ExxonMobil MSc and MBA Scholarships for Students from Middle East and North Africa

ExxonMobil MSc and MBA Middle East & North Africa Scholarship Program



The Middle East and North Africa Scholarship Program is a highly competitive scholarship program which provides select student leaders from the Middle East and North Africa with a fully-funded scholarship towards the completion of a Master’s degree at a university in the United States.


This unique opportunity offers:


Master’s degree programs in Geoscience, Engineering and MBA. Most sponsorships will be in Geoscience, with a limited number in Engineering and MBA. All MBA candidates must have a science, math or engineering background

Full graduate tuition to attend a U.S. university

Academic and visa support

Housing and living expenses while in the U.S.

Transportation to the U.S. and return to home country upon program completion

Medical Insurance while in the U.S.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must meet the following requirements:


Must be a citizen of Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia or the United Arab Emirates

Hold at least a Bachelor’s degree in Geoscience, Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Math or Geography

Demonstrate English proficiency (550 written TOEFL; 79-80 iBT TOEFL; 6.0 IETLS)

Demonstrate a history of academic excellence and native fluency in Arabic

Exhibit leadership skills and cultural competency

Have a valid passport

Demonstrate English proficiency

Register for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)

Faculty Sponsor Program



The ExxonMobil Middle East and North Africa Scholars Program seeks to build relationships with academic leaders by offering a Faculty Sponsor Program to the home academic departments of the selected scholars.



The home academic departments will be invited to nominate one outstanding faculty member to participate in the ExxonMobil Middle East and North Africa faculty sponsor program, offering select geoscience faculty the opportunity to travel to the United States for a short term structured professional exchange program comprised of guest lecturing, collaborative research and participation in the annual American Geophysical Union (AGU) fall meeting in San Francisco.



As part of the application process, faculty will be required to submit an abstract for the AGU meeting.



The selected faculty will be subject to all applicable regulatory requirements, including various U.S. government policies.



Application Guidelines



Ongoing Application Process

Apply through the program website :



http://www.iie.org/exxonmobilscholars



Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.



Candidate Selection



Applications are judged on merit in an open and independent review conducted by a selection panel comprised of international education experts and faculty. Selection panels will recommend finalists to the program sponsor, who will conduct two in-person selection events per year.



Contact Us



Mailing Address

ExxonMobil Middle Eastern Scholars Program

Institute of International Education

1800 West Loop Street, Suite 250

Houston, TX 77072-9481

Telephone

+1-713-621-6300 ext.17



Website

iie.org/exxonmobilscholars


Email

exxonmobilscholars@iie.org


Further Scholarship Information and Application (pdf) go to:

http://www.fsc.uaeu.ac.ae/news_events/geology/news_evetns/cos_geology_MENA_Scholars2_17-02-2010.pdf

JSPS’s RONPAKU Dissertation PhD Fellowships in Computer Science at University of Aizu

The aim of JSPS’s RONPAKU (Dissertation PhD) Program is to provide tutorial and financial support to promising young researchers in Asia who wish to obtain their PhD degrees from Japanese universities through the submission of a dissertation without going through a doctoral course. Grantees under the program (RONPAKU Fellows) are given the opportunity to visit their Japanese advisor once a year to receive direct supervision at the Japanese university where they will submit their PhD thesis.
As a faculty at University of Aizu, Japan, I am interested to guide interested students through this program. Please note that Univ of Aizu is a computer science oriented university and the degree will be in computer science and engineering. Research topics of interest to me include.

1. Regional Weather/climate prediction research through dynamical modelling
2. Distributed Geophysical Visualisation algorithms and implementation using Ruby Language.
3. Application of Machine Learning to Climate and Weather Research.
4. Reconfigureable computing for high performance weather/climate modelling.

