Postgraduate scholarships available for British Muslim students from the Aziz Foundation

The Aziz Foundation recently visited DMU to encourage British Muslim students to step into postgraduate education. Zain Sardar and Lina Charki from the Aziz Foundation explained each of the programmes currently run by the Foundation to support British Muslims.

The Foundation was set up by philanthropist Asif Aziz to support British Muslim students obtain higher levels of education. According to the 2021-22 OFS data calculator, whilst 12% of undergraduate students are British Muslims, this drops to 8% in Postgraduate taught courses.

In wider society, British Muslims represent only 6% of higher managerial positions in professional occupations.  

What does the Aziz Foundation offer?

To address these inequalities, the Aziz Foundation created a series of programmes to support British Muslims.

Firstly, the flagship offering of the Foundation is the Masters Scholarship programme. The scholarship is intended to increase representation of Muslim postgraduates in key working areas such as media, policy, and law. Since its founding, the Foundation has provided a total £8 million in scholarships to over 650 students, with a significant success rate of 94% employment rate amongst Aziz Graduates. Applications for scholarships open on 13^th January.

Secondly, the Foundation offers an internship programme aimed at strengthening the pipeline from education into employment in journalism, policy, and the arts. 67 internships and apprenticeships have taken place so far, ranging from three to fifteen months. Employers have included The Financial Times, Runnymede Trust, and the UN’s International Organisation for Migration,

Finally, there is a mentorship programme aimed at supporting British Muslim students build knowledge and confidence. There are currently 66 active mentors on the scheme, with the hope to expand in the future.

To find out how the Aziz Foundation could help you with your postgraduate studies, please visit their website here: https://www.azizfoundation.org.uk/

Reminder: Applications for scholarships open on 13^th January.