. From that day on, the Gates Postgraduate Scholarship was known to have produced around 1,400 researchers and graduates around the world from nearly 100 countries, but are you the one who owns the specifications for this scholarship?


The scholarship is granted to those whose goals and characteristics are in compliance with these criteria:

Possessing a unique intellectual talent.
Leadership skills.
Commitment to improving the lives of others.
The relationship between the applicant's skills and capabilities, and what he wants to study in Cambridge.
Application deadline: October 11, 2017.


Grant program
The duration of the program varies depending on its quality. There is a Master of Science MSc, Master of Arts Mlitt, and a one-year program such as diplomas specializing in a specific area of entrepreneurship, for example

PhD Program (for three years only)
Master's program (Arts and Sciences) only two years.
One-year program (e.g. MPhil, LLM, MASt, Diploma, MBA etc.)
Note / The scholarship only covers full-time programs, and the MD does not cover medicine.

Funding
The grant is fully funded.

The Gates Scholarship is one of the most generous grants ever, covering:

University registration fee, Cambridge University is a relatively high cost university.
Expense per student (£ 900,144 for 12 months in 2017-2018 in proportion to courses less than 12 months).
One way air ticket and one on return.
Incoming visa costs.
health insurance.
How to apply
Applying through the University of Cambridge website, and the following files are attached upon application: A certificate stating your graduation from the university. Likewise, the college to be studied is chosen taking into account that a “Gates Scholarship” is entered into the Funding Department; Because there are many grants from several institutions that will choose the Gates grant, then proceed to raise the application documents for the Gates grant, namely:

A 3,000-word statement (500 words) explaining your suitability for the Gates Scholarship:
This statement is used by the specialized committees to choose the best candidates for the grant from all scientific disciplines, and this statement helps these committees with the knowledge of distinguished academic candidates who also possess unique intellectual talents, as well as those committed to improving the lives of others and leadership skills. This statement is the only part in addition to the rest of the grants that you may be required when uploading your documents on the Cambridge University website, and how to apply for the Cambridge Graduate Program has been explained in a separate article.

A non-academic reference to gauge your suitability for the Gates scholarship:
As in the statement, a non-academic reference should be provided stating how relevant you are to the Gates grant, where the numbers of applicants are very large. Your reference prints about 4000 characters in the electronic reference, or attaches a separate letter, which will also ask specific questions about his or her evaluation of the grant.

The reference should be someone who is able to answer questions, understand and know what a Gates Cambridge Scholarship is, and not nominate a family member or friend for your reference. For example: nominate a charity official for which you were working, an employee, or others who can answer questions and are familiar with what the Gates Cambridge program is.

** Note / reference to the Cambridge Gates program is different from the academic references required by Cambridge University.

A recent CV.
For PhD students only: Research proposal: Usually the research proposal is requested in the application papers for the department in which the PhD will be studied, but if you are not required to submit one, you must submit at least two pages to the research proposal for your PhD program in order to clarify your considered plans for the Cambridge Gates program.
For business researchers please follow the links below to apply for MBA, MFIN.
How are the candidates chosen?

Section order:
The applicants' papers are all sent to his department, then the department is required to rank the best candidates based on their academic abilities only. After that, only the distinguished applicants are chosen.

Exclusion:
Commissions of exclusion are organized, and the selection of the best candidates is based on the aforementioned criteria, such as a commitment to improving the lives of others. On this basis, the applicants who will be presenting for the interview are identified.

the interview:
All applicants nominated by the exclusion committees apply for an interview; To assess the applicability of the criteria for the Gates Cambridge program.

All you need to know about the British Chevening Scholarship

The chevening scholarship is considered one of the most important and most famous international scholarships, and this scholarship has been offered to students since 1983 from the British government to search for distinguished students and work to develop them, and the scholarship is provided with funding from the British Foreign Office.


The scholarship provides a unique opportunity for students who wish to obtain a master's degree, who have leadership skills, influential students and decision-makers from all over the world to develop their academic and professional future, so the student is given the experience of mixing with British culture and building a strong network of relationships that benefit the student in his future.

The scholarship opens its registration doors at the same time each year on the date of August 8, and the registration door continues until November 8, so every student has the opportunity to finish his papers at that time, and of course it is better for students to start preparing their papers from an early time even before The date for registration opening.
The student’s success and acceptance depend on his ability to present himself in a distinctive image that attracts the attention of the committee that selects students. This scholarship is characterized by intense competition, and there are thousands of students who apply to it annually to choose a small number of them to obtain the benefits of the grant.

The scholarship covers the expenses of the whole study, which is not less than most of Britain's universities, at least 15 thousand pounds, and it also grants a monthly fee to each student, estimated to be between 1,000 and 1,200 pounds.

