PUTRAJAYA, Oct 30 — The MyBrain scholarship programme, which will be re-introduced next year as MyBrain 2.0, will conduct strict screening in the selection of 500 outstanding students a year, said Divisional Secretary at the Higher Education Ministry (MOHE) Scholarship Division, Mazlina Mokhtar.
She said the MyBrain 2.0 programme is dedicated to Master’s and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) studies at selected public universities and private higher education institutes (IPTS) in the country, with priority given to the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
Mazlina said potential students for the programme were also targeted among the public who are not working, did not have a fixed income and IPTS lecturers to continue their postgraduate studies.
“We will make the screening stricter, and the candidates will also be interviewed.
“This time, MOHE is focusing on students who can graduate on time, which is why we will choose only the best. We will monitor them right from the beginning of their studies with the cooperation of the university,” she said recently.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, when launching the MyBrain 2.0 programme on Thursday (Oct 26), said MOHE has allocated RM20 million for each intake with a target of 500 recipients per year in competitive fields.
A Master’s graduate, Mohamad Afiq Amiruddin Parnon, 33, said the government’s decision to re-introduce the MyBrain programme will indeed help students, especially the disadvantaged, to pursue post-graduate studies.
“The reintroduction of this programme is also in line with the goal of promoting lifelong learning among Malaysians, and more importantly the knowledge gained can benefit the country,” said Mohamad Afiq, who will pursue a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom.
Dr Nor Nadia Zakaria, 37, said the MyBrain 2.0 programme will encourage more Malaysians to strive for a higher level of education.
“The re-introduction of the MyBrain programme is excellent because many students are interested in continuing their studies but faced with financial constraints, some are willing to take out a bank loan to continue with post-graduate studies.
“After all, the scholarships offered in the country are usually limited, so with this programme, many will benefit,” said Nor Nadia.
— Bernama
