ABU DHABI // The Emirates Foundation has announced its first scholarships for Emiratis to study for doctorates at overseas universities. Three men ? physicist Essa Tariq Khoory, electrical engineer Khalid Younus Kalbat and chemical engineer Khalid al Mehairi ? have been selected for the scholarships. They will study at Imperial College London, and Columbia University and the Florida Institute of Technology in the US, respectively.
The scholarship scheme aims to fix what officials say is a shortage of Emiratis working towards doctorates. The programme began this year and is open to people who have been accepted at major accredited overseas universities. Organisers aim to focus on studies for social development, education, arts and culture, science and technology and environmental sciences ? areas that could be of value to the UAE's development.
Ahmed Ali al Sayegh, the Emirates Foundation's managing director, said that until now most support had been for master's level studies, rather than PhDs. Applications for the 2008-09 academic year were reviewed by an evaluation committee and shortlisted candidates were interviewed. dbardsley@thenational.ae
