The National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) said it has selected four Emirati students for its newly launched international sponsorship programme, which would lead to internship and employment upon graduation.

These students demonstrated exceptional academic achievements and motivation for success, said a NBAD statement.

Three of the students would pursue bachelor degrees and one would be post graduate academics, all at prestigious universities that are accredited internationally, it added.

“The UAE is increasingly connected to international trade and serves as a hub of global commerce. Therefore, it is natural that young Emiratis would seek greater choices in higher education,” said Ehab Anis Hassan, the chief human resources officer of NBAD.

“The NBAD believes providing wider educational options serves the growth ambitions of the Bank and also renders a great service to the UAE because it provides the nation a pool of qualified, diverse and multi-faceted leaders,” he noted.

The recipients of NBAD’s international scholarship are Nasser Al Hammadi, Meyed Hassan Rashid, Amer Al Shehhi and Zaynab Al Masoud.

Both Al Hammadi and Rashid said they would pursue bachelor’s degrees in finance and accounting, while AlShehhi said she would pursue bachelor’s in business administration and Al Masoud post diploma in Law.

While they pursue their education abroad, the bank would provide them monthly stipend as well as medical insurance, airfare and support for university fees, said Hassan.

In addition to providing financial support to the students, NBAD would also provide them work experience during the course of study.

The NBAD international scholarship programme accepts UAE nationals who graduate in the top 85 percentile. During the course of their study, scholarship recipients must maintain a GPA of 2.5 or above.

NBAD’s Emiratisation strategy, he said, goes beyond hiring nationals, developing skills and education is at the heart of this strategy.

The programme is the newest initiative, which builds on the prestigious AFAQ Master’s degree with Zayed University, he added.

“The scholarship programme is a boost for UAE’s top talent who seek greater education options,” said Suhaila AlJesmi, Watani Manager at NBAD.

“It augments the other prestigious learning curriculum that NBAD offers, which has made this Bank an employer of choice for UAE nationals.

As per the program, the recipients in the scholarship must commit to working for NBAD for a period equivalent to the sponsorship time; i.e.; NBAD requires a recipient to work for four years if he/she received four years of financial support from the Bank.-TradeArabia News Service