Israel opens scholarships for master’s programme

The International School of the University of Haifa in Israel is accepting applications for scholarship for a one year Master’s Programme in Child Development for developing countries in its Faculty of Social Sciences Centre.

Haifa University is considered to have the best social science departments amongst universities in Israel, sadi Press and Public Diplomacy Coordinator at the Embassy, Mr Seth Owusu-Mante said in a statement copied to Ghana News Agency on Tuesday.

The programme is meant for students from different disciplines related to work with children - early childhood education, psychology, social work, nursing, law, speech pathology, physical therapy and occupational therapy with experience working with children and families, he said.

The International Master’s Programme in Child Development was established with the goal of improving the lives of children at risk in developing countries around the world by training and promoting professional leadership that would advance various agenda to achieve the objective.

The program trains and prepares professionals to become leaders in enhancing the well-being and welfare of children and their families.

Mr Mante explained that the programme was primarily created by the centre's as part of an Israeli action to support the UN Millennium Development Goals, as well as UNICEF's declarations regarding approaching all the children in need, regardless of where they live.

Students from Ghana have the highest representation in the first cohort of the programme, which started in October 2014, he added.

The statement quoted the Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Sharon Bar li as saying she was especially delighted to see such a great representation for Ghanaian students at the programme as it strengthens the already existing MASHAV(Israeli Development Agency) and Ghana Education Service’s Early Childhood Education project, ongoing in Kumasi, Accra and Tamale.

Nana Esi Gaisie, one of Ghanaian students currently pursuing the course also said: “I like the inter-disciplinary structure of the programme, which is in tandem with WHO are International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

Studying and working together with different professionals… has made me understand better how our roles in society are inter-twined and this must not be glossed over in the interest of any child."

Issah Aduna, another Ghanaian student stated: "the MA in child development is academically unique with an interdisciplinary outlook, designed systematically to enrich students with empirical base evidence interventional knowledge and skills as tools for children at risk.

“It gives me a new look to see and answer the What, Why and How about the child."

The next cohort which also offers full scholarship for students will start in October 2015.

Application for the programme is opened to persons with an accredited Bachelor of Arts in relevant academic disciplines related to public services for children with at least three years of working experience.