Centre for Economic and Leadership Development (CELD)

info@celd.org.uk

THE AUE-CELD HIGHER EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP FOR GIRLS

2024 GUIDE

1.0 About the Project  

The American University in the Emirates (AUE) and the Centre for Economic and Leadership

Development (CELD) is pleased to announce the call for scholarship applications for the AUE- CELD Higher Education Scholarship for Girls. This scholarship aims to empower high-performing young women by providing them with access to quality education at the AUE. We invite eligible candidates to submit their applications for consideration.

The AUE-CELD Higher Education Scholarship for Girls will offer full tuition for either Bachelor’s degree programme at the American University in the Emirates (AUE), to ten students.

1.1 Project Aims and Intended Impact

1.1.1 High-Quality Education:

Provide access to high-quality education for young women and girls in developing regions.

It provides an opportunity for beneficiaries to acquire international education and the required knowledge to compete favourably with their peers in different spheres.

Education will prepare and equip beneficiaries with the knowledge to be active actors/participants and advocates of inclusive education and leadership in their countries.

1.1.2 Socio-Economic Empowerment:

Confidence and Self-Awareness: Empower the beneficiaries with education to boost their confidence and social awareness to enable them to contribute positively to socio-economic development in their communities.

Financial Empowerment: Create an opportunity for beneficiaries to be financially empowered and acquire the confidence and knowledge to participate in the decisions that most affect them.

Societal Impact: The scholarship will equip beneficiaries with skills to attain equal opportunities as young girls and women, thereby improving their quality of life and, by extension, the quality of life in their families and communities.

Poverty Alleviation: beneficiaries are on a sure path to eradicate poverty from their immediate families, using education as a tool.

1.1.3 Gender Equality:

As medium- and long-term benefits, girls’ education strengthens economies and reduces inequality. The AUE scholarship for girls will serve as an avenue to strengthen the work towards achieving SDG 5: Gender Equality and increased investment in educating the girl child.

Likewise, this Project will empower the beneficiaries to become stakeholders in the drive towards gender equality, and thus cause a rippling effect of empowering more women and girls.

1.1.3.a Additional Sub Project-

As part of the AUE-CELD scholarship project, organize bespoke STEM workshops in the AUE, UAE, where students, especially girls, will explore diverse opportunities that exist in the STEM fields and be exposed to STEM-related concepts and relatable real-life scenarios that could possibly trigger their passion to build a career in any of the fields.

The Project is targeted at the following regions:

Eligible Regions/Countries

• Africa: Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, Morocco, DR Congo, and Burundi (any one from other African Countries can still apply)
• Middle East
• South America
• Asia

2.0 The Implementing Partner – About Center for Economic and Leadership Development (CELD)

The Centre for Economic and Leadership Development (CELD), is an organization with a core mandate to bring true and enduring empowerment to women at various levels, circumstances, cultures, and tribes; whilst redefining the theory and practice of inclusive leadership and education for the youth and the various societies where we operate.

We believe in the power of women as powerful change agents in our societies. This is important as women all over the world, and especially in emerging economies, are increasingly breaking stereotypes and contributing meaningfully to nation-building and their local communities. It is this faith that we place in the collective abilities of women to move our world forward that has made our activities geared towards equipping women with the right tools form a very significant part of our activities at CELD.

Professional development for women, peak performance for public servants, and the quest for development excellence in key sectors of our public life continually impact our drive to unleash the awesome potentials in ordinary humans, thereby leading to limitless possibilities for the human being and society in general.

We also place our faith in the future of our young people, while committing to helping less privileged youths, orphans and vulnerable children pursue their sense of worth through educational empowerment and support schemes.

Our driving force is hinged in the statement of Professor Richard Whitfield, the founding Chairman of the United Kingdom National Family Trust when he said, “We cannot become individuals unless we have someone who is rationally, irrationally and permanently committed to our welfare and interest. WE ARE NOBODY WITHOUT A COMMITTED SOMEBODY.”

We are therefore resolved to be committed to redefining peak performance and gender empowerment in today’s world. We, therefore, welcome you to join hands and partner with us in this quest to make society a better place.

2.1 The Donors – AUE Overview

2.1.1 History

The American University in the Emirates (AUE) was established in the Academic Year (AY) 2006- 2007, originally known as the “American College in the Emirates” (ACE). During its inception, ACE had a primary mission to provide high-quality, interdisciplinary, and career-oriented academic degree programs that equipped students for successful employment and further education. As a self-funded institution, ACE granted two-year associate degrees in fields such as media, information technology, business, and design. Graduates holding associate degrees from ACE were widely accepted by the United Arab Emirates and Dubai governments, as well as various business sectors, for entry-level and intermediate employment opportunities.

The institution adopted the label of an “American College” due to its adoption of the credit hour system and a curriculum aligned with American standards, encompassing general education and elective courses. ACE’s associate degree programs consisted of 63 credit hours, with an emphasis on general education and liberal arts during the first year, followed by specialization courses providing practical job training in the second year.

The AUE has established partnerships with renowned institutions such as the University of Virginia, Kansas State University, Texas State University, and the University of Maryland, offering exchange programs to its students. Additionally, the university provides a range of scholarships, although tuition fees may be on the higher side. Extensive university-industry collaborations are also facilitated to offer internships for students.

2.1.2 Campus Facilities:

The AUE campus is located in the Dubai International Academic City in Dubai, UAE. It spans an area of 128 hectares and features modern purpose-built classrooms and lecture halls. The campus offers a range of services, including halls of residence, a library, laboratories, recreational spaces, audiovisual rooms, computer workstations, common areas, open lawns, and ample parking spaces.

