By Nebal Snan
KUWAIT: A decision from the higher education ministry suspending scholarships for medicine, pharmacy and dentistry university programs in Egypt and Jordan has been the talk of town over the past few days. According to the directive, the government will stop funding the study of children of diplomats in medical programs in both countries. The ministry will also stop providing the countries as options for Kuwaiti students applying for government-funded scholarships. The programs specifically mentioned in the new rule are medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and doctoral program in pharmacy.
But according to informed sources, students who wish to study medicine in Egypt and Jordan can still do so at their own expense. Although the ministry has made these programs ineligible for government-funded scholarships, they will continue to be accredited and graduates will still be able to find employment in Kuwait, sources added. Over the weekend, the directive drew criticism from 12 newly-minted members of parliament. The parliamentarians rejected the suspension of scholarships, with some calling the move "ill-considered” and "rash”.
The document outlining the decision, on the other hand, implies it was made after careful consideration. The ministry said it was based on thorough assessments of some higher education institutions in Jordan and Egypt following visits to both countries. It added that government entities concerned with the quality of education in the country were also part of the decision-making process. The move was discussed in a meeting held on May 31 by a committee responsible for setting the standards for higher education institutions approved by Kuwait.
The committee recommended the suspension of scholarships after reviewing reports prepared by officials who made the visits. The National Bureau for Academic Accreditation and Education Quality Assurance approved the new rule on June 4. Other options available Education ministry statistics released in 2022 show a 209 percent increase in the number of students accepted in medical and dentistry specialties over the past five years. "The scholarship plan should come in line with labor market needs. The COVID-19 pandemic is proof that we need more seats allocated to medical programs,” said one MP on Twitter, suggesting the decision could lead to a labor shortage.
According to unofficial sources, however, 5,000 students are currently studying these specialties on government-funded scholarships in Jordan and Egypt, which is far more than what the Kuwaiti labor market needs. Being among the most popular destinations for medical education, suspending scholarships to universities in these two countries might ruin the plans of some students. But they are not left without options — the education ministry sends hundreds of students on scholarships every year to study these specialties in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, among other countries.