International Fellowships Program (IFP)

Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (IFP) in ThailandThe Asian Scholarship Foundation under the Royal Patronage of H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (ASF) announces the opening of the 2009 competition for the IFP in Thailand scholarship grants. The International Fellowships Program (IFP), with funding from the Ford Foundation, provides opportunities for exceptional individuals who wish to undertake advanced studies and who will use this education to make outstanding contributions in their respective fields, furthering development in their own countries and greater economic and social justice worldwide. To ensure that Fellows are drawn from more diverse backgrounds, IFP actively recruits candidates from social groups and communities that lack systematic access to higher education.
Fellowship Provisions
• Full-time enrollment in an accredited university.
• Support for up to two years towards a master’s degree in any academic discipline or field of study that is consistent with Ford Foundation priority areas.
• Assistance in choosing and enrolling at the chosen university.
• Intensive foreign language studies for not more than one year, plus basic skills training in research methodology and computers prior to enrollment.
Minimum Eligibility Requirements
• Applicants must be Thai citizens or permanent residents of the Northeast or members of ethnic minority groups in Northeastern Thailand who are currently residing and working in the rural areas, districts or sub-districts of the Northeast.
All applicants must:
• Be talented and hold a bachelor’s degree from a college or university in Thailand;
• Have at least three years of full-time work experience in community service or in development-related activities relevant to their proposed field of study. Those who graduated from a college or university outside the Northeast should have at least five years of working experience;
• Propose a graduate degree program that will directly enhance their capacity to excel in an academic, policy, practical or artistic discipline/field corresponding to one or more of Ford Foundation’s priority areas;
• Present an action plan that will apply their studies to social problems or issues in Thailand; and
• Commit to working on these issues after the fellowship period. Preferred Fields of Study Applicants may choose to pursue an academic discipline or field of study related to one of the following program areas:
• Arts and Culture
• Civil Society
• Community Development
• Development Finance and Economic Security
• Education and Scholarship
• Environment and Development
• Governance
• Human Rights
• Media
• Religion, Society and Culture
• Sexuality and Reproductive Health
• Work-Force Development
Application Procedure
• All application forms must be submitted to the Asian Scholarship Foundation (ASF) before the deadline.
• Applications are then reviewed and qualified candidates are invited for interviews. A language assessment is administered to determine any needed language enhancement for those intending to study in a university where Thai is not the medium of instruction.
• An independent international SelectionThe application deadline for the 2008 competition is February 28, 2009.
Fellows are chosen on the basis of individual qualifications as well as their potential for professional development, commitment to community or national service and academic preparation.
Please visit www.fordifp.net for the global IFP Program information.
For more information and to obtain the IFP application form,
please contact:Asian Scholarship Foundationunder
the Royal Patronage of H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
29 Vanissa Building, 4th Floor Ploenchit Road,
ChidlomPathumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel: 02-655-1615 to 17 Fax: 02-655-7977
E-mail: info@asianscholarship.org Website: www.asianscholarship.org