2.1.3 Achievements and Accreditations:

The AUE is ranked among the top 120 universities in the Arab region according to the Arab university rankings 2020 published by Q.S. Top Universities. The university is highly regarded for its percentage of international students and faculty. It is accredited by reputable organizations and bodies such as the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) and the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.

3.0 The AUE-CELD Full Tuition Scholarship Offer

3.1 Academic Requirements

Minimum Academic Requirements/Process for Award of Merit Tuition Scholarship at AUE:

• High School Diploma Score (Grade 12) with a minimum of 90% (or higher) or 3.6 out of 4.0 in the senior school year average (or its equivalent) or country equivalence (e.g. WAEC/NECO/GCSE/CBSE).
• English Proficiency exam such as ‘IELTS Academic’ with a minimum overall band of 5.5 (or its equivalent. The only approved English proficiency exams for admission are as per the table below; any other exams are not accepted for admission.

• Successfully pass the admission interview with the college
• Successfully pass the placement tests designated for the program
• Two letters of recommendation (preferably from a previous academic institution)

3.2 How to calculate your Grade 12 Equivalence

• Use the student’s results in the senior school year (grade 12) or the national exam after the senior school year for students who sit for national exams in some countries (e.g WAEC).
• Calculate the final school average by converting each individual result to a percentage format, out of 100.
• Then calculate the total

Below are some examples of famous educational systems along with the equivalent grade to 90%

NOTE:

The English language proficiency requirements cannot be waived and is therefore mandatory.

3.3 Additional requirements (this can be done after successfully meeting the basic requirements and applying for the scholarship. It takes about 15 days);

• A “Certificate of Equivalency”. The application process for the Certificate of Equivalency is entirely online, and candidates can apply directly through the Ministry of Education website using the following link: https://www.moe.gov.ae/en/eservices/servicecard/pages/certequivalent-out.aspx).In order to apply for this Certificate of Equivalency, candidates should ensure that the following documents are attested by the UAE Embassy in the issuing country:
• Academic certificates
• School transcripts for the last three years (grades 10, 11, and 12).

3.4 Conditions to maintain the full tuition scholarship at AUE:

As a condition to maintain this scholarship, the full scholarship beneficiary must maintain a minimum CGPA of 3.6 or above during study at the university (if the student’s CGPA drops below 3.6, then he/she will no longer receive the scholarship).

Enrolling for a minimum of 15 C.H per regular semester.

4.0 THE AUE-CELD HIGHER EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP FOR GIRLS 2024 APPLICATION PROCESS

Prior to beginning the application process for this scholarship, all applicants must meet the basic eligibility criteria before proceeding with the application to other requirements.

• Meet the Basic Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for the AUE/CELD Higher Education Scholarship for Girls, applicants must meet the following basic criteria including the academic requirements mentioned above:

Citizenship: Applicants must be resident citizens of at least one of the following countries:

Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia, Morocco, Egypt, DR Congo, Burundi, Lebanon, Suriname, India, and Indonesia

Finance: Applicants must be willing to cover all other costs/expenses other than tuition, including visa fees, transportation, accommodation, and feeding.

• Required Documents

The application must include the following documents (all documents must be in English):

• Completed application form in English Language.
• Provide proof of citizenship of the eligible countries.
• Academic transcripts and certificates.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume.
• Two Letters of Recommendation from the school where applicants completed their previous education.
• A personal statement highlighting the applicant’s motivation (emphasize your drive), academic aspirations, commitment to contributing to society (your dedication to making a positive impact on society), justifications for requiring the scholarship, and reasons for being an ideal candidate deserving of the scholarship.

Note: all successful students will be required to attend events, grant interviews, and appear on social media channels belonging to CELD and other brand sensitization events about the scholarship and CELD during and after their study period in the UAE.

4.3 How to Apply

To begin your application visit the Application Form  and follow the instruction.

After your application form is processed, we will send you an email (please ensure to input your correct email) requesting for the following documents:

• Proof of citizenship of the eligible countries.
• Academic transcripts and certificates.
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) or resume.
• Two Letters of Recommendation from the school where applicants completed their previous education.
• A personal statement highlighting the applicant’s motivation (emphasize your drive), academic aspirations, commitment to contributing to society (your dedication to making a positive impact on society), justifications for requiring the scholarship, and reasons for being an ideal candidate deserving of the scholarship.
• A video (50 seconds and 30 M.B. maximum) of a world you want for yourself and future generations with respect to education and what this scholarship means to you if you get it.”

NOTE:

CELD and AUE uses a fair screening system based on both academic and eligibility criteria to select 1 beneficiary out of the 5 selected nominees who meet all the outlined academic and non-academic requirements by the university.

The country finalists (1 per country) are then selected after an evaluation is conducted with the Funding institution (AUE).

Candidate(s) are awarded the full tuition-free scholarship.

Note:  Applications are open until on or before July 1, 2024.

6.0 Available Academic Programmes

The American University in the Emirates offers undergraduate and graduate programs (in English Language) across various fields of study. The areas of specialization available include:

For questions and enquiries about this opportunity, email Collins at collins.obodo@celd.org.uk.

We look forward to receiving your country’s applications and selecting deserving young women to pursue quality education and shape a promising future through the AUE/CELD Higher Education Scholarship for Girls.

Sincerely,

Collins Obodo

Project Officer, AUE-CELD Scholarship