Saji N Hameed,
Associate Professor,
ARC-ENV, Center for Advanced Information Science and Technology,
University of Aizu, Tsuruga, Ikki-machi,
Aizuwakamatsu- shi, Fukushima 965-8580,
Japan
Tel: +81242 37-2736
email: saji@u-aizu.ac.jp
url: http://www.u-aizu.ac.jp
=========================================
From FY2010, this program is offered to researchers in the following countries
ASIA (including Middle East countries)
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh*, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China*, Georgia, India, Indonesia*, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, South Korea*, Kuwait, Kyrgyz, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia*, Maldives, Mongolia*, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, the Philippines*, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Thailand*, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Turkmenistan, UAE, Uzbekistan, Vietnam*, and Yemen.
AFRICA
Algeria, Angora, Uganda, Egypt*, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Ghana, Cape Verde, Gabon, Cameroon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Cote d’Ivoire, Comoro, Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Zambia, Sierra Leone, Djibouti, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Swaziland, Seychelles, Equatorial Guinea, Senegal, Somalia, Tanzania, Chad, Central African Republic, Tunisia, Togo, Nigeria, Namibia, Niger, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, South Africa, Mozambique, Mauritius, Mauritania, Morocco, Libya, Rwanda and Lesotho
* The ten countries marked with an asterisk（*）haveJSPS counterpart organizations that assist in applicant nomination and program implementation. Applicants whose home institution comes under one of these organizations submit a different set of forms than other applicants. Please refer to the Application Guidelines.
Eligibility
Each applicant for the Program must be a researcher who

• belongs to a university or research institute in the above-listed countries
• already holds a full-time position as a researcher in a university or research institution in his/her home country or will likely be appointed to such a position by 1 April of the starting year of the fellowship
• is under age 50 as of 1 of the starting year of the fellowship. Further eligibility requirements for this program are provided in the Application Guidelines.

Further eligibility requirements for this program are provided in the Application Guidelines.
Number of Fellowships
About 40 per year　(up to 30 from Asian countries and up to 10 from African countries
Duration of Fellowship
Up to 5 years
JSPS Support

• RONPAKU Fellows may visit their Japanese host university once a year for a maximum period of 90 days for the purpose of studying under the supervision of their Japanese advisor.
• JSPS provides RONPAKU Fellows with a roundtrip international air ticket (economy class), maintenance allowance and medical/accidental insurance, and covers expenses related to dissertation submission during their stays in Japan.
• The Japanese advisor may visit the RONPAKU fellow’s home university or research institution once a year for a maximum period of 30 days for the purpose of supervising RONPAKU Fellow’s study.
• JSPS provides Japanese Advisors with a roundtrip air ticket (economy class) and maintenance allowance, and covers their visa issuance fees and supervising expenses during their stays in the fellow’s country.
• During the fellow’s stay in Japan, JSPS provides the Japanese Advisor with an allowance for supervising his/her study at the host institution.

For more information on JSPS’s financial support, please see the Application Guidelines.
Please note: Being awarded a RONPAKU fellowship does not automatically guarantee the obtaining of a PhD degree. Each RONPAKU Fellow is responsible for making the necessary effort to succeed in his/her dissertation research.
Selection Procedure
Under JSPS’s RONPAKU Program, a two-step procedure is used for selecting RONPAKU Fellows. Applications are first screened through a document review. Taking into account these results, a category-based panel review is held on the applications.
Selection criteria for JSPS review:

1. Based on their record of scientific results, applicants must be seen as “mature” researchers.
2. The applicant’s research proposal should be suited to pursuing a PhD degree through submission of a dissertation without matriculating a doctoral course. The feasibility should be very high that the applicant will obtain a PhD degree within a maximum of 5 years.
3. The Japanese advisor must be suitable for supervising the Fellow’s research; sufficient advance communication must have been carried out between the advisor and the applicant; the research supervision plan must be well-prepared and specific

First step of selection procedure
In the first step of RONPAKU screening, JSPS has each application screened by three referees, chosen according to the applicant’s research area.
The first-step screening criteria are as follows: (1) Research ability, (2) Research plan, and (3) Japanese advisor’s suitability for supervising the RONAPKU Fellow.
Each referee scores applications by grades 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1.
5: Highest possibility that applicant can obtain PhD degree within the allotted tenure
4: High possibility that applicant can obtain PhD degree within the allotted tenure
3: Possibility that applicant can obtain PhD degree
2: Little possibility that applicant can obtain PhD degree
1: No possibility that the applicant can obtain PhD degree
Second step of selection procedure
As the second step, JSPS holds panel reviews on the applications. They are held in the following eight categories: Humanities and Social Sciences; Mathematical and Physical Sciences; Chemistry; Engineering Sciences; Biological Sciences; Agricultural Sciences; and Medical, Dental and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The number of applicants selected in each category is decided in proportion to the number of applications submitted.
Selection results are given to each applicant through his/her prospective Japanese advisor or the nominating organization in his/her home country.
Contact Information
Asian Program Division
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
6 Ichibancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8471 JAPAN
Telephone: +81.(0)3. 3263.2368　 Facsimile: +81.(0)3. 3234.3700
Email: ronpaku@jsps.go.jp
Official scholarship website:
http://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-ronpaku/about.html

