Overview

The Islamic Development Bank funds and implements its scholarship programmes as part of its overall efforts to develop the human resources of its member countries and those of the Muslim communities in non-member countries.

The Programme was launched in 1998 with an objective to assist IsDB member countries and Muslim communities in non-member countries in the development of their human capitals specially in development related areas relevant to Sustainability Sciences that are both relevant and important for their development and specifically:

• To increase the number of intermediate level manpower, which is necessary for an effective technology development, transfer and maintenance.
• To increase access to the educational opportunities available under the IsDB initiatives in human capitals development by creating a special programme suited to their circumstances and needs.
• To enhance the ability of students to participate in the IsDB PhD Programme.

Eligibility Criteria

Undergraduate Scholarship Programme

The Programme is open for academically meritorious students with strong desire to engage in social services and community development after graduation. 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 IsDB member countries or Muslim communities in non-member countries. 
• Candidate from non-member countries must be a Muslim.
• Must have obtained a high school diploma or registered in one of the top 10 public/government universities in his/her own country.
• Must have minimum of 70% 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 language).
• 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.

Master Scholarship

The Programme is open for academically meritorious students and mid-career professionals from member countries and Muslim Communities in non-member countries. 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 IsDB member countries or Muslim communities in non-member countries.
• Candidate from non-member countries must be a Muslim.
• Must have minimum of 70% in his/her Bachelor studies’ GPA.
• Must choose a field of study listed among the approved disciplines of the programme.
• Must provide certified English or French translation of all documents in case if they are initially in other languages.
• 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 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.

PhD and Post-Doctoral Research Programme

The Programme is designed to help promising and outstanding scholars from member countries and Muslim communities in non-member countries who meet the following criteria:

PhD study

• Have Master’s degree in one of the fields of study of the programme.
• Have minimum (“Very Good”) academic standing;
• Preferably have work and/or research experience.
• Have a research proposal in one of the fields of study of the programme stating its scientific and development relevance to the community / country.
• Be medically fit and be willing to undergo medical tests after selection.

Post-doctoral research

• Have PhD degree in one of approved fields of the programme.
• Have minimum (“Very Good”) academic standing.
• Have not less than two (2) years of experience in the field of research. 
• Must have a record of publications/research in the same field.
• Have a research proposal in one of the fields of study of the programme stating its scientific and development relevance to the community / country.
• Be medically fit and be willing to undergo medical tests after selection

Benefits and Facilities

The programme covers the following items:

• Monthly stipend commensurate with the cost of living of the country of study.
• Tuition fees as charged by the university and approved by the IsDB.
• Cost of medical treatment at university/government/public hospitals.
• Economy class return air tickets (once at the time of joining and on completion of study) and installation allowance for the students selected to study abroad at partnered universities/countries.
• Thesis preparation Allowance.

Obligations

Candidates granted the Scholarship are expected to:

• Sign the IsDB’s prescribed Scholarship Agreement stating their commitment to their studies and to serve his/her communities and countries upon graduation. 
• Devote themselves to their studies on a full-time basis 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 and join the IsDB Alumni after graduation to network with other alumnus and keep updating the IsDB about their progress and achievements in their communities/countries.
• Refund 50% of the total amount spent on their study after graduation and securing gainful employment, in easy installments, to Local Education Trust Fund (LETF) established by the IsDB in their countries. 

Partnership Programmes

To scale-up the programmes to support capacity building efforts in Member Countries (MCs) and Muslim communities in non-member countries, through the provision of scholarships to most qualified scholars to pursue higher education in most needed and advanced fields in reputable universities across the world, the Bank has fostered partnerships with top reputable universities, Ministries of Higher Education and Government institutions in member countries, and International Development Institutions.

The partnership programme includes University of Cambridge, Oxford University, and Queen Mary University of London in the United Kingdom, McGill University in Canada, Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation in Morocco, The Presidency For Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) and Council of Higher Education (YOK) in Turkey, Campus France in France and National University of Uzbekistan & Tashkent University of Information Technologies in Uzbekistan.

Thanks to all these partners for their kind support and contribution to building future leaders to champion this move in all sectors development and creating a global village for achieving sustainable development goals.

Documents required 

As stated under each programme in the IsDB Portal and in the online application form, you are required to upload all documents to support your application, basically copy of the following:

• National ID or Passport
• CV/Resume
• Academic Certificate and Transcripts
• Medical Health Certificate
• University Admission/Registration (if available)
• Research Proposal (for Master, Ph.D. and Post-Doctoral applicants)
• Evidence of language proficiency in university medium of instruction as relevant (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).