Australian Development Scholarships 2006 Information Sheet

Objective

The objective of Australian Development Scholarships (ADS) is to strengthen the human resource capacity in priority sectors by providing people with training to facilitate their contribution to the reduction of poverty and the achievement of sustainable development in the Maldives.

Categories of Scholarship

Applicants must select the specific category of scholarship that they wish to apply for. The categories of scholarship are defined according to three aspects – the sponsorship of the scholarship, the field of study and the level of study.

The sponsorship of the scholarship indicates which organization (if any) is to benefit from the scholarship. The scholarship may be described as a Public Scholarship (open only to employees of the Government of Maldives), an Open Scholarship (open to the general public), or a special scholarship that is open to students/staff of a particular educational institute.

The scholarship may be advertised for a specific field of study or the field of study may be left to the applicant to choose (open choice).Applicants applying for a public scholarship category that allows choice of study field are strongly advised to consult the Training Requirements of the respective Government Offices. Scholarships offered this year are for both Undergraduate and Postgraduate (Masters) Level.

The following are the different categories of scholarship that are offered this year, together with the number offered. One category must be chosen per application form.

1. OPEN Scholarships Open field of study

(Government & Private) Undergraduate Level (Bachelors Degree) (2 Offered)

Postgraduate Level (Masters Degree) (1 Offered)

2. PUBLIC Scholarships Allocated as motioned below (3 Offered) (Government only) Undergraduate Level (Bachelors Degree)

ü Sanitary Engineering Min of Health

ü Open Choice Open to any Government Employee

ü Open Choice Open to any Government Employee

3. PUBLIC Scholarship Allocated as motioned below (4 Offered)

(Government only) Postgraduate Level (Masters Degree)

ü Human Resource Development Min of Education

ü Environmental Management Min of Environment and Construction

ü International Affairs Ministry of Foreign Affairs

ü Open Choice Open to any Government Employee

4. SPECIAL Scholarship for (1 Offered) Faculty of Health Sciences,

Open Choice Postgraduate Level (Masters Degree)

* The following scholarship category is NOT open for application as it is awarded to the student who has received the best results for their National Diploma of Secondary Teaching. It is displayed here for information only.

SPECIAL Scholarship for Course approved by the Faculty (1 Offered) Faculty of Education Undergraduate Level (Bachelors Degree)

Priority Study Fields for the Maldives

Priority education needs for the Maldives have been identified through collaboration between the Australian Government and the Government of Maldives. Broad priority sectors are Science, Health, Education and Governance

Students applying for a category of scholarship that allows choice of study field should consult the more detailed list of Training Requirements. This list is available as a download from the ADS web-link, and also from the Department of Higher Education and Training. (Both the web address and the address of the office are given in the “Contact Details” section.) Applicants applying for a scholarship category that allows choice of study field are strongly advised to select a specific course from this list and match it with courses available from the specified universities. (The University list will be available on the web-site and from the Department)

Click on the following link for:

• ADS List of Universities

Applying for an ADS Scholarship

You must meet the following conditions for your ADS application to be valid:

· You must fit the General Eligibility Criteria (listed on the final page of this document).

· You must fulfill the Academic Eligibility Criteria (listed on the final page of this document).

· You must be eligible for the Category of Scholarship that you are applying for. Once a scholarship category has been selected, the student must propose a course of study appropriate to that category (this is part of the application form). Please note that only one course should be selected per application. Students should NOT submit more than 2 applications.

· You must submit ALL of the Required Documentation (listed on the final page of this document).

· If short-listed, you must be available for interview from 18-25 July, 2005.

Please note that you will not be considered if you do not meet all of the eligibility criteria and provide all of the required documentation. No more than 2 applications will be considered per applicant.

Selection Criteria

Eligible applicants will compete with other applicants who have applied for the same Category of Scholarship. Applicants are rated according to academic merit and their personal suitability to the study program that they have selected. The personal suitability of the applicant is judged according to whether their selected study program matches their interests and skills, together with their understanding of the contribution that they expect to make to the Maldives through the opportunity to study abroad, and their ability to cope with the realities of studying in Australia.

The applicant has scope to communicate their proficiency in the above areas within the Required Documentation that forms their application. Initially, applicants are compared according to their academic scores, their CV and the personal suitability they display in a brief statement (the “Statement of Purpose”). Students who are successful after this initial stage will be requested for an interview, in which they will have further opportunity to display their personal suitability for the study program that they have selected.

Selection Schedule

Applicants who have submitted valid ADS applications (see above) will be considered for award of an ADS Scholarship. The following outlines the dates for the selection process for 2005.

● 10^th July 2005 Application deadline

● July Short-listing

- Scholarship Sub-committee to short-list applications. Sub-committee comprises one (1) nominated official from the Government of the Maldives, one (1) AusAID representative and one (1) independent education advisor.

Interviews

- Scholarship Sub-committee to interview short-listed applicants. Students must be available for interview at this time.

● August Selection Results

- The selection results of the ADS selection process will be available after 15 August. Selection results will be available on the web site and will also be displayed at reception in the office for the Department of Higher Education and Training. Applicants will be identified by ID-number only. Applicants may also request a letter of rejection.

● December Pre-departure Seminar

● January (2006) Depart for Australia

Contact Details

For further information please contact us.

Scholarship Section

Department of Higher Education and Training

H. Fulidhooge (4^th floor)

Kalaafaanu Hingun, Male’ Hours: 7:30am – 2:30pm Sunday - Thursday

Telephone: 31 4286 Email: schol@dhet.gov.mv

Fax: 31 4285 Web: www.moe.gov.mv (follow the links)

Applying for an ADS Scholarship à General Eligibility Criteria

· A GCE A Level pass in English >E grade or a GCE O Level pass in English >C grade or an overall IELTS score of 6.0

· All required documentation must be provided.

· All required academic certificates must be attested.

· For undergraduate study you must be less than 30 years old on 1 January of the year of application

· For postgraduate study you must be less than 45 years old on 1 January of the year of application

· You must be a citizen of the Maldives

· You must not have applied for Permanent Residency to Australia or New Zealand

· You must not already be following a course of study in a university abroad

Applying for an ADS Scholarship à Academic Eligibility Criteria

· Undergraduate study

- A minimum of 5 GCE O Level passes >C grade obtained in one sitting and

- A minimum of three A Level passes obtained in one sitting or

- A Diploma/Certificate program accredited by Maldives Accreditation Board.

· Postgraduate study

- Completion of a first degree from a recognized university.

Applying for an ADS Scholarship à Required Documentation

1. Application Form You must complete all sections of the form.

2. Academic Certificates You must include your:

- O Level results

- A Level results

- Diploma/Certificate results

- A copy of the transcript for your first degree (Post-graduate applicants)

3. Statement of Purpose You must answer all questions (found below).

4. CV (Resume) this document contains your education and employment history.

All academic certificates must be attested.

Statement of Purpose

Please complete all sections of this form. As completion of this form is part of the selection process it is advisable to carefully research and prepare your responses.

You should write no more than 500 words in total.

1. Explain your experience, interest and the relevance of any courses or subjects you have taken in your selected area of study.

2. Demonstrate your awareness of the development issues related to the Maldives in the area of study you have selected.

3. Explain how the course of study and the skills you will acquire will contribute to national development and poverty alleviation in the atolls.

4. What do you think are the personal qualities and attributes required to study overseas?

5. What challenges will you face as an international student in Australia if you are successful with this application?