Deadline: February 28, 2021.

The programme provides educational opportunities to academically meritorious and financially impoverished young men and women from the above 21 LDMCs to pursue Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) at a public institute in thier counties or IsDB member countries to equip them with knowledge, basic skills and competencies needed by all for personal fulfilment and development, employability, social inclusion and active citizenship.

The Programme was launched in 2019 by the IsDB and the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (ISFD), with the specific aim of reducing poverty in the following 21 Least Developed IsDB Member Countries (LDMCs): Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somali, Sudan, Togo, Uganda and Yemen

ELIGIBILITY

The prospective candidates must meet the eligibility criteria of the programme. Candidates MUST ensure that they meet all the criteria of the programme listed hereunder, failing which the Application will not be considered:

• Must be a citizen of any of the 21 IsDB LDMCs listed above.
• Must have obtained a high school diploma or registered in one of the recognized TVET institutes in his/her own country.
• Must have minimum of 50% in his/her high school final GPA.
• Must choose a field of study listed among the approved disciplines of the programme.
• Must provide evidence of language proficiency in university medium of instruction as relevant. The language proficiency must be supported by a document or certificate, e.g., for English, by a recognized language certificate such as TOEFL, IELTS or passed required level test conducted such as by British Council or equivalent system in French or other languages).
• Must provide certified English or French translation of all documents in case if they are initially in other languages.
• Must not be in receipt of any other scholarship at the time of application and during study.
• Must be medically fit and willing to undergo medical tests after selection.

BENEFITS

The programme covers the following items:

• Monthly stipends commensurate with the cost of living of the country of study.
• Tuition fees as charged by the Institute and approved by the IsDB.
• Cost of medical treatment at university/public hospital.
• Economy class return air tickets (once at the time of joining and on completion of study) and installation and equipment allowance for the students selected to study abroad at partnered institutes/centers/countries.

CANDIDATES OBLIGATIONS

Candidates granted the scholarships are expected to:

• Sign the IsDB’s prescribed Scholarship Agreement stating their commitment to their studies and serve their communities and countries upon graduation. 
• Commit to refund the loan after graduation and securing gainful employment, in easy installments, to Local Education Trust Fund (LETF) established by the IsDB in their countries. 
• Devote themselves to their studies on a full-time basis and without interruption and provide the IsDB with progress reports on their studies on a regular basis.
• Not to seek or accept other scholarship or remunerated work during their study under the Programme.
• Respect the laws of the country of study and maintain good personal and professional conduct consistent with the rules, regulations and objectives of the Programme and the overall mission of the IsDB.
• Register to the IsDB Alumni after graduation to network with other alumnus and keep updating the IsDB about their progress and achievements in their communities/countries.

OFFICIAL LINK: https://www.isdb.org/scholarships/isdb-isfd-technical-vocational-education-training-tvet