Outrage after medical scholarships in Egypt, Jordan suspended

Outrage after medical scholarships in Egypt, Jordan suspended

By Nebal Snan

KUWAIT: A decision from the education ministry suspending scholarships for medicine, pharmacy and dentistry university programs in Egypt and Jordan has been the talk of town over the past few days. According to the directive, the government will stop funding the study of children of diplomats in medical programs in both countries. The ministry will also stop providing the countries as options for Kuwaiti students applying for government-funded scholarships. The programs specifically mentioned in the new rule are medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and doctoral program in pharmacy.

But according to informed sources, students who wish to study medicine in Egypt and Jordan can still do so at their own expense. Although the ministry has made these programs ineligible for government-funded scholarships, they will continue to be accredited and graduates will still be able to find employment in Kuwait, sources added. Over the weekend, the directive drew criticism from 12 newly-minted members of parliament. The parliamentarians rejected the suspension of scholarships, with some calling the move “ill-considered” and “rash”.

The document outlining the decision, on the other hand, implies it was made after careful consideration. The ministry said it was based on thorough assessments of some higher education institutions in Jordan and