The Power of Education
On the 24th of January 2022, we celebrated UNESCO’s International Day of Education and the concept that education is key to building a more sustainable, inclusive, and peaceful future.
Alongside this, we considered the fact that the right to education is enshrined in our human rights, meaning that “free, compulsory elementary education should be available to all, and higher education should be accessible to those who want it.”[1]
We chose to use this day to reflect on why education is so important to us and to reflect on the great impact that it can have on our own lives as well as those of our communities. Never has this impact been more apparent than in the lives and narratives of our own scholars. We celebrate education for its ability to generate debate, unlock potential in all and encourage common good.
Every day we celebrate the power of education and the lasting impact it has on the lives of our scholars around the world. Our mission is to empower young people from across the Levant by providing them with the tools they need to make long lasting differences within society at large. We focus on providing transformational scholarships to disadvantaged individuals within the Middle East and Malaysia, particularly women and young people, to study abroad and access world-class higher education. We believe that investing in someone’s education is an investment in their future and for this reason, our mantra is that education is empowerment.
Equal access to higher education and the unique experiences that come with studying abroad has opened numerous new doors for our scholars in terms of further education, career paths and more. It has provided them with so many invaluable skills and has allowed them to build important relationships and networks.
We’ve seen this impact, the power of education and the opportunities that our scholarships can provide many times through the unique journeys that our scholars take.
Hiba was able to attend the University of Cambridge and studied MPhil Computational Biology with the help of one of our Masters scholarships. Hiba found her course at Cambridge to be invaluable in helping her prepare for the working world and has successfully secured a job after graduating.
Hiba notes that
“Undoubtedly, the master's degree from Cambridge (enabled by the Bseisu Foundation) is the reason why I have landed a job offer soon after graduation in a subject that I am incredibly passionate about. Not only am I able to do what I love, but I am able to learn about things I’m interested in on a daily basis. As for next steps, I am hopeful that my master's will unlock career development paths as well and educational opportunities with other prestigious institutions.”
Another of our scholars, Majd studied MSc Advanced Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London and graduated with a Distinction. Majd has used this opportunity to widen his knowledge and continue his education journey to complement his technical background with an economic and political understanding of the energy sector. He is currently enrolled as a masters student at the Paris School of International Affairs in the International Energy program, focusing on economics, diplomacy and the MENA region.
Of his scholarship and the opportunity to continue his education, Majd said
“The scholarship and the Foundation made my graduation and the past year at Imperial possible. I was short on funds, and I wouldn't have been able to finish the year without the foundation's help. I will always be grateful to the Foundation and it’s contributions to my success.”
Nesreen also studied at Imperial College London and decided to take MSc Medical Ultrasound as it provided an advanced degree in her area of interest, Vascular Ultrasound. She has now decided to work as a lecturer at undergraduate level. We are so pleased that Nesreen is continuing to be involved in education after graduating!
“My master’s journey has been very enjoyable, and this specific MSc course was beneficial to shaping my career in the best form; where I had the opportunity to go into depth about ultrasound and the physics behind it as a specific imaging modality which detects pathologies that might go unnoticed when using other medical imaging modalities. Hence, I became more familiar with ultrasound. I ultimately would like to thank the Bseisu Foundation for its continuous support during my postgraduate studies. I am genuinely pleased with this opportunity you have given me.”
Mohamad studied BA Computer Science at Vassar College and has recently begun his career in Software Engineering. After graduating, he got a full-time job offer from Apple and has now relocated to San Francisco.
On his undergraduate degree, Mohamad said
“My undergraduate liberal arts education helped me a lot as it strengthened my communication and teamwork skills. This makes my work with other engineers easier, especially at a place like Apple where it is expected of employees to independently reach out to each other and build intra-team connections.”
Yazan studied MPhil Public Health at the University of Cambridge. Following his graduation, Yazan began an MD degree in Medicine at the New York Medical College. He is currently a second-year medical student and plans on pursuing physical medicine and rehabilitation as a specialty choice in order to work with patients on improving their quality of life using physical rehab efforts.
“Pursuing higher education served me in countless ways. Most importantly, it helped me gain the knowledge and skills to be able to confidently pursue research efforts in The Middle East, a dream that I had in mind prior to graduate school. Thanks to the generous scholarship that facilitated my education at Cambridge, we now have the very first research group composed of young scholars who share one dream – improve the public health scene in The Middle East. In retrospect, this effort would not have been possible without the knowledge I received at Cambridge and the connections I was able to make there. The scholarship was not only present to help financial accessibility to higher education but was also a constant reminder of my responsibility to utilise my education to the benefit of the Middle East, a goal Bseisu Foundation and myself had in common.”
In addition, my education at Cambridge allowed me to be accepted to medical school in New York and continue pursuing my dreams.
International Students in the UK:
The UK currently welcomes a huge number of international students annually, with the numbers increasing every year. In 2021, more than 600,000 students chose to study abroad in the UK, due to the high quality of teaching and the unique experience that studying abroad offers.
In addition to this, most international students in the UK are full time postgraduate students, and the numbers of full-time postgraduate students from countries outside of the EU is massive – this group makes up approximately 49% of the international student population across higher education institutions in the UK. This is also the main reason that we prioritise scholarships for those studying master’s degrees. Many students from our target countries in the Levant (Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan) are staying in their home country for their undergraduate degree and choosing to complete their postgraduate education abroad.
The demand for scholarships is increasing as more and more young people decide to study internationally. There are many other scholarships available that you may be eligible for. We have guidance and a list of some of these scholarships here.
[1] https://www.un.org/en/observances/education-day