Full scholarships for Selangor PhD candidates for overseas study

PhD candidates from Selangor who plan to study at a world-class university may apply for the Selangor state government scholarship to fund their research.

The Selangor state government is offering scholarships for qualified residence to pursue PhD programmes at recognised universities abroad. This comes after the federal government cut the education budget due to austerity measures.

Selangor’s Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali announced the scholarship that falls under the state’s special “Selangor Brain Bank” project. The announcement was made on Azmin’s Facebook page.

The criteria include an accepted and approved research proposal at the university the candidate has chosen and a development plan that details the intention to contribute to the state’s development.

According to The Malay Mail Online, the scholarship is to sponsor proposals that fall under the state’s “Smart Selangor” programme which contains 11 fields of research from governance and housing to education. Other fields of research are also accepted, including culture, manufacturing and Islamic affairs.

Universities chosen by candidates must be among the top 50 universities in the respective field by Times Higher Education or QS World University Ranking. Additionally, applicants should be of 40 years of age or older at the start of their studies. Civil servants in Selangor and members of the general public are invited to apply. Applicants who have served in a private firm must have at least five years experience under their belt to be considered.

Applicants from the public sector should submit applications through their respective department heads. On the other hand, private candidates should obtain a release letter from their employers. Selected applicants will be contacted for interview(s) and the closing date for application is on 31 January 2017.

Funding for this scholarship comes from the Selangor Consolidated Scholarship Fund Board, which has also financed other scholarships in the past. Last year’s Selangorku special programme provided funding to 110 scholars from underprivileged backgrounds to pursue their higher education at Universiti Selangor (Unisel) and Islamic International University College (KIUS).

Application for the Selangorku programme is still open until the 16 January 2017.

Candidates may apply here.

It is worth mentioning that this year’s budget listed RM4.3 billion in scholarships under the Higher Education Ministry.