S$200,000 raised for scholarships at Singapore universities for Palestinian students

SINGAPORE: Members of the public have raised S$200,000 (US$150,100) in an effort to sponsor Palestinian students to study at Singapore universities.

The Palestinian Scholarship Initiative (PSI) was launched in October last year and the administration committee is co-chaired by former Nominated Member of Parliament Anthea Ong and former minister Professor Yaacob Ibrahim. 

PSI has set a fundraising target of S$400,000 for two Palestinian students – S$200,000 each – which will cover university fees, lodging and other expenses.

The funds are being collected and managed by Singapore-based crowdfunding platform Ray of Hope.

As of Mar 11, more than 900 donations have been made – the smallest being S$3 and the largest S$20,000. 

Prime Minister Lawrence Wong met PSI's partners at a briefing and Iftar event on Tuesday (Mar 18) at Pu3 restaurant in Somerset.

"I am heartened by the community-led effort to help young Palestinians pursue their education in Singapore so they can build better futures for themselves and their families when they return to rebuild their homeland," he said.

There have been more than 150 expressions of interest for the scholarships from Palestinians, with the majority under 25. More than half of the applications are from Gaza.

Fifteen Palestinians have applied to the National University of Singapore, seven to the Singapore Management University, three to the Singapore University of Social Sciences, and two to the Singapore Institute of Technology.

The courses include pharmaceutical science, business management, AI and innovation, as well as software engineering and computer science.

PSI said that these are provisional numbers as applications are ongoing and the universities are considering the applications.

"The PSI scholarship shall be assessed and awarded only to students who are successful in their application to the participating universities based on current admissions requirements," it said.

The first PSI scholars are expected to start their studies in the upcoming academic year.

Ms Ong told CNA that PSI is in talks with volunteers about a potential home host programme, but funds have been budgeted for campus lodging for the scholars.

"We are grateful for the diverse and widespread support of PSI from Singaporeans and residents alike," she added.

"While we may not change the world with this small contribution, we sincerely hope that PSI can make a world of difference to one or two young Palestinian scholars who come to Singapore to study each year."

A 23-year-old applicant said: "I am excited about the opportunity to study in Singapore and to contribute to the global conversation on technology and innovation.

"This scholarship will not only help me achieve my academic and professional goals, but it will also allow me to develop personally and contribute meaningfully to society."

The ground-up initiative complements the Singapore government's efforts to support the Palestinian Authority's capacity-building efforts.

In 2013, Singapore put together the Enhanced Technical Assistance Package (ETAP). It offers scholarships to Palestinian officials to pursue studies in Singapore in areas that are relevant to the Palestinian Authority.

These subjects include science, technology, engineering, mathematics and international relations.

In December last year, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Mohamad Maliki Osman said Singapore would be increasing the number of annual scholarships offered under the ETAP from three to 10. Five will be for undergraduate courses while the other five for postgraduate courses.

Last month, Singapore delivered a seventh tranche of humanitarian aid to Gaza, comprising medical, food and hygiene supplies.