South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The government has finalized the selection of 30 candidates for undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral scholarships offered through a partnership between the Indian Embassy and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
This initiative aims to strengthen educational ties and provide South Sudanese students with opportunities to study in India.
Job Akuei, the Director General for Admission and chairperson of the scholarship committee at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, stated that the scholarship selection is merit-based.
“We have received scholarships, but there are only 30 vacancies available for 457 applicants. These scholarships are offered across various categories, including undergraduate and postgraduate applicants,” Akuei said during a press conference on Monday at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology.
“The committee decided that five scholarships will go to arts-based colleges and 25 to science-based colleges, with three allocated to master’s programmes and two to doctoral programmes. We emphasise that PhD candidates must be from science disciplines,” he added.
The press briefing by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology followed complaints registered online regarding the selection process, which some claimed disregarded merit, regional representation, and gender balance.
Adil Athanasio Surur, the Undersecretary for the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, indicated that this is the first time the government has received Indian scholarships, noting that admission to Indian universities has always been conducted online.
“We have received a scholarship from India, and this is a government scholarship. The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology received this scholarship on June 25, 2025,” Surur stated.
Atem Kuir Jok, the Acting Director General for Training and External Relations and Secretary of the scholarship committee, explained that the Ministry of Higher Education selects students based on their performance.
“We do not base our selection on regional or gender balance due to the limited number of places available. We prioritise the merit of the applicants; the best candidates are given the first opportunity, and we continue this process until we reach the required threshold,” Jok said.
“The rules and regulations within the Ministry of Higher Education clearly state that we must use competitive procedures for admitting students to our universities and for scholarships,” he added.
