Minister of Higher Education Dr. Ibrahim Hassan has held discussions to facilitate higher education opportunities in India.
Higher Education Minister Hassan has been holding discussions with Indian higher education institutes during his trip to the neighbouring country. As such, Minister Hassan visited Christ University in Bangalore and discussed collaborative and scholarship opportunities for Maldivians and Maldivian higher education institutions. 33 self-financing Maldivian students are currently studying at Christ Bangalore.
Additionally, Minister Hassan paid a courtesy call on Dr. Ashwath Narayan, Minister of Electronics, Information Technology, Science and Technology, and Higher Education of the Government of Karnataka. During the meeting, they discussed ways in which Karnataka could assist the Maldives in the areas of higher education and skills development.
During his trip, Minister Hassan also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chancellor of JAIN University Dr. Chenraj Roychand, to facilitate 25 undergraduate engineering scholarships over five years for Maldivian students. Minister Hassan also met the Chancellor of Garden City University Dr V. G. Joseph and discussed the government’s plans for expanding technical and vocational education and training to outer islands as well as his contributions to the Consul General's Scholarship Scheme established by Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid.
In April, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih inaugurated the Honorary Consuls Scholarship Programme as part of his pledge to build an educated younger generation. The programme aims to provide 44 scholarship opportunities from honorary consuls in India, Thailand, Pakistan, Turkey, Lebanon, and Germany.
The introduction of the Honorary Consul Scholarship Programme was initiated in 2019 in line with President Solih’s pledge to enable equal opportunities for all students who wish to pursue higher education. The programme would see the awarding of 44 scholarship opportunities from 2022 to 2023, arranged by seven contributing honorary consuls.