BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – STUDENTS in the Federation are encouraged to take advantage of the newest batch of OAS scholarships.

According to a communiqué disseminated by the OAS Department of Human Development, the scholarships would be offered in collaboration with the Instituto de Empresa (IE) in Madrid, Spain.

A maximum of two scholarships per year will be granted for the study of a Master’s degree in International Relations. Each scholarship will fund 60 percent of academic tuition while students will be responsible for covering the remaining 40 percent of academic programme fees and tuition, as well as room and board, health insurance, books and study materials.

The programme, which begins in October, will last for 10 months. Application forms are available at becasoea@ie.edu; candidates should submit them before June 19. The winners will be published on the OAS website in the first week of July.

The communiqué further informs of the criteria that would be considered in the selection process. These are “academic profile, financial necessity, geographic distribution, availability to dedicate complete time to the programme, intention to return to an OAS member country or to work for an international organisation; work experience; availability of economic resources to absolve remaining costs of the programme; a telephone interview; and participation in projects of a social character”.

Nationals or permanent residents of any OAS member state are eligible to apply, although they must have already initiated the admission process to the degree programme.

Scholarship recipients must commit to returning to an OAS member state or to rendering service in an international organisation for 10 months; otherwise, he/she will be forced to reimburse the total value of the scholarship. 

St. Kitts-Nevis OAS Representative Starett Greene said the programme is another of his organisation’s initiatives to enhance and promote human development within the hemisphere.

“The OAS is constantly seeking both regional and international partners with whom we can offer educational opportunities to persons in our member states. The OAS-IE scholarship for a Master’s degree in International Relations is another example of our commitment to developing the intellectual and productive capacity of the region’s people,” said the diplomat.