PPD Scholarship Program

Capacity development is one of the priority areas of PPD. PPD have been involved in Capacity Building at individual, institute and system levels since 1998 to promote SSC in the field of RH, Population and Development. It has introduced several innovations for promoting managerial capabilities of the young professionals in the field of RH, Population and development and to better accommodate the interests and commitments of the countries towards addressing the global needs and challenges. It has created several scholarships program namely, post-graduate diploma in the field of public health; diploma in demography; diploma in population and development, post-graduation diploma in population and policy analysis and M. Phil in Demography. The PPD scholarship program is eager to engage young professionals for enhancing their capabilities through offering opportunities in a range of countries and fields.

PPD’s scholarship program provides an excellent opportunity for young professionals in to acquire new skills, accommodate new challenges, and acquire strategy for translating global commitments into national needs. Scholars will be offered to join universities and research and training institutes of the PPD Member Countries to complete their graduation through the government awards of the host country. It is a unique program managed by both the recipient and host country within a SSC framework.

Rationale of the PPD Scholarship Program: PPD is the umbrella representation of the 26 developing country where 59% of the world population resides. Interestingly, the demographic trend is similar across the member countries. Population challenges and population goals of many of the developing countries are also similar. The countries that are considered as ‘developing’ have fallen into the ‘demographic trap’, where a population grows rapidly due to a high birth rate and a low death rate. More significantly the countries have been undergoing population transition in line with the population transition model. As a result the countries are experiencing ‘population momentum’ and could spin this momentum towards ‘population dividend’. More than 50% of the total population of the world aged below 25 years is residing in the PPD member countries. It is evident that most of the PPD member countries are struggling to capture the maximum benefit from the population dividend and PPD is mandated to serve with its technical and diplomatic expertise for human resource development of the member countries.

Objectives of the PPD Scholarship Program: PPD initiated its scholarship program since 1998. It would be noted that PPD South-South scholarship program travelled its 14 years land mark with nearly 1500 graduates from different institutions in the PPD member state. The role of the Secretariat is to match the expertise of well-established training institutions with the needs and interests of qualified professionals.

Core objectives of PPD scholarship program:

  • To capacitate individual professionals in the field of RH, Population and Development
  • To promote capacity development in terms of research , policy development, capturing real time data , data analysis and management and widening diplomatic opportunity for SRHR
  • To facilitate knowledge and experience transfer across the member countries
  • Sharing the best practices across the member countries
  • Generation of knowledge and its management for Population and development.

Type of the scholarships:

  1. Post-graduate diploma in the field of public health;
  2. Diploma in demography
  3. Diploma in population and development,
  4. Post-graduation diploma in population and policy analysis
  5. Diploma in Population and Sustainable Development
  6. Phil in Demography.

Fig: Type picture of 2013-2016

Currently PPD is facilitating 3 long courses and one short course:

scholarship01

Scholarships at a glance:

Provider Country Campus/Institution Duration Subject Eligibility Academies qualification Covered by scholarship
South Africa Department of Social Development of the Government of South Africa and Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) Two weeks Leadership Training in Sustainable Development: the Population, Environment and Development Nexus Open for MCs
  • Graduate/bachelor degree preferably in Social Science
    • Service holder of Government for at least 2 years’ in Population, Environment & Development arena.
  • Registration fee,
  • Local accommodation and meals
South Africa North West University, (Potchefstroom, Mafikeng and Vanderbijlpark) 1 year Population and Policy Analysis (PPA) African nationals only
  • Bachelor degree preferably in Social Sciences
    • Government Service for at least 2 years’ in Population and Development arena.
  • Registration fee
    • Tuition fee
    • Accommodation and meal expenses
India National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW) 1 year Post-Graduate Diploma in Public Health Management(PGDPHM) Open for MCs
  • Graduate/bachelor degree in medical/nursing/health science/natural sciences or arts.
    • Government Service holder for at least 2 years’ at community, hospital or districts levels or working in directorate of health services, public health, family welfare or in other related public institutions.
  • Tuition fee
    • Training material
    • Boarding and lodging
    • Stipend of 5000/ Indian Rupees per month.
Egypt Cairo Demographic Center (CDC) 1 year International Diploma in Population and Sustainable Development Open for MCs
  • University Graduate related to Population studies, or statistics
    • Government Service holder for at least 2 years’ experience in Population and Development arena.
  • Tuition fee
    • Accommodation
    • Meal/utility and incidental expenses

 

Scholarship offered by the Government of Egypt at the Cairo Demographic Centre (CDC)

PPD in collaboration with Cairo Demographic Center (CDC) has been strengthening demographic and related family planning and reproductive health expertise of the professionals from Member States through scholarships for One-year International Diploma Course every year since 1999 at CDC’s own premises in Cairo, Egypt.

Cairo Demographic Center (CDC)

Established jointly by the Government of Egypt and the United Nations in 1963 which emerged as an autonomous entity in 1992, Cairo Demographic Center is a leading training and research institution centering Arab and African regions engaged in nurturing a new generation of specialist in Demography in the development world, who are concerned with the study and analysis of critical population issues. CDC fosters innovative interdisciplinary approaches to population studies and helps policy makers design and implement appropriate population and development policies.

