Merali UniversityScholarship Program

In October 2011, The Asia Foundation, with support fromthe Shirin Pandju Merali Foundation, launched a five-yearproject to enable 100 women to pursue undergraduate stud-ies at three prestigious colleges and universities in Vietnam.Generous donations support academically gifted female students from poor backgrounds to continue their educationat university level. This university scholarship program isunique in supporting students majoring in the natural sciences and technical fields, where women are traditionallyunderrepresented.

WHO ARE THE MERALI SCHOLARS?

Merali Scholarships for undergraduate studies are awarded toyoung women from low-income families who have demon-strated academic achievement and a commitment to learning.Scholars are chosen from students admitted into select uni-versities, recognized by the Ministry of Education andTraining (MOET) for their academic excellence. The AsiaFoundation works closely with its local partner, the Centerfor Education and Development (CED), and with the man-agement of these universities to select students who meet thecriteria as scholarship recipients.

THE CLASS OF 2011

• 40 Vietnamese women enrolled in four-year B.S. degreeprograms in the sciences at Hanoi National University;

• 40 women enrolled in five-year B.S. degree programs ininformation technology, biochemistry, and other engi-neering majors at Hanoi University of Technology; and

• 20 women enrolled in five-year B.S. degrees in civil engineering at National University of Civil Engineeringin Hanoi.

WHY DO WE TARGET THESE GIRLS?

In Vietnam, rural and lower-income families have much lessaccess to higher education than urban girls from higher-income families. Students in the Northwest, the Northeast,and the Mekong River Delta regions are less likely to gainadmission to universities. Students from poor and remoteareas also struggle to bear the financial burden of educationat a well-known college or university. In addition to tuition,students must pay for books and materials, transportation,and other personal expenses away from home. Earning a uni-versity degree remains but a dream for most students frompoor families. Although the government has committed to

promoting access to higher education among the poor,many thousands of students across Vietnam are beingleft behind every year.

As in many other countries across Asia, cultural practicesand traditions in Vietnam value girls and women lessthan boys and men. Vietnamese girls are more likelythan boys to be kept out of school, as rural families thatcannot afford to educate all of their children.Traditionally, they will educate their sons before theirdaughters. This disadvantage to girls and womenthroughout their lives perpetuates a vicious cycle of illit-eracy, poverty, and ill health in families and communities,hindering Vietnam’s overall development.

WHAT DOES THE SCHOLARSHIP INCLUDE?

The Merali University Scholarship Program includestuition, educational supplies, and books. The AsiaFoundation’s Books for Asia program also selects collec-tions of books relevant to the subjects the scholarshipstudents field of study for distribution to the universitieswhere the girls are studying.

WHAT IS THE ASIA FOUNDATION’S ROLE?

The Foundation determines the program strategy andoversees the scholarship program monitoring, implemen-tation, and impact. The Foundation provides regulartechnical assistance and advice to local partners to ensureefficient management. For example, the Foundationcarefully reviews all reports to ensure the program iscomplying with grant agreements, and also providesreporting templates, support, and guidance to the part-ners on program and financial reporting requirements.

The Foundation has a dedicated and experienced pro-gram manager on the ground who ensures successfulimplementation of the scholarship program. Dinh KieuNhung is the Office and Educational Resources ProgramManager in the Foundation’s Vietnam office who man-ages the University Scholarship Program. Ms. Nhungholds a B.A. in English language from Hanoi Universityand studied at the Hanoi University of Foreign Trade.Since joining the Foundation in 2000, Ms. Nhung hasmanaged a variety of programs and provided extensivetechnical and capacity building support to theFoundation’s local partners. In addition to managing thescholarship programs, she oversees The Asia Foundation’sBooks for Asia program, which distributes thousands ofnew books to schools and libraries throughout Vietnam,and facilitates educational exchanges. Ms. Nhung andother Foundation staff meet regularly with its partners

throughout the scholarship cycle to review selection cri-teria, individual scholars’ progress, program challenges,and steps to improve the program each year to ensuremaximum impact.

WHAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IS PROVIDED TO

ENSURE SUCCESS?

The Asia Foundation, the Center for Education andDevelopment, and representatives from the three univer-sities have established a Project Management Unit tomonitor the scholars’ academic standing and providesupport when needed. The PMU is responsible for monitoring scholars’ attendance and academic perfor-mance as well as meeting with the girls and their familiesto work through any problems that arise during theschool year.

The program publishes an online blog to help all thescholars connect with each other, share experiences, and provide encouragement. Scholars who attend sameuniversity meet each semester to share their experiencesand encourage one another, and Merali Scholars from allthree universities gather together once a year to networkand build a sense of camaraderie.