The conditions for accepting the scholarship are:

To be a citizen of one of the countries eligible to apply from, and for all Arab countries, its citizens are eligible to apply for the scholarship, and the person does not accept any person who holds British citizenship.
The student must return to his country for at least two years after the end of the scholarship in Britain.
The student should have a bachelor’s degree to enable him to join a university in Britain, where his degree ranges from the equivalent in Britain 1: 2, and the GPA is equivalent to 3.2: 3.4.
The student must have a minimum of two years of experience.
For the student to register 3 study programs he wishes to apply to at any UK university of his choice, and after receiving unconditional answers to accept his enrollment in one or all of these programs, he must send it no later than 12 July 2018.
His qualifications should correspond to the qualifications required from the English Proficiency Scholarship.
English Language Proficiency:

The student is required to submit the results of one of the international tests that measure the language level. The scholarship accepts the results of any of these tests:
Academic IELTS
Pearson PTE Academic
TOEFL iBT
Cambridge English: Advanced (CEA)
Trinity ISE II (B2)
The scholarship is required for the student to accept the minimum level in the IELTS test with a total of about 6.5, and the TOEFL test about 79, and to view the groups that the scholarship requires in each test, in every skill, and in all of the language test qualifications, click on this link.

However, you must consider the total language test required by the universities that you want to apply for in order to obtain an approval answer to join them, there are some universities that require a total of the English language test more than the scholarship requires, so it is better to start with research early to find the appropriate university for your specialization, Conditions meet your English language qualifications or any other qualifications.

As for the study programs that the student must choose, initially the student selects and selects 3 study programs, whether 3 different programs at the same university or 3 study programs in 3 different universities, then he registers them in the form, and after sending the registration form, the student must He begins to write to these universities after he meets the required conditions from each university, and when he receives the unconditional answers from these universities (at least one), he sends them to the grant authority no later than 12 July, and the grant will not accept any answer from any university other than the three Universities that the student has registered, and the answer to acceptance from the university must be an unconditional answer. The scholarship accepts conditional acceptance responses from the university only if the reasons are material, i.e. a certain amount of expenses is required until the university sends an unconditional answer.

The study programs are required to be:

Full-time.
Begins in the month of (September - October).
Eligible for a master's degree.
To view any additional information related to the study programs, click on this link.

With regard to work experience, the grant requires that the applicant possess a minimum of two years of experience with an average of two years (approximately 2800 hours), and the work experience that the grant requires may be:

Full-time work.
a part time job.
Volunteer work.
Paid or unpaid training grants.
In general, the scholarship accepts years of work experience spent by the student, before, during or after obtaining a Bachelor's degree.

The years of experience required in one job are not required only, so the student can prove that he possesses the required work experience in a number of jobs from one job to ten jobs.

If the student is currently working in a job, the scholarship does not require that he leave the job during the application period, but he is responsible for leaving the work if he was accepted into the scholarship in agreement with his work authority, the grant or the British embassy is not responsible for interfering in this matter.

Free scholarships in Sweden to study master's for students of these Arab countries

The Swedish government offers a program that provides 275 international scholarships for leaders from developing countries, funded by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The program offers a unique opportunity for future leaders to develop their academic and professional abilities, to enter the Swedish experience and learn about its culture, and to build lasting relationships with Sweden. The program aims to enable grantees to play an effective role in developing their communities in which they live.
Eligibility requirements
The applicant must be a resident of the countries to be mentioned later.
That the applicant finishes 3,000 working hours (voluntary, part-time, part-time, paid or unpaid training), during, before or after graduation.
That the applicant possesses academic qualifications, and shows leadership experience that he can provide evidence for, and this experience may be related to volunteering, or his presence in an important position in important institutions such as community work organizations or student union, and it is not related to a certain number of hours.
Countries
This program is for three categories of countries in addition to South Africa and Syria. The number of grants awarded will be as follows:

160 scholarships for students in the first category, such as: Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan.
45 scholarships for second class students, such as: Egypt, Iran, Indonesia.
45 scholarships for third-class students, which are the countries on the list.
15 scholarships for Syrian students.
10 scholarships for South African students.

Practical experience
The applicant must have completed the number of work hours required before the date of 01/01/2017 (not compulsory for Syrian students).

Areas of work experience to be given priority:

Agriculture and food security.
Democracy and human rights.
Education.
Engineering and technology.
Entrepreneurship, management, leadership.
Environment and climate.
Conflict Resolution and Peace.
equality.
the health.
Law.
Life science.
Market development.
sustainable development.
Trade and investment.
Information and Communication Technology.
Important notes regarding practical experience

The applicant must not have worked in one working system nor have he completed the required hours in the same job.
If the applicant has worked in two jobs during the same period of time, he can calculate the number of working hours for both positions.
The grant application does not require the applicant to resign from his current position.
The applicant is advised to discuss the operator regarding his application for the grant, specifically regarding the possibility of obtaining permission to leave the work if he is chosen, then the administration of the grant program will not interfere in this.
The applicant must provide evidence of his practical experience which he mentioned in his application.
Required specialties
These majors will be published at the end of this November, on this page.

