The MENA Scholarship Programme offers Iraqi and Kurdistan professional impact makers under 45 years training opportunities at Dutch education institutions in the Netherlands. This scholarship is offered by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs as part of the Shiraka programme and is managed by Nuffic.
Nuffic is funded by the Dutch government. As an independent, non-profit organisation based in The Hague in the Netherlands, Nuffic supports internationalisation in higher education, research and professional education in the Netherlands and abroad, and helps improve access to higher education worldwide.
for further information, check the requirements and eligibility;
Requirements
A limited number of approximately 20 scholarships a year is awarded to female and male professionals who are:
- highly motivated;
- living and working in Iraq and Kurdistan;
- 20 to 45 years old;
- proficient in English;
- working in one of the priority areas fitting the MSP approach for Iraq;
- using and transferring their knowledge and experience in their employing organisation after the training;
- agreeing to the MSP obligations and conditions (133.9 kB). Please note that for the application round of 2023, a new version of the MSP obligations and conditions is to be released soon.
English proficiency
You need English language skills because most courses are offered in English.
Priority areas
You have to be working within one of the following priority themes:
- governance
- social change
- economic development
Preference is given to the following organisations:
- youth/civil society organisations
- national organisations
- non-governmental organisations (NGO’s)
- small and medium-sized enterprises (SME’s)
Employer statement
You need an employer statement (105.6 kB) that is signed by you and your employer. It shows us that your employer supports your application. And that you can share the knowledge and experience you gained in the Netherlands once you return to Iraq. This is required because the MSP is focused at strengthening organisations by strengthening people.
Other requirements
The education institution will inform you on the requirements needed for your application. Most of the courses are designed for professionals with at least a BSC-level (or equivalent) and a minimum of relevant working experience. Applications from students will not be taken into consideration.
In order to apply for one of the courses you must motivate:
- that you work within the priority themes for Iraq as mentioned above;
- how the courses will strengthen both you and the organisation you work for;
- how you will use your newly gained knowledge and experience in your organisation after your study.
We especially encourage women to apply for a scholarship. 50% of all scholarships per country are reserved for women.
Available courses
This is the provisional MSP course list for the application round that is opening on 8 February 2023 and closing on 30 March 2023 16:00 CET. Please note that some education institutions have an earlier deadline.
Institute for Housing and Urban Development (IHS)
Information
Application deadline: 29 March 2023 16:00 CET
https://www.ihs.nl
Contact: admission@ihs.nl
Courses
Urban Management: Good Governance in Complex Contemporary Cities
Developing Social Housing Projects
Sustainable Urban Development
MDF Training & Consultancy
Information
Application deadline: 30 March 2023 16:00 CET
https://mdf.nl
registration@mdf.nl.
Courses
Management of Development Projects and Programmes
Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning course
Advocacy & Policy Influencing course: strategy and skills
Maastricht School of Management (MSM)
Information
The MSM application deadline is 24 March 2023. Applicants need to submit their application in the MSM system first. Only nominated candidates will receive the application link for Nuffic Delta Application.
Application deadline: 24 March 2023 16:00 CET
www.msm.nl
MSM-executiveprogrammes@maastrichtuniversity.nl
Courses
Project Management (blended)*
Small Agribusiness Development
Strategic Leadership & Change Management
Sustainable Business Development
*Project Management course is a blended course. This course consist of an online part of 4 weeks and a face to face part of 7 days (on campus).
RNTC Media Training Centre
Information
Application deadline: 30 March 2023 16:00 CET
https://rntc.com
info@rntc.com
Courses
Media Campaigns for Social Change and Advocacy
Digital Content Creation
Digital Media To Counter Disinformation and Hate Speech
Public Interest Journalism
The Hague Academy for Local Governance
Information
Application procedure is a 2-tiered application procedure, only candidates that comply with the eligibility criteria will receive a link to apply to Nuffic’s Delta Application. The Hague Academy application deadline is 2 weeks prior to Nuffic’s deadline.
Application deadline: 16 March 2023
https://thehagueacademy.com
scholarships@thehagueacademy.com
Courses
Fiscal Decentralisation & Local Finance
Integrity & Anti-Corruption
Multilevel Water Governance
Local Economic Development
Citizen Participation & Inclusive Governance
Conflict, Rule of Law & Local Security
Gender Responsive Governance
Royal Tropical Institute (KIT)
Information
You have to apply in 2 steps:
- Apply for academic admission at Royal Tropical Institute
Deadline: 28 February 2023 16:00 CET - Only candidates who meet the admissions criteria will receive an email to apply for a MSP scholarship in Nuffic’s online application system. .
Deadline: 30 March 16:00 CET.
KIT Royal Tropical Institute
courses@kit.nl
Courses
Analysing disrupted health systems
Monitoring and evaluation in a dynamic health environment
Suivi et evaluation de la sante dans un contexte dynamique
How to apply
You always have to apply in 2 steps:
- Apply for academic admission through the education institution.
- Apply for the scholarship through Nuffic’s online application system. Please check the conditions for receiving the link at the education institution of your choice.
Contact the education institution of your choice well in time to receive more information about the application procedure and deadlines.
To apply:
- Check whether you fit the requirements and approach for Iraq and Kurdistan.
- Choose a course from the list above.
- Contact the education institution offering the course as soon as possible. We strongly advise you to contact the institution of your choice long before an application round opens, as additional academic requirements may be needed.
- Apply for an MSP scholarship through a link for Nuffic’s online registration system which you receive from the education institution. Please check the conditions for receiving the link at the education institution of your choice.
Twice a year you can apply during an application round for a MSP, usually in February and in September. Results of applications are announced 3 to 4 months after application.
Selection criteria
The MSP is a very competitive scholarship. Only a small number of the best candidates receive a scholarship. The available scholarships are equally distributed across the participating countries, taking into account the available budget and the quality of the applications. 50% of all scholarships per country are reserved for female applicants.
Questions
Please contact the education institution where you want to study on questions regarding your application for the MSP scholarship. For other questions please feel free to contact Nuffic on msp@nuffic.nl.
Other opportunities for Iraq and Kurdistan
Don’t fit the MSP requirements? Or would you like to do another course? An independent and up-to-date overview of English-taught programmes in the Netherlands is available in the Studyfinder.
We also highlight the following other scholarships for Iraq and Kurdistan:
- professionals: Orange Knowledge Programme
- students and organisations: Erasmus Mundus
- students: Holland Scholarship
- civil servants: Shiraka Training Programme