 

Scholarship offered by the Government of South Africa’s at North-West University

PPD with the Support of Department of Social Development, Republic of South Africa, has been offering scholarship for Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Population and Policy Analysis (PPA) to PPD Member Countries (MCs) since 2010. This scholarship program is to assist with building capacity in Population & Policy analysis to improve evidence based policies and program for sustainable human development. The PGD in PPA is a 1 year full time course that will provide advance understanding and practical skills for interlinking research, policy and program for middle and high level management planners. Modules for this PGD include:  information systems and computer applications statistics, understanding population, social research methods; development policies and programs; applied research statistics; integration population issues into development planning; population and gender; population ageing; population change and development; population and environment; population and labor force application. The course is conducted at the North West University, Mafikeng Campus, South Africa.

During the 14th Annual Board Meeting, Board Member from South Africa announced to provide one scholarship per year to each PPD member country to participate in the Leadership Training in Sustainable Development: the Population, Environment and Development Nexus short course. The scholarship covers local accommodation and meals, and the registration fee. Recipients are however responsible for their own travel to South Africa. The course is organized by the Government of South Africa and Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD) jointly.

The North-West University

It is a newly merged institution from 1 January 2004 onwards with three campuses at Potchefstroom, Mafikeng and Vanderbijlpark, South Africa. With its strong ethos of community service and skillful blend of academic and research programs, the Mafikeng Campus embodies the NWU’s commitment to being locally engaged, nationally relevant and internationally recognized.  Situated in Mafikeng, the capital of the North-West Province, the Mafikeng Campus is the second-largest of the University’s three campuses.

 

Scholarship offered by the Government of India at National Institute of Health and Family Welfare

PPD in Collaboration with National Institute of Health and Family Welfare (NIHFW), Government of India has been strengthening public health professionals from PPD Member Counties (MCs) through one year Post-Graduate Diploma in Public Health since 2010.  Through these rigorous opportunities, NIHFW nurtures a new generation of Public health specialists and foster their knowledge of Public health management (i.e. Organizational behaviors, Personal Management, Financial management, Management of Health System, Operations Research, Resource Management, Project Management Program and project management). After successful completion of these courses, the participants will be confident to tackle the existing and emerging public health challenges and to enhance the capacity of the public health work force in managerial aspect.

The National Institute of health and family Welfare (NIHFW)

It is a premier autonomous institute, funded by the Ministry of Health and Family welfare, Government of India. It has kept pace with the new thinking and substantially contributes to the health manpower development in the country. NIHFW serves as an apex ‘technical institute’ as well as ‘think tank’ to promote national health and family welfare programs in the country through education and training, research and evaluation, consultancy and advisory services, specialized projects, etc. The thrust areas of the institute include health and related policies, public health management and others.

 

Special Scholarships offered by PPD and the Government of Bangladesh

The 12th International Congress on AIDS for Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP12) was though scheduled to take place in in Dhaka in November 2015, eventually it was held from 11 to 14 March 2016. The congress was organized by PPD in collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh and international agencies named UNICEF, USAID, WHO, Global Fund, European Union and local Pharmaceutical Industries that brought together 2500 participants including 1000 international delegates, 250 eminent speakers from 52 countries to deliberate on HIV/AIDS and other SRHR issues.

Partners in Population and Development (PPD) and the Government of Bangladesh jointly offered 600 scholarships (200 international and 400 national young professionals) to 56 countries including the member states of PPD to attend the 12th International Congress on AIDS for Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP12). As part of PPD’s Capacity Building Program, it organized the ICAAP12, the largest scientific and community group conference in the world. The Congress created opportunity for the young professionals from science and community groups to gather in a global forum for sharing knowledge and learning from 56 countries in Asia and in the Pacific. PPD offered 600 scholarships to young professionals working in the field of HIV/AIDS in order to create opportunity for them to attend the ICAAP12 and enabling them to learn from others experiences as well as sharing their own. It was a unique opportunity provided by PPD during ICAAP12 which has never been provided by any international agency or ICAAP itself. Professionals from Australia, Cambodia, China, East Timor, Gambia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kenya, Maldives, Malaysia, Mali, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tunisia, Uganda, United States, Vietnam, Yemen and Zimbabwe received scholarship to participate in the congress. At the end of the Congress certificates were given to the scholarship awardees. All scholarship holders were provided opportunity to chair or co-chair a session, give presentations as speakers, make posters presentations and participate in community group discussions.

PCCs form 15 PPD member countries received scholarships along with the other recipients to attend the Congress. PPD’s PCCs are high level government officials not below the rank of Joint Secretary. They joined the Congress to bring their experience and also to express the solidarity of PPD member countries with ICAAP. A high level roundtable symposium was organized by the PCCs on adapting South-South Cooperation framework for strengthening Cross-border action on AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

The ultimate vision of the scholarship program is to create a generation of human resources who would think, feel, work and research scientifically for the development of population and SRHR of the developing countries. The fellows are expected to enhance the partnership and network for the betterment of the population of the global south. PPD secretariat believes that the real value of the Scholarship Program cannot be measured only by monetary contribution; it should rather be measured as a constant tool for developing skilled manpower in the field of population and SRHR in the Global South.  The Scholarship Program is one of Partners’ great successes that achieved throughout the previous 20 years of journey and it is indeed the foremost excellent example of a South-to-South initiative to be proud of. The UN Secretary General also recognized PPD’s knowledge exchange initiatives and in his speech he mentioned “South-South cooperation is more than just economic cooperation, it is about exchanging knowledge, experience and expertise’. Now the PPD Secretariat calls upon for larger contribution from the member countries to explore the possibilities of PPD scholarship programs.

 

 


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