- This article is updated on 10 September after an interview with a UM-staff member -
As part of its global engagement strategy, Maastricht University offers scholarships to students from outside the European Union, providing opportunities to those who might otherwise be unable to study due to war or other extreme circumstances in their home countries. To date, the university has awarded seventy scholarships, including the five now granted to students from Gaza. Recipients are invited to pursue a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Maastricht, with the option to extend their studies by an additional year if necessary. Tuition fees are covered, as are housing and living expenses. The university also ensured that the students could purchase essentials as soon as they arrived in the Netherlands. “They weren’t able to take anything with them when they left”, says university spokesperson Koen Augustijn.
Applications
The scholarships were set up by the Executive Board and the Student Services Centre (SSC), but the idea came from a small group of staff and students. All are reluctant to share their story. A SSC staff member who wishes to remain anonymous explains that normally, scholarship recipients make their own way to the Netherlands after UM has arranged their visas. This was not an option for the students from Gaza, so the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was asked to step in. On how the five students were selected: “The university received a number of applications through advocates [details can't be shared for confidentiality reasons]. From those, a selection was made.”
Guardian
The group that left Gaza on Wednesday 27 August with assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs included more than just the five students. Thirteen people were evacuated in total, including a researcher and a journalist. One student, Nourhan Attallah, brought her younger brother and sister on the flight. Their father died last year, as reported by RTL Nieuws, and their mother was reportedly denied permission to accompany them. According to the SSC staff member, strict rules apply to scholarships – they are only for students, not their family members. In this case, however, Nourhan’s siblings were allowed to come because she is their legal guardian. The university will not pay for the two younger siblings’ living expenses; these are covered by their guardian.
Renad
What happens when these students finish their degrees and their scholarships end? Will they have to return to their home country, even if it remains unsafe? That question remains unanswered. Alternative solutions will probably need to be found. One option could be applying for asylum.
Dutch media widely reported last week on the arrival of eleven-year-old Renad, Nourhan Attallah’s sister. Nourhan is enrolling at the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences. Renad is a vlogger followed by millions worldwide on TikTok and Instagram, posting cooking videos featuring recipes made from the scarce ingredients still available in the war zone. She is also a youth ambassador for the Canadian relief organisation Human Concern International.