The Karim Rida Said Foundation offers Postgraduate Scholarships for the academic year 2010/11 at Goldsmiths, University of London, UK

The Karim Rida Said Foundation offers Postgraduate Scholarships for the academic year 2010/11 at Goldsmiths, University of London, UK

The Said Foundation provide full and partial scholarships to students from Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine or Syria to study for a Master’s degree for one year. The scholarships are co-funded by Goldsmiths who pay a percentage of the tuition fees on behalf of successful applicants.

Eligibility:

To be eligible to apply for a Said Foundation Scholarship you need to:

have a good first degree
provide evidence of your proficiency in English
be under forty years of age
be Jordanian, Lebanese, Syrian or Palestinian (including Palestinians inside Israel) and be resident in the Middle East
demonstrate that your chosen course of study will be of use to your home country or the Middle East region
have at least two years’ work experience
apply for a place on a course at one of the Foundation’s partner universities (includes Goldsmiths)
sign a binding undertaking to apply the skills and knowledge you have gained in one of the Foundation’s target countries.

Application Procedure:

The following documents are required to be submitted along with the application form:

Copies of offer letters from British universities
Transcripts and translations of university results and of high school results (Tawjihi/Bacc.etc)
IELTS or TOEFL certificate
A completed “Financial Summary” sheet.
Submit 2 copies of your application form and supporting papers.
You must return your application form to a British Council office in Amman, Beirut, Damascus, East Jerusalem or Gaza by 31 January, 2010.

Application Form:

Please visit http://www.saidfoundation.org/whatwedo/downloads/Application_form_2010.pdf.


Selection Criteria:

The selection panel will look at the applicant’s academic record, financial need, likelihood to succeed in their proposed course, usefulness of subject to the applicant’s country, motivation, future career intentions and practical ability to make use of the knowledge to be gained in the UK on return to the Middle East and personality.


Application Deadline:

31 January 2010.

Source:

http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/costs/international/karimridasaidfoundationscholarships/

Misc : Microsoft Phd Scholarships for Students from Africa, Europe, and the Middle East

The PhD Scholarship Programme recognises and supports exceptional students who show the potential to make an outstanding contribution to science and computing. This programme supports PhD students in computing and those working at the intersection of computing and the sciences.

Only PhD supervisors should apply. If their project is selected, the supervisor has up to a year to find the best possible student for the project. Joint applications by two supervisors from different disciplines are especially encouraged.

On this page:
Schedule
Eligibility Criteria
Application Process
Selection Process
Awards

Schedule

• Application deadline: 16 September 2009
• Notification of results: December 2009

Eligibility Criteria

We usually consider only one application per university department or per laboratory of a national research institution.

Only applications from countries in Africa, Europe, and the Middle East will be considered. Some additional criteria apply in some of these countries.

Only applications in research areas relatively close to the ones researchers at Microsoft Research in Cambridge focus on will be considered. These areas are:

• Computational Science
• Computer-Mediated Living
• Constraint Reasoning
• Machine Learning and Perception
• Online Services and Advertising
• Programming, Principles, and Tools
• Systems and Networking

Unless otherwise specified, applications may only be submitted through theonline application tool.

Application Process

Applications are accepted in English and in electronic form only through the online application tool. After you create an application in the online application system, you can modify it at any time before the application deadline.

Applications are accepted only through a student’s institution, such as from the PhD supervisor or a departmental secretary. We do not accept applications from students directly.

