ABU DHABI - The Emirates Foundation announced the names of the seven recipients of the 2017 Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Higher Education Grant, designed to help select Zayed University graduates from Abu Dhabi and Dubai Campuses to advance in their higher education studies. The program was established in 2011 with the aim of strengthening the UAE’s efforts to build a knowledge-based economy. Recipients of this grant are awarded full-degree masters or doctoral scholarships to study courses in education, environment, engineering, tourism, nuclear engineering, museum and curatorial studies, health care, social studies, public administration, and management. Vice President of Zayed University, Dr Riad Abdul Latif Al Muhaidib said he believes that in order for a nation to secure the future of its youth and secure a place for them in the workforce, it must invest in higher education. “Higher education is a long-term investment that benefits both individual students and society as a whole and it is only through programs such as Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Higher Education Grant that we are able to give our graduates the opportunity to pursue their higher education studies, develop their talents and enable them to excel and reach their highest potential,” he said. Candidates for this scholarship must hold a degree from Zayed University, and be accepted by or be in the process of enrolling at one of the universities in the UAE or the top 200 universities in the world that are accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. Applicants must be over the age of 21. This year’s scholarship winners are Eiman Saleh Al Othali, pursuing PhD in Information Security at UAE University; Safa Saleh Al Othali, pursuing PhD in Language and Literacy at UAE University; Souad Salim Salem, pursuing MA in Diplomacy and International Affairs at Zayed University; Noora Al Kaabi, pursuing MSc in Economics and Policy of Energy and the Environment at University College London; ; Mariam Adnan Al Marzouqi, pursuing MSc in Cyber Security Strategy at Khalifa University; Fatima Al Mulla, pursuing MA in Tourism and Cultural Communication at Zayed University; and Yousuf Mohammad Khadim, pursuing MSc in GIS and Remote Sensing at UAE University.