Agreement with China Scholarship Council to Bring up to 30 PhD Students A Year to Study at Khalifa University
Khalifa University of Science and Technology and the China Scholarship Council (CSC) today launched the region’s first Joint PhD Scholarship Program, enabling up to 30 Chinese students each year to pursue their PhD studies at the Khalifa University. The two partners will share in the funding responsibility for the PhD students.
An agreement between Khalifa University and the CSC, the Chinese Ministry of Education’s non-profit organization dedicated to providing student financial aid to Chinese citizens, was signed earlier to launch the joint funding of this program.
Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, said: “We are delighted to have entered into this scholastic partnership with the CSC, which selects only the top universities around the world for its joint scholarship programs. The agreement is another international acknowledgement of Khalifa University’s world class educational and research offerings, which have been top ranked in the country and region. Khalifa University looks forward to receiving the Chinese students selected through this program, who we know will bring more diversity to our international student body and introduce innovative ideas through their PhD research.”
“The Khalifa University agreement with the CSC is also in line with the Abu Dhabi Government’s Research Funding Vision 2021 that aims to widen the role of expatriates in research development while acknowledging and rewarding their efforts,” Dr Al Hammadi added.
His Excellency NI Jian, Chinese Ambassador to the UAE, said:” Khalifa University is one of the most prestigious universities in the Middle East. The CSC-Khalifa University Joint PhD Scholarship Program is not only a significant milestone in the higher education and innovation cooperation between China and the UAE, but also an important step towards implementing the fruitful outcomes of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the UAE last year. China is ready to work closely with the UAE to further enhance high-level educational, cultural and personnel exchange and strengthen the comprehensive strategic partnership between our two countries.”
The selected Chinese PhD students, who are required to maintain a minimum CGPA of 3.5 out of 4.0 during their studies at Khalifa University, will receive scholarship coverage for up to 48 months. Upon completion of the PhD program requirements and successful thesis defense, the Chinese students will be conferred PhD degrees from Khalifa University.
With the signing of this agreement, Khalifa University joins the ranks of other world-class institutions such as Yale University, Princeton University, University of Toronto, University of Oxford, which have similar joint scholarship programs with the Chinese financial aid body. Khalifa University is also the first higher educational institute in the Arab Region and Africa to have such an arrangement with the CSC, while the CSC sponsors about 68,000 Chinese students and scholars every year for overseas study or research.
Khalifa University’s student body represents 54 different nationalities, with strong representation from China. It also has faculty from 49 countries, including graduates from China’s leading universities.
News Writer
27 March 2019