WHAT IS THE PROGRAM ACHIEVING?

The Merali University Scholarship Program forVietnamese Women is having a significant, positiveimpact on the lives of participating scholars and theirfamilies. The young women are grateful for the opportu-nity to pursue higher education that they and their fami-lies would have struggled to finance without scholarshipsupport. This opportunity to further their education willenable them to gain better jobs, break the cycle of pover-ty, and contribute meaningfully to the their own positivedevelopment and that of their families and communities.

In an environment where a significant number of students drop out, the fact that nearly every scholarcompleted the second year is a testament to their deter-mination to succeed. In addition, our university scholar-ship program supports students majoring in the naturalsciences and technical fields, where Vietnamese womenare traditionally underrepresented. These programs areheavily male-dominated and some scholars participatingin this program are the only girls in their course. Theyare pioneers, but it adds stress. The universities reportthat in previous years many female students in the sci-ence faculties changed majors. This year, however, only

one Merali scholar has switched majors and the remain-ing scholars remain committed to continuing their stud-ies in their chosen science majors.

For most university-level scholars, transferring from anunder-resourced rural school to an elite university is adramatic change. The Merali University ScholarshipProgram targets the neediest students, reaching out towomen who would benefit most from this life-changingopportunity. These students face more challenges thantheir urban-based peers who often have the option tolive with their families while attending university. MostMerali scholars must find rented accommodation, oftenlocated far from campus; do not have the resources foradditional tutoring; and must balance the demands oftheir studies with part-time work to cover their livingexpenses.

Fifty-three percent of scholars improved their grades inthe 2012-2013 academic year, moving from below average, to average, or even higher. Overall, there was a significant rise in the scholars’ grade point averages(GPA) from an average of 2.31 at the end of the 2011-12 academic year to 2.73 at the end of 2012-13. Further,95 percent of scholars at the Hanoi University of CivilEngineering are now achieving results that are good orexcellent (up 40 percent from last year). With theFoundation’s additional support, the number of belowaverage scholars at Hanoi University of Technology hasdecreased from 53 percent to 25 percent; and the num-ber of below average scholars at the Vietnam NationalUniversity, Hanoi has decreased from 20 percent to 5 percent.

MEET THE SCHOLARS

Linh comes from a family ofsix from Binh Phuocprovince in the south ofVietnam. Her parents, whoare gardeners are still sup-porting four of their children.She was ranked “Good” lastacademic year and still main-

tains this ranking in the first semester of her second year.Linh shared: “We are very grateful for Mr. Merali’s gen-erous support. I will try my best in the next semesters tobe worthwhile of his support. My dream is to find a jobat the Department of Construction of Binh Phuocprovince after graduation to be able to contribute to thedevelopment of my hometown.”

Ha comes from Nam Dinh province in northernVietnam. Her father diedwhen she was only fiveyears old. Her mother is afarmer with a total income of $20 per month. Thanksto the Shirin Pandju MeraliFoundation, Ha is now

able to afford her university study – something her family would have not imagined possible before.

“We are very grateful to the Shirin Pandju MeraliFoundation’s generous support for rural, low-incomewomen like me to attend science and technology universities. I will try my best to improve my grades.My dream is to become a high school teacher after graduation.”

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuong spoke onbehalf of 100 Merali scholars atthe scholarship award ceremony

“Each of us has different circumstances at birth. Somehave a full and happy child-hood, but many go throughtheir childhood with a lot ofdifficulties and sadness. Perhaps

not only me, but all the girls here today have overcomemany difficulties on our journey of learning.

On receiving notice of college matriculation, besides the joy of success after 12 years of study like any otherstudents, we also had worries about the future. The restless nights of our mothers worrying about our lives.Our fathers striving to scrimp and save to support theirchildren's study in the city, where everything is moreexpensive. It is the result of their sweat and hardship

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06/2014

The Asia Foundation is a nonprofit international development organization committed to improving lives across a

dynamic and developing Asia. Headquartered in San Francisco, The Asia Foundation works through a network of offices in 18 Asian countries

and in Washington, DC. Working with public and private partners, the Foundation receives funding from a diverse group of bilateral

and multilateral development agencies, foundations, corporations, and individuals.

that our parents send us on a monthly basis. Enteringthe university gates we carry more worries and difficul-ties than other students. We're always aware of what wehave and will have to do for our lives.

Thankfully, the Merali University Scholarship Programhas created conditions for us to study better and reducethe difficulties we face in life. On behalf of the girls

who are lucky enough to receive the scholarships today,I promise to study hard, become a useful citizen forsociety, and strive to be worthy of the support of theShirin Pandju Merali Foundation for poor girls like us.”

—Nguyen Thi Thuong