• Applications should contain the following:
  • An online Web form that includes contact details of supervisor(s) and possible reviewers.
    Ideally, one of the suggested reviewers should be from Microsoft Research. If no suitable Microsoft researcher can be identified, it may mean that the proposed research project is too far from our areas of interest.
  • A project proposal of maximum four (4) A4 pages in 10-point font, including references.
    Accepted formats: plain text or Microsoft Office Word only.
• The research project proposal should address the following points:
  • Evidence that the research supervisor would be suitable to supervise of a PhD student for the proposed research project.
    This may include a short list of recent and relevant publications of the supervisor.
  • Evidence that the department or laboratory offers a suitable environment for research in the proposed area.
  • Basis for the research (motivations and brief state-of-the-art, including key references).
  • Hypothesis under investigation and main aims.
  • Research strategy with significant milestones if identified.
  • Methods of research (for example, main techniques, experiments, and trials).
  • Details of any collaboration with other departments/research bodies.
  • Expected outcomes (for example, software tools).

Applications must be complete and received by the announced deadline to be considered. Proposals received after this deadline will not be considered.

Country-Specific Application Guidelines

Germany
In Germany, some PhD scholarships are offered to some students of theInternational Max Planck Research School for Computer Science and theMax Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics. For other institutions, please follow the instructions on this page.

United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, we are able to offer co-funding with the UK Research Councils through the Dorothy Hodgkin Postgraduate Awards (DHPA). Interested applicants simply need to tick the appropriate box on the application form. The DHPA FAQ explains the benefits of this programme.

Selection Process

Applications are on a competitive basis and we anticipate a high level of demand for scholarships (the average selection rate has been around 20 percent over the last 5 years). Following receipt of such applications, each is carefully reviewed by researchers from universities and from Microsoft Research and the best proposals are selected. For reference, you may consult the evaluation form sent to reviewers.

After a ranking based on the ‘marks’ of the reviewers (when the number of reviews permit it), a shortlist of applications is drawn and are then ranked manually per research area by Microsoft Researchers using all the information provided to us by the expert reviewers as well as additional information such as the relevance of the research to our particular interests, the interest of one of our researchers to get involved in the project, and so on. The rankings from each research areas are then combined, trying to keep a good balance between each area.

Decisions are made solely at the discretion of Microsoft Research and all decisions are final.

Supervisors have up to one year (from the date of notification) to propose the best and most suitable student possible to carry out the proposed research project.

The student, who can be of any nationality, should not have started his or her PhD before September 2009.

After a student is identified, we request a CV and two strong letters of recommendation (in English and preferably not from the supervisor) from professors familiar with the student’s work and we may decide to interview the student by telephone.

The terms of the agreement between the institution of the successful applicant and Microsoft Research have been developed over the course of the last few years with input from numerous research organisations around Europe to ensure that they are appropriate and equitable.
See: Terms and conditions of the sponsorship

Awards

Each Microsoft scholarship consists of an annual bursary up to a maximum of three years. The amount varies in different countries and may depend on specific arrangement with public research funding agencies. The bursary continues automatically the following years, provided the Scholar meets the requirements of the institution. Payment is made to the institution. The amount of the scholarship is the maximum amount Microsoft Research pays to the institution. For more details, see our terms and conditions. In addition, every Scholar receives a laptop with a selection of software applications.

During the course of their PhD, Scholars are invited to Microsoft Research in Cambridge for an annual Summer School that includes a series of talks of academic interest and posters sessions, which provides the Scholars the opportunity to present their work to Microsoft researchers and a number of Cambridge academics.

Some of the Scholars may also be offered—at the sole discretion of Microsoft Research—an internship in one of the Microsoft Research laboratories. Internships involve working on a project alongside and as part of a team of Microsoft researchers. Scholars are paid during their internship—in addition to their scholarship bursary. Interested Scholars need to apply through the Microsoft Research internship Web site.

Privacy Statement

The information provided in the application is used for making our decision for the Microsoft Research PhD Scholarship only. We may pass this information to external academic reviewers who have agreed to help us review the applications. All information contained in the application shall be considered by Microsoft to be non-confidential. Universities should not submit information that is confidential, restricted, or sensitive in any way and Microsoft assumes no responsibility for protecting or disclosing any such information, once submitted. Microsoft is committed to protecting your privacy.
See: Microsoft Online Privacy Statement