Establishment of scholarship fund for educational needs of deserving HCT students

The Damas Student Scholarship Fund is an important sponsorship initiative developed jointly by Dubai Men's College and Damas Group to support the educational needs of deserving students. The fund will be administered by a board of trustees, and it will be used to finance the scholarships. Dr Bill Vega, Director of Dubai Men's College remarked, "This is the beginning of a collaboration that will provide the foundation for future efforts to address the needs of DMC students, and it will enhance student life for many young men well into the future."

The board of trustees is chaired by Sheikh Juma Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum and it will convene once each semester to review applications and approve scholarships. Three of the board members Jamal Qassim Sultan, Mohammed Al Futtaim, and Osama Al Shafar are prominent DMC graduates, and Tawhid Abdulla, Managing Director of Damas Group and Dr Bill Vega, Director of DMC complete the complement.

Under the agreement Damas Group will patronize the fund for an initial term of 10 years, contributing an amount of one million dirhams in two installments. Tawhid Abdullah presented the first installment of AED500,000 to His Excellency Shaikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology at the signing ceremony today.

Tawhid said, "Establishing this educational fund for the benefit of deserving HCT students is a natural extension of our commitment to the society we serve. Making these scholarships available is a reflection of our close partnership with Dubai Men's College over the years, and this is our way of supporting the College's core values and encouraging student success. As a company with deep roots in society we are proud to patronize this initiative with long term benefits for the UAE."

Damas was established in 1907 and has grown into an internationally based fashion jewellery network. The company is a leading multinational in the jewellery and fashion industry and a house to international brands. On the retail level, Damas has over 145 outlets in every major shopping mall and 5-star hotel within the UAE, and over 50 internationally based outlets.

Dubai Men's College was established in 1989 and is firmly positioned as the preferred institution of vocational and occupational education for Nationals in Business, Information Technology, Media and Engineering fields. The Higher Colleges of Technology provides post-secondary education opportunities to more than 15,000 UAE National students. Dubai Men's College is a part of the Higher Colleges of Technology. Its new 400,000 m2 campus, which currently accommodates 2,000 students, has a maximum capacity of more than 5,000 students.