Benefits offered by the grant
The scholarship covers a period of full-time study for a period of one or two years, and is dedicated to study programs that start in the fall semester, and covers the costs that a student needs as follows:

Tuition fees: The program pays directly to the university.
Cost of living: The student receives SEK 9,000 per month, and does not include the expenses of family members.
Travel costs: offered once, valued at SEK 15,000, and are provided to students from the countries on this list.
Health insurance: covers the period of the grant.
Memberships: Grantees are granted membership in the Swedish Institute's network of global leaders for the future. The network provides opportunities for students to meet talented people from all over the world, as they involve them in many events.
Important dates
End of November to December 1 2016: Publication of the list of study programs eligible to apply for the scholarship here.
1/12/2016 - 16/1/2016: Visit this site to confirm the application with the university that the student wants to study at, and once the applicant confirms his university application for the master's program on the site, he will be notified and a special number will be sent to his application, and this number consists of seven boxes , And he must use it when applying for the scholarship in the first and second steps of the grant application process.
1/12/2016 - 16/16/2016: The first step to start the grant application, which is to start the first part of the online application through the grant site, and this stage does not require attaching any documents.
Late January 2016: Applicants who succeeded in the first step are posted on the next page.
1/2/2017: The deadline for submitting the required documents and paying the application fees with the university.
1/2/2017 - 10/2/2017: The second step in the application stage for the scholarship, noting that the applicants who succeeded in the first step are only eligible to do the second step, and at this stage it is required to attach the CV and be using the Europass formula so that it does not exceed Three pages and the fourth page contains a copy of the passport, the cover letter, one practical experience certificate that is signed and stamped, one recommendation letter, and all documents must be in the English language, otherwise the application will be canceled.
3/24/2017: Students are notified of the status of their university applications.
4/10/2017: A list of students who received the scholarship will be published.
Mid February 2017: The Swedish Institute sends the scholarship offer to the recipients by e-mail.
Students wishing to apply for this scholarship should ensure that they have taken all necessary steps to complete the grant application process, and contact the scholarship site if they encounter any problems or wish to inquire about any step.

Find out about the most important scholarships in Russia

Are you interested in expanding your horizons and studying in the largest countries in the world, Russia, which has about 55 universities ranked among the top 250 universities in the QS classification of the best universities in the BRICS region? Follow us in this article to talk about the most important scholarships in Russia. Scholarships funded by the Russian government for foreign students
Granting the government of the Russian Federation
It is a group of scholarships in Russia and is available to foreign students every year, offering exemption from tuition fees, student housing in addition to an amount equivalent to 1,300 rubles per month which is equivalent to about $ 20. About 15,000 of them were awarded in 2015.

Non-governmental grants for international students
Scholarships are offered to study in Russia and some countries of the former Soviet Union, and most of these scholarships are for students of American citizenship.

Benjamin Gilman scholarships
Over 2,700 scholarships valued at up to $ 5,000 are offered to first-year undergraduate students with American citizenship to study abroad.

Russian Research Grant by BP
These scholarships are equivalent to about $ 235-550 per month for students studying engineering or economics at a Russian partner university.

American Council scholarships
It provides multiple scholarships for Russian language teaching and research in Russia, including the eighth Titel Scholarship, which are scholarships for students to conduct independent research for 3-8 months in a country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe, including Russia. The value of the scholarship ranges between $ 5,000 - $ 25,000 and usually includes travel fees, a monthly stipend, health insurance and more.

Grants from Russian universities for foreign students
Most of these scholarships are offered to students for postgraduate study:

St. Petersburg Polytechnic University
Scholarship opportunities are available for a master's degree to study in English at the university. Scholarships can cover tuition fees during one semester or housing costs in university housing.

Tomsk University
This university offers multiple scholarships for international students.

Vladivostok University of Economics
This university provides scholarships for 3,000 rubles a month ($ 50) for outstanding international students.

Ural Federal University
The University’s “Golden” Scholarships for Master’s degree provide 65 scholarships for new international students, and cover two years' costs in any of their Master's programs. The "Silver" program provides 50 scholarships to cover tuition fees for one year.

Russian International Olympic University
Vladimir Putin is offering the Olympic Scholarship, which offers 20 scholarships to study MA in Sports Management at the university, offering registration fees, accommodation and a monthly financial sum.