Safa Jafari Safa, Office of Communications, communications@aub.edu.lb
A partnership has been launched between AUB and the Education Above All (EAA) Foundation, with the support of Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), to deliver 400 undergraduate university scholarships to Lebanese students as well as Palestinian and Syrian refugees over the next four years.
The cooperation agreement is part of a five-year Memorandum of Understanding, in support of the joint scholarship program, with Lebanon's Ministry of Education and Higher Education, EAA—whose aim is to contribute to human, social, and economic development through the provision of quality education, with a particular focus on those affected by poverty, conflict, and disaster—and QFFD, which is a public development institution committed to improving the livelihood of communities around the world.
The project will be managed through the Qatar scholarships program of EAA, in support of the United Nations development goals, particularly the fourth goal of ensuring fair and inclusive education, and the promotion of lifelong learning for all.
The Qatar Scholarship Program will support marginalised Lebanese, Palestinian and Syrian students to access quality education, student support services, and civic engagement opportunities. Additionally, 15 of the top students will be selected to study abroad in Qatar under the Qatar Scholarship Program, in cooperation with QFFD and in partnership with leading universities in Qatar. The program also offers extracurricular events such as conferences and workshops, along with opportunities to work with Qatari educational institutions and organizations.
Education was acknowledged by the partners at the signing ceremony as a basic pillar of human development. A commitment was emphasized for access to quality, relevant higher education, with a focus and commitment to professional mentoring and/or internships, as key to help youth reach their full potential while addressing the challenges of youth unemployment in the region.
“In fulfilling its mission towards a more inclusive, accessible education, AUB admission and financial aid policy works to taper the educational exclusion of the most disadvantaged Lebanese and non-Lebanese youth," said AUB President Fadlo Khuri in his speech at the virtual signing ceremony. “As we, together, have our eyes firmly focused on what must be done, we keep those whom we serve at the core of that focus, knowing all too well that in any major crisis, the young and the most vulnerable suffer disproportionately."
Khuri emphasized the importance of partnerships that support the education of youth, give them the hope to reconstruct, and empower them as productive citizens with professional tools and civic engagement skills.
“It is through rare partnerships like this with the Education Above All Foundation that those of us whose duty is to educate are able to persist in their mission and focus on what really matters, despite —and in spite of—the many formidable obstacles they face today," he added.