AUC Receives $2 million From Hadhramout Foundation to Support Yemeni Students

The Hadhramout Foundation for Human Development, a charitable organisation operating in the Hadhramout region of Yemen, has extended its efforts for Yemeni students in the American University in Cairo (AUC) by granting $2 million to establish the Hadhramout Foundation Scholarship for Yemeni Students. The scholarship aims to providing support for 27 outstanding Yemeni students, 15 undergraduates and 12 graduates, and begin in the spring of 2020. The Hadhramout Foundation Fund will also launch at the School of Continuing Education, which will be designated to support 20 Yemeni learners to take part in the English for Effective Communication Program and the Certified Public Accountant certification.

From left to right, Abdullah Ahmed Bugsha, President of the Hadhramout Foundation for Human Development, Saleh Awadh Aram, CEO and Board of Trustees of the Hadhramout Foundation and AUC, President Francis J. Ricciardone

“For 100 years, AUC has assumed a leadership role in supporting and empowering bright and ambitious student who are seeking to shape the world around them," AUC president Francis J. Ricciardone said in a statement. "We are proud to announce that through this scholarship initiative, Yemeni youth in Egypt will be given the special opportunity to receive a world-class education.”

Ricciardone highlighted that the Hadhramout Foundation for Human Development has helped AUC focus onto allowing for opportunities to be readily available for remarkable students, and thank them for enabling them to do so.

“A few year ago, it was a dream that our foundation would send people to AUC,” said Engineer Abdullah Ahmed Bugshan, CEO of House of Invention International and president of the Hadhramout. “Hopefully, we will see big numbers of students coming to AUC.” Bugshan is famed for his philanthropic efforts and has given over $10 million to a variety of causes in health, culture and human services. The Foundation has funded several educational organisations and initiatives, to support underprivileged Yemeni populations.

The scholarships are attributed to the $100 million AUC Centennial Campaign: A New Century of Impact, which has allocated 80% of its set target. The campaign has aimed to foster more high-achieving talented students, and providing them with the necessary support from centennial scholarships.