Second cohort for OWSD WISDOM Scholars announced
January 27, 2025
14 Refugee and displaced women scholars awarded in second round of OWSD WISDOM scholarships to pursue STEM Master's at Istanbul Aydin University, Türkiye.
OWSD is pleased to announce the selection of 14 refugee and displaced women scholars awarded Master's scholarships under the Women in Science Displacement Outreach Master's Program (OWSD WISDOM).
Launched as a pilot project in 2024, OWSD WISDOM aims to support refugee and displaced women in STEM fields who have been overlooked or underserved in their educational journeys. The program aligns with the core principle of 'Leaving No One Behind' (LNOB) as outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
With generous financial support from Sida, and assistance from UNHCR, for this second round of the programme, OWSD partnered with Istanbul Aydin University in Türkiye. Selected scholars will receive comprehensive scholarship packages for up to 24 months’ study. The project will also focus on capacity building, working with selected institutes on gender-sensitive policies and raising awareness around protection needs.
The second call for applications generated significant interest, with 14 scholars selected from a competitive pool of 40 eligible applicants.
The 14 selected scholars are:
Amal Obaid, Syria - Computer Engineering
Tamkin Karimi, Afghanistan - Civil Engineering
Heba Allah Helwani, Syria - Computer Engineering
Alashtar Alaa, Syria - Molecular Medicine
Shahd A.A. Abougeeda, Palestine - Sports Nutrition
Massa Salhi Alasbahi, Syria - Molecular Medicine
Rama Senli, Syria - Health Management
Anonymous Scholar