Application for 2017 Master’s Degree Scholarship
· Before you answer the questions on this form, read our website pages ‘Can you Apply’ and ‘Advice to Applicants’ at www.dpet.org.uk.
· Please also see the notes on Page 7 of this form
· Send completed form as an e-mail attachment to
between 01 January and 24 February 2017. Do not send any other documents at this stage; we will ask for them if we select you for our shortlist.
Application checklist
Before you submit this application form, please read the following 10 statements.
For each statement, please put an ‘X’ in the ‘Yes’ column if the statement is correct.
1. / My secondary school education from 14 -18 years old was in Gaza or the West Bank (including East Jerusalem) and I am a permanent resident in one of these areas. / X
2. / I completed a Bachelor degree at a university in the West Bank or Gaza before July 2015. / X
3. / My Grade Point Average (GPA) in my Bachelor degree was 80% or more (or at least 3.0 on American marking system) / X
4. / I possess a certificate of English Language proficiency (e.g. IELTS) at the standard required by the course I wish to study at Durham University. / X
5. / I have accessed the Durham University website and I have read there about the content and structure of the course for which I am applying / X
6. / I have answered all the questions on this application form / X
7. / I have supplied the contact details (email address and phone number) of both of my referees. / X
8. / If I am awarded a scholarship, I am able to live in the UK for 12 months as a single person. / X
9. / I have not previously studied for a Master’s Degree / X
10. / I have not studied outside of the West Bank or Gaza, except on short courses, / X
If you have not answered ‘YES’ to each of the statements,
your application will not be considered.
If you have any questions relating to these statements,
Please email
(not Palestine.Education @durham.ac.uk)
Application for 2017 Master’s Degree Scholarship
Section 1 Application Summary
1a.Your personal details
Family Name (exactly as on your passport)Abualrob / First names (exactly as on your passport)
Ihsan
Title (Mr/Mrs/Ms/Miss)
Mr. / Previous Surname, if changed / Gender
Male
Date of birth
Day Month Year
19 12 1990 / Nationality
Palestinian / Country of birth
Palestine / Country of normal residence
Palestine
Marital status : Single / Number of dependant children (if applicable)
NA
1b.Your contact details
Home addressBaghdad Building. Apartment # 02
Siryah Street
Ramallah
West Bank
Palestine / Address for receipt of mail (This can be your home address, or a work address if this is more secure or more convenient)
Baghdad Building. Apartment # 02
Siryah Street
Ramallah
West Bank
Palestine
Landline telephone number
+970 4 2411967 / Mobile telephone number
+970 598 221 332
Primary e-mail address
/ Alternative e-mail address
1c. your university degree
Name of university / Dates attendedFrom To / Major Subject / Qualif-ication / Date
of award / GPA (e.g. 83%
or 3.2)
Arab American University- Jenin (AAUJ) / 2008 / 2013 / English Language / B.A. (Hons) / 12/3/2013 / 3.83
1d. Which degree course do you wish to study at Durham University? (Please see Note 4)
Politics and International Relations (Political Theory) MA. I have an unconditional offer, and my student ID Number is: 0006993911e. Medical
Do you have any medical conditions or disabilities that require special arrangements? (Yes or No)If you answer ‘Yes’, please give details on a separate sheet
No. I do not have any medical conditions or disabilities that require special arrangements.
Section 2 Further details
2a. Proficiency in English Language Please read Note 2.
Was English the language of instruction in your degree course? YESWhich English Language test have you taken? (e.g. IELTS)
I took The IELTS Test
Date of your test : 27.08.2016
What were your test scores? 7.5
Listening
7.0 / Reading
7.5 / Writing
7.5 / Speaking
7.0 / Total
7.5
Other evidence of English language proficiency
2b. Secondary School
Name of your secondary or high schoolName and town or village
Jalboun Secondary Boys School.
Jalboun Village- Jenin City / Dates attended
From : 2006
To :2008 / Leaving Qualification
High School
(Tawjihi ) / Grade Point Average
97 out 100
2c. Qualifications
Your Bachelor degree details are entered in Section 1c. Please list here any other university or professional qualifications you have obtained (do not list qualifications obtained by less than 9 months of study)I attended professional training courses with Deep Democracy Institute (DDI) over a period of two years. Topics of the training included identity and stereotype, ghost role, role-playing, and mediation. The training was very informative and rich. The training was held four times a year (once every three months).
2d. Referees
Please give details of two referees who are able and willing to comment on you suitability for this programmePlease read Note 3.
1st Referee’s name : Isar Yasin
Job title: Chair of English Language Department
Professional relationship to you (e.g. teacher, manager etc) : Teacher
How long have you known this referee? Seven Years
Address:
Arab American University-Jenin
Jenin, West Bank
Palestine
Landline telephone: +970 4 2418 888
Mobile telephone:
Fax:
E-mail: / 2nd Referee’s name: Dima Arqan
Job title : Program Manager
Professional relationship to you (e.g. teacher, manager etc): Manager
How long have you known this referee? Two years
Address
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ramallah, West Bank
Palestine
Landline telephone: :+970 2 2943 150
Mobile telephone
Fax:
E-mail:
2e. Work Experience (the space for your answers will expand as necessary)
Current postPlease give details of your current job, including name of employer, how long you have worked there and your main responsibilities.
I am currently working as Diplomatic Attaché at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Palestine. I have been working there since November 2015. My work responsibilities vary and include:
1. Following up on country profiles for a number of EU states including UK. I provide up to date information on the political level of the countries under my jurisdiction.
2. Maintaining bilateral and multilateral relations with international development agencies working in Palestine such as DFID, BTC, and USAID.
3. Writing reports and advising my supervisor on relevant work-related developments.
4. Assisting in establishing the Palestinian International Cooperation Agency (PICA). a newly-established department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Palestine that aims to promote international development cooperation between Palestine and other countries from scratch to a fully functioning department. I took the initiative and drafted the agency’s bylaws, code of conduct, and cooperation agreement.
I have represented the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Palestine on four international visits in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Recently, I participated in a technical visit on South-South Cooperation to Mexico.[1] The United Nations and Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized this visit, which brought together 15 participants from 13 countries. Acknowledging my positive and active participation, it was decided that next year’s technical visit would be organized in Palestine. These experiences influenced the way I perceive the world. I realize that the only way to achieve world peace and prosperity is talking to each other, not ignoring one another.
One particular incident I still recall was when we decided to send a medical rescue team to Ecuador after the earthquake last April. The humanitarian situation in Ecuador was atrocious. We were under pressure and had a very short window to act due to the increasing number of casualties. My colleagues and I had to stay at work over night in order to organize and set all arrangements for the team that consisted of 12 medics. I was in direct and constant contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador and we defined areas of interventions, and schedule of work. The Palestinian rescue team went to Ecuador and provided help and assistance. It is worth mentioning that Palestine was one of the few countries that stepped forward to help the people of Ecuador.
Previous paid work
Please list any other paid work you have done before, during or after university. Include full-time and part-time jobs. Give names of employers, dates and main responsibilities.
Job # 1:
Position: International Relations Assistant
Name of Employer: Arab American University of Jenin (AAUJ), Jenin (Palestine)
Dates: May 2014- November 2015.
Main Responsibilities:
1. Building international partnerships with various institutes around the world.
2. Overseeing AAUJ international exchange and scholarship programs.
3. Planning and implementing AAUJ’s international communications strategy.
I worked closely with colleagues to organize the international conference “Conflict Transformation and Peace Building in Palestine” which brought together 12 speakers and almost 120 delegates from 20 countries around the world. I arranged their daily schedule as well as their stay. This gave me an opportunity to be part of a historic event as the conference was the first of its kind not only in Palestine, but also in the region. The conference enhanced my cultural awareness and discourse. As a result, I feel that I am more able to integrate easily and quickly in new diverse cultures.
