AJYAL: A Programme to Support Arts Education | Sixth Edition

Academic Year | 2024-2025

Ettijahat–Independent Culture is excited to announce the open call for its sixth edition of AJYAL: A Programme to Support Arts Education. The programme targets young Syrian and Palestinian-Syrian art students who wish to enrol in BA or MA (or alternate equivalent certification) applied arts programmes exclusively inside Syria.
Since the completion of the 5th edition of the programme, and following the recommendations stemming from Ettijahat’s ten-year evaluation conducted in 2022, the upcoming edition of AJYAL will focus on providing support to art students residing in Syria. In so doing, Ettijahat wishes to reaffirm the importance of designing and implementing forms of support that address the particularities of the current cultural scene and context within the country.
Support is provided to students enrolled in undergraduate programmes at intermediate and higher-level institutions. AJYAL also provides support to students enrolled in bachelor degrees throughout the academic year through to graduation.
The primary aim of AJYAL is to provide educational access to various art disciplines for young Syrian students by covering either part or the entirety of the costs of their study programmes. In addition to covering costs, AJYAL is also carefully designed to develop and hone in on the skills of the burgeoning generation of artists and art students by making diverse forms of artistic expression more accessible and by facilitating channels of communication between the old and new generations of artists in Syria.
In addition to this frame of support, Ettijahat will provide two scholarships for Syrian Master’s students residing in Syria or Lebanon and who wish to complete their studies in theatre and film studies in partnership with the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) in Beirut.

Who can apply to AJYAL?

Applicants must meet the following criteria:

Syrians and Palestinian-Syrians between the ages of 18-26 residing in Syria and wishing to pursue undergraduate studies (BA or equivalent) or enrol at intermediate or higher-level arts institutes in Syria.
Syrians and Palestinian-Syrians under the age of 35 residing in Syria and wishing to pursue post-graduate studies (MA or equivalent). Applicants must have already obtained an undergraduate degree from an internationally recognised university or an equivalent educational institution and have received a “good” or above in their final degree result.
AJYAL scholarships do not cover PhD or postdoctoral studies.

What costs and expenses are covered by the grant?

Tuition fees during the period of study for the academic year 2024-2025
Other forms of study-related expenditures, including:

Educational resources such as books, stationery, equipment, etc.
Transportation
Accommodation

Criteria for Applicant Selection

The applicant must indicate the link between their academic background and their chosen field of specialisation.
The applicant must demonstrate a high level of academic and extra-curricular achievement.
The applicant must portray commitment and interest in pursuing work in their chosen field of artistic specialisation post-graduation.

Support mechanism

Applicants are expected to fill out the application form in full and provide all required supporting files and documents before the submission deadline on the 8th of May 2024 at 23:59 Beirut time.
Applications that are incomplete, missing documents, or do not meet the selection criteria will not be considered. Eligible applications are assessed collectively by a Selection Committee made up of artists, academics, and trainers/teachers/pedagogists, all of whom are experienced in the field of arts education. The Selection Committee members represent a variety of artistic disciplines and backgrounds, guaranteeing an expert reading of the applications and a more in-depth level of deliberation during the selection process. The Selection Committee members will remain anonymous until after the announcement of results.
Depending on each application, the Selection Committee will make its final decision following online interviews with the shortlisted applicants.
Upon commencement of the study programme, Ettijahat will follow up with the grantees to ensure they are content, satisfied, and progressing well with their studies, and to address any potential concerns.

How is the jury selected?

The members of the committee are primarily selected based on their artistic and academic expertise and background, their commitment to remaining objective and critical during both individual and collective assessments throughout the selection process, and their ability to anticipate the development of future projects once the candidates are selected. The AJYAL Selection Committee will consist of five members hailing from various artistic backgrounds. They will each be tasked with evaluating the eligible applications received and assessing them according to a list of selection criteria set by Ettijahat. They will ensure that a wide spectrum of artistic fields are represented amongst the selected applicants, and simultaneously that the assessments are made based on adequate artistic and academic merit.

Moreover, Ettijahat will ensure that identity factors such as gender, nationality, age, and background are also represented fairly among the Selection Committee members. This will help guarantee a diverse array of perspectives during the evaluation and deliberation process and allow for a broader discussion during the final decision-making phase. Ettijahat will also take into consideration the professional standings of all potential committee members in their respective fields to ensure maximum expertise and repute within the Selection Committee.

Documents Required for Application

Documents required from applicants residing in Syria and applying to pursue their undergraduate (or equivalent) studies, including university BA programmes and applied programmes at intermediate and higher-level institutions:

A copy of the applicant’s passport or photo ID
A recommendation letter by one of the applicant’s former academic instructors, accompanied by their contact details (email address and/or telephone number)
An official or certified copy of the applicant’s latest academic certificate of achievement
An official transcript of grades from the applicant’s most recently completed degree or certification
Any additional document that the applicant would like to share with the Selection Committee

Documents required from students applying to pursue an MA programme:

A photocopy of the applicant’s passport or photo ID
An official or certified copy of the applicant’s latest academic certificate of achievement
An official transcript of grades from the applicant’s most recently completed degree or certification
A recommendation letter by any former professor
A copy of the applicant’s Master’s thesis proposal (only applicable for applicants following a programme which requires the student to prepare a Master's thesis) (Optional)

Key Dates for the Current Edition

Online Q&A session over Zoom: 17 April 2024 at 2:00 pm Beirut Time. You can join the Session through this Zoom link.
Deadline for submission of applications: 8 May 2024
Interviews with shortlisted applicants: Second half of May 2024
Announcement of results: June 2024
The signing of grant agreements: June 2024

The sixth edition of AJYAL is made possible with the support of the DOEN Foundation and the RRLI Initiative.

For inquiries, feel free to send an email to ajyal@ettijahat.org
To check the FAQ and to apply, please click here.