The Information & Communication Technology Fund (ICT Fund) has signed a sponsorship and collaboration agreement with the American University of Sharjah to provide 15 scholarships for distinctive students.

A first-of-its-kind in the Arab world, the fund was launched in 2008 by the UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) to achieve rapid, progressive and concrete developments within the ICT sector in the country.

The new agreement coincides with the ongoing UAE Innovation Week.

The scholarships will help fund the bachelor studies of programs related to the ICT sector, including electrical engineering, computer engineering and computer science.

The ICT Fund plays a major role in enhancing the students’ innovative abilities through offering opportunities of education and research, and through enabling those who have feasible ideas to establish companies that turn their ideas into business ventures.

It operates on four main themes; supporting national projects, education, research and development and incubators.

Students who succeed high school exams could be granted these scholarships after passing the needed examinations and receiving an acceptance letter from the University.

The University refers the request to the Department of Education in the ICT Fund for final approval.

Majed Al Mesmar, TRA deputy director general, said: "This agreement is part of a series of agreements signed by TRA during the Innovation Week. It is aimed at sponsoring national competencies and scientific talents, and supporting them to study in one of the best universities in the country."

Education is the cornerstone of all developmental and strategic plans set by our wise leadership for the next phase, stated Al Mesmar.

"The programs are chosen based on objective and comprehensive studies prepared by the ICT Fund, as it identified the programs needed by the ICT sector in the country," he added.-TradeArabia News Service