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Arsin, Arber and Amran are few of the international students benefiting from the Waqf Fund. (IOL photo) |
KUALA LUMPUR — Hundreds of Muslim students from different world countries are benefiting from an endowment fund established by the reputable International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).
"The fund provides financial assistance for needy students," Arbes, a 20-year-old student from Bosnia Herzegovina, told IslamOnline.net.
He is studying Architecture and Environmental Design at the IIUM, which offers academic programs that integrate Islamic sciences into the human sciences.
Driven by a desire to ensure that international students benefit from the same internationally-recognized quality of education, the IIUM launched the Endowment Fund (IEF), also known as Waqf Fund, on March 15, 1999.
Over the years, the IEF has been helping many Muslims from other countries, including non-Muslim states with a sizeable Muslim minority, to pursue their under and post graduate studies in the reputable Malaysian university.
While admission into academic programs is based on students' academic qualifications, moral conduct practice of Islamic teachings, students' eligibility for financial assistance is determined on case -by-case-basis.
Depending on students' financial standards, the assistance can cover tuition fees and accommodation or it may also include living expenses.
During the 2006-2007 year, 18,815 students, including 2,762 from 90 countries, were enrolled at the IIUM.
The Waqf Fund has been providing financial assistance in the form of loans to some 1,300 students from various parts of the Muslim world.
The introduction of IIUM Endowment Fund is identical to Al-Azhar University Waqf and other endowment funds of eminent universities in the United States and United Kingdom.
Building Generations
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The fund assists students to generate their own income by carrying out business activities. (IOL photo)
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For Arsin and Amran, 19-year-old students from Kosovo, the fund is helping to groom generations of qualified Muslims.
They believe that Muslim countries graduate many intelligent students through their local education system, regretting that some of them give up dreams of continuing their education because of financial problems.
Both are taking their first degree under the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.
Arbes believes international students should receive fair opportunity in maximizing their capabilities, which is done through the IIUM Endowment Fund.
"Foreign students are also exposed to additional skills in various fund-based programs introduced by IIUM Endowment Fund."
The IEF donation from local and international institutions as well as individuals.
Prince Al Waleed bin Talal bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, one of the world's richest persons ranked by Forbes, has recently contributed one million dollar to the fund.
The IEF allows Kafalah, an activity whereby the potential kaafi sponsors a needy student, or shares with other, to cover his/her living expenses during their period of study.
In order to reduce the students' dependency on financial assistance, the fund also co-ordinates opportunities for students working on/outside campus and assists students to generate their own income by carrying out business activities.
The assistance provided are capital, operation room and training.
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