Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek) has opened applications for this year's Abu Dhabi Scholarships, its annual program designed to provide outstanding Emirati students with unique gateways to personalised higher education journeys at the world's leading universities.
Applications are open until March 31, 2023, for high-performing Emirati Grade 12, Year 13 students and undergraduates aged 24 and below to fulfil their academic potential and contribute to the ongoing development of priority industries following their graduation.
With 30 newly added majors, students who meet the program criteria can choose from 82 majors across elite and creative specialisations. New majors include Medicine, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Landscape Architecture, User Experience (UX) Design, Web Design, Fashion Design, Music and Performing Arts, Computer Game Production (eGaming), Culinary Arts, and Journalism, among others.
"As part of an ongoing development process conducted annually, our diverse scholarship offerings have been subject to detailed analysis and review to identify key areas of improvement and ensure the program's outcomes align with the needs of the national economy," said Dr Bashaer Almatrooshi, Executive Director - Talent Enablement Sector at Adek. "We are open to applications from creative thinkers, determined achievers, ambitious learners and relentless explorers; our goal is to empower them to fulfil their potential.
"We are committed to building Emirati cadres to lead future development across growth sectors, and the introduction of new majors within our creative specialisations reflects our commitment to continue supporting these national priorities," added Almatrooshi.
With students pursuing majors aligned with human capital demands in priority industries, students will also benefit from internship opportunities offered by over 100 industry-specific partners. Program career advisors will also assist graduates with post-graduation career placement.
In addition to fully funded scholarships, successful applicants will benefit from academic advising and long-term career development support. Dedicated advisors will support students during their studies, while Adek advisors will follow-up with students and support them across five main pillars - social wellbeing, academic guidance, career guidance, alumni service, and job opportunities – throughout their university journeys.
Successful students will also benefit from book allowances, health insurance, travel costs, a monthly stipend to cover housing expenses and a bonus for high performers.
Application criteria
Applications are open for Elite majors for Grade 12 / Year 13 students who achieve an average of 90 per cent or higher in Term 1 of their current grade, following a final average of 85 per cent or higher in Grade 11 / Year 12. Students wishing to pursue Creative majors must achieve a final average of 85 per cent in Grade 12 / Year 13 and must submit a portfolio along with two letters of recommendation. Students must also obtain a minimum score of 6.0 in Ielts or 60 in Toefl iBT, and submit an unconditional offer of admission to one of Adek's approved top 150 universities worldwide.
Current university students aged 24 and below who are specialising in one of the approved majors at one of Adek's approved top 150 universities can also apply to the program, provided they obtained a minimum GPA of 3.0 or equivalent, completed at least 30 university credit hours at the time of application, and achieved an Ielts score of 6.0 or above 60 in Toefl.
Students accepted to any of Adek's approved top 20 universities are eligible for the fast-track scholarship option, where they will bypass eligibility requirements and be shortlisted immediately.
For more information, prospective students can visit https://sds.adek.gov.ae/ and submit applications by March 31 2023.
