Six receive grants to study for PhD overseas

Six Emiratis are awarded funding from the Emirates Foundation to study for doctorates in Europe and North America.

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ABU DHABI // Six Emiratis have been awarded funding from the Emirates Foundation to study for doctorates in Europe and North America. The five men and one woman are beginning their studies in sport programmes for people with special needs, biomedical engineering, food science and neuroimmunology after being chosen from more than 25 who applied to the endowment fund. The institutions they are attending include Imperial College London and Southampton University in Britain, Kansas State University in the US and the Max Planck Institute in Germany.

Khuloud al Nuwais, the projects director of the Emirates Foundation, said the "overwhelming interest" in the PhD programmes indicated growing enthusiasm among Emiratis for studying at a high level. "It is with great pride that we make the awards for the third year running," he said. Several other organisations, including the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and private companies, also fund Emiratis to study overseas.

There are limited options for individuals to study for PhDs in the UAE. However, next year UAE University will become the first federal government higher education institution to offer the highest form of degree when it admits about 20 doctoral students. @Email:dbardsley@thenational.ae