The Road to the SDGs

Italy. This joint programme, which supports capacity building aimed at generating critical mass in STI to address sustainable development challenges of MCs, led to the following initiatives: – Support for 20 scholars to undertake up to 6-month postdoctoral research training in key areas relevant to sustainability sciences – A grant for a joint research and technology transfer project on topics related to sustainability challenges relevant to the SDGs in MCs – Support for 11 refugee scientists and other scientists at risk in MCs to access the TWAS Young Affiliates Programme – Organisation of a high-level workshop in 2019 on the science- policy development nexus, the first of its kind in the Muslim world. ACHIEVEMENTS X In 2018, IsDB evaluated the Programme and restructured it to accommodate changes driven by technological progress. Following this restructuring, there has been an increase in scholarship applicants from 2,200 in 2018 to 187,000 in 2019 from 192 countries and to 210,000 in 2020 from 193 countries. X In 2020, IsDB awarded scholarships to 1,221 students from 114 countries, comprising: – 746 students from 109 countries for the Undergraduate Programme – 196 students from 92 countries for the Masters’ Programme – 160 students from 58 countries for PhD and Post-Doctoral Programme – 119 students from 20 LDMCs for the IsDB-ISFD Programme. X For the first time, the Programme supported students from Muslim communities in Angola, Botswana, British Indian Ocean Territory, Dominica, Haiti, Peru, South Sudan, Swaziland, Finland, Taiwan, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. X Partnerships with major organisations such as TWAS and UNESCO are helping to advance SDG achievement in MCs through STI. X IsDB has signed an MoU with selected local NGOs in Muslim communities in non-MCs to assist in reaching potential students and implementing programmes. X Partner universities in scholarship programme management are being encouraged to monitor the academic performance of students, conduct mentorship programmes and speed up students’ disbursements. X IsDB has developed new agreements and launched joint scholarship programmes in 2020 with Campus France in France and the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities. It has also negotiated new agreements with Princeton University and Harvard University in the United States and Makerere University in Uganda. IsDB has implemented partnerships with the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford and Queen Mary University of London in the United Kingdom, as well as with Copenhagen University in Denmark and McGill University in Canada. X Partnerships for free or subsidised education have also been established with the Ministry of Education, Malaysia, the Council of Higher Education, Turkey, the Moroccan Agency for International Cooperation (AMCI), Morocco, the National University of Uzbekistan, and Tashkent University of Information Technologies. X IsDB’s new alumni portal is under construction to establish an effective network between graduates beyond national boundaries, and to play a vital role in the development of knowledge-based economies in their countries. This will help to ensure the wider impact of graduates. X Cooperation with reputable universities and ministries of higher education in MCs have brought IsDB Scholarship Programmes to a new height of international reputation. X The IsDB Scholarship Programme has helped students and alumni achieve their career aspirations, with many graduates currently holding key strategic positions such as head of state, minister, global health specialist, world-class scientist and technological expert. They are championing technological innovation and change to secure a bright future for their countries. INVESTMENT X Thanks to the partnerships achieved through its Scholarship Programme, IsDB has made cost savings of around US$ 43 million during the last two years and almost tripled the annual number of scholarships awarded with the same allocated operational budget. X IsDB has offered 469 additional scholarships to students from 16 Muslim communities in non-MCs from the repayment of interest-free loans by scholarship graduates, aiming at ensuring the long-term sustainability of the programmes. I S D B S C H O L A R S H I P P R O G R A M M E Benefiting more than 2,500 university students in 88 countries around the globe [ 127 ] T H E R O A D T O T H E S D G s | P R O G R E S S A N D A C H I E V E M E N T S