Gordon Memorial College Trust Fund: News from South Sudan.
At its last Executive Committee and Trustees meeting on 31st March 2016, scholarships were awarded to the following applicants from South Sudan:
|
Name |
Course |
Institution |
End date |
|
Dr. J. Koat |
Ophthalmology |
Makerere University
|
Jan ‘17 |
|
Dr. A. Koma |
General Surgery |
Uganda Martyrs University |
Dec ‘18
|
|
Dr. J. Yosepa |
Otolaryngology |
Makerere University |
Aug ‘16 |
|
Dr. R. Loro |
General Surgery |
Makerere University |
Aug ‘17 |
|
Dr. M. Taban |
Obstetrics & Gynaecology |
Makerere University |
May ‘17 |
|
Dr. G. Gel |
Paediatric & Child Health |
Makerere University |
Aug ‘17 |
|
Dr. V. Aputu |
Radiology |
Makerere University |
May ‘17 |
The funds of the Gordon Memorial College Trust Fund (GMCTF) are held in Trust and administered by a group of Trustees and an Executive Committee. The purpose of the Fund is to promote educational development in South Sudan and Sudan. Grants are available for educational projects and activities in South Sudan and Sudan and for South Sudanese and Sudanese nationals studying for a postgraduate course in the UK, or in counties neighbouring Sudan and South Sudan, who intend to return to South Sudan or Sudan at the end of their studies. The Trust may also give financial assistance to South Sudanese and Sudanese nationals towards the costs of shorter training programmes, projects and courses in the UK. Please note that at present due to current difficulties in transferring funds to South Sudan and Sudan it is not possible for the Trust to support individual students studying in South Sudan or Sudan.
The scholarships are awarded on merit judged on objective criteria. This year 170 applications were received (of which 55 were from South Sudan), 32 were short listed and 7 applicants from South Sudan were awarded grants for the 2016-2017 academic year. Funds are increasingly getting less and the selection criteria are very rigorous.
How to increase your chance of securing a scholarship
- Apply early online between 1st December of one year and middle of February of the following year. The GMCTF committee meets in late March/early April each year to consider short listed candidates for award of scholarships.
- Ensure that letters from two referees are submitted to the Secretary before the closing date as this may delay consideration of applications or lead to rejection of the applications concerned.
- Append letter of admission to a recognised Institution where studies are to be undertaken and ensure that the fees charges by the Institution/University are clearly set out by the Institution on their headed paper and signed by a recognised officer of that Institution. Do not guess the amount of fees or living expenses as excessive estimates of finances may lead to rejection of the application
- For a course more than one year long, applicants must apply every year of study for a fresh scholarship, supporting their applications with letters from their course supervisor and Head of Department confirming the applicant’s satisfactory progress.
- Declare any other sources of funding which may be contributing to the course fees or living expenses as this ensure that more South Sudanese will get the opportunity of benefitting from a grant.
Eluzai Abe Hakim
Consultant Physician, International Adviser to the Royal College of Physicians London on South Sudan, Associate Editor South Sudan Medical Journal, Member Executive Committee GMCTF and Deputy Chairman The Juba Link.
