The Asia Foundation, Shirin Pandju Merali Foundation, and Zorig Foundation presented scholarships to 60 female students from the National University of Mongolia (NUM) and Mongolian University of Science and Technology (MUST). This is the second year of the scholarship program in Mongolia. Till now the program has benefitted 120 women, including the recipients of this year’s scholarship.
The Shirin Pandju Merali Foundation is committed to help female students, who have to stop their education due to lack of funds. The scholarships not only provides for their tuition fees, educational supplies, but also for books for four academic years.
Pandju Merali started the Shirin Pandju Merali Foundation, in remembrance of his late wife, Shirin Merali. The primary aim of the Shirin Pandju Merali Foundation is to educate girls in the science streams, in developing countries. To achieve this goal, the Shirin Pandju Merali Foundation collaborated with the Asia Foundation, to initiate women’s scholarship programs in Malaysia, Mongolia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos.
The Asia Foundation has been working since 1954, to help people, especially women, in Asia gain access to quality education. In fact, the Foundation was the first international NGO to start socialist programs in Mongolia. Since the launching of these programs in 1993, the Foundation has been actively involved in developing and strengthening governance and civil society in Mongolia.
Applications received for the Shirin Pandju Merali Scholarship Program are thoroughly scrutinized. This year, it received a total of 274 applications. However, only 161 students were interviewed by The Asia Foundation and Zorig Foundation. On passing an extensive selection process, 48 women studying for their Bachelor of Science degree and 12 women studying for their Bachelor of Arts in Social Science degree were selected for the scholarships.