Job # 2:
Position: High school Teacher of English Language
Name of Employer: Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Jenin (Palestine)
Dates: September 2013- April 2014.
Main Responsibilities:
1. Teaching students according to their educational needs and academic ability
2. Maintaining good order and discipline amongst pupils.
Voluntary and community work
Please give details of unpaid work and community projects in which you have been involved, including contributions you made to student life at your university. Tell us also about your leisure activities and hobbies.
During my time at university, I ran the English Language Club; a duty I took seriously. I enthusiastically managed to organize several significant curricular and interesting extracurricular activities. One particular event I still recall in detail was when The English Club went to the orphanage in Jenin for the New Year of 2012 and organized a fantastic party for the children which they enjoyed immensely.
I was also part of the Academic Support Program at the Arab American University of Jenin (AAUJ) where I used to tutor students to understand, speak, write and read English.(September 2010- January 2011). This program was very interesting as I learned how to define students’ problems and then work to tackle and address them.
In 2013, I was elected to run the French-Palestinian committee that has organized three exchange visits between the town I live in and its French counterpart. I was one of the very first alumni of the program, and I was active in the follow up activities of the committee. As a result, I was elected to run the work of the committee.
In November 2016, I participated in the First Palestinian Aid and Development Team that went to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania to provide assistance. Out of social responsibility and to show solidarity with our friends in Mauritania, a team of medics, agricultural engineers, and volunteers spent 14 days in Nouakchott providing development assistance at many levels. Doctors carried out hundreds of operations and checkups, engineers taught their Mauritanian counterparts some new techniques. I was in charge of liaising between the Palestinian sub teams, and between the Palestinian teams as a whole and the Mauritanian Authorities. I organized places in cooperation with the Palestinian embassy in Nouakchott places of interventions.
In my free time, I like camping, playing table tennis, and watching movies. I also like to write poetry. I have written several poems.
2f. Finance
How did you finance your first-degree course? (e.g. scholarships, employment, family)After the high score I received in Tawjihi, I was offered a full scholarship awarded by Office of the Palestinian President: (2008-2013).
Is your family able to finance you to study for a Master’s degree abroad? If not, why not?
No, my family’s financial situation does not allow them to support my master’s studies.
Please give the names of other scholarships for which you are applying this year.
None.
Section 3 Personal Statements
3a. Why do you wish to study this course? (maximum 400 words) Please read Note 4.Why do you wish to study the course for which you are applying? What features of the course are particularly attractive to you? How will it contribute to your future plans and ambitions?
“The method of political science is the interpretation of life; its instrument is insight, a nice understanding of subtle, unformulated conditions”
These words of Woodrow Wilson and my passion for political science is my first motive to apply for Politics and International Relations M.A. program organized by the School of Government & International Affairs at Durham University. This program is of particular interest to me, and it suits my interests and career.
I work as a diplomat for the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and I feel that this program would be a great opportunity for me to better fathom, and then rationally think about the current Palestinian political system, as well as to work towards enhancing our local and internal individual rights within our governing system.
It is essential that I have a deep knowledge of both politics and governance. Combining, studying, and comparing both fields within an international scheme will help me to acquire a holistic understanding of the politics of my country and the region.
Coming from war-torn Palestine, and having accumulated considerable first-hand experience, I realize that applying the functionalist theory to the Middle East is a way to develop these countries, achieve peace and higher standard of living for the people of this region. Recent protests by people in the Arab world that have spread through North Africa and the Middle East prove that traditionally perceived aspects of security in Middle Eastern countries are variable; authoritarian regimes are no longer capable of maintaining security and stability. These movements, in their fight against corruption, rose up to achieve freedom, human rights, justice and reform, fully aware that honesty within institutions is a main pillar of state building.