Younus Professional Master’s Program for Environmental Leaders and Social Business Leaders of Afghanistan

Professor Muhammad Yunus, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, created the one-of-a-kind Yunus Professional Master’s program. The School of Environment Resources Development (SERD) and the School of Management together teach this Professional Master’s program (SOM at AIT). This initiative has been started in partnership with the Yunus Center at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Bangkok for Afghan environmental leaders and social business entrepreneurs.

This Yunus Professional Masters – Special Program for Afghanistan (YPM-SPA) was developed in response to the pressing need to give Afghan leaders and businesspeople opportunities for ongoing professional development and to address the deteriorating socioeconomic and social needs of the nation. The curriculum is distinctive in