The Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA) has called on South Sudan’s Ministry of Higher Education to ensure fairness and transparency in the allocation of Ethiopian scholarships to South Sudanese students.
These scholarships offer a valuable opportunity for young people in South Sudan to pursue higher education abroad, in a country where access to quality tertiary education is limited and often expensive.
There have been concerns raised about previous scholarship programmes, citing allegations of favouritism and bias that resulted in deserving applicants being overlooked.
Executive Director of CPA, Ter Manyang, emphasised the importance of merit and regional balance in the selection process, stating that every eligible student should have an equal chance, regardless of their background.
Failure to guarantee fairness in the selection process could erode public trust and deprive qualified students of life-changing opportunities. Therefore, civil society groups, student associations, and the media have been urged to monitor the allocation of scholarships closely.
While the exact number of scholarships available has not been disclosed, CPA stressed the necessity of transparency to maintain public trust throughout the selection process.
For many South Sudanese families, these scholarships can make a significant difference in accessing higher education, especially considering the high costs involved in studying abroad without financial assistance.
As the Ministry of Higher Education has yet to release detailed guidelines on the selection process, stakeholders are calling for a clear and transparent process to prevent any disputes that have arisen in previous scholarship programmes.
Mr Manyang concluded by urging the government to view the scholarship programme as an investment in South Sudan’s future workforce, in addition to providing educational opportunities for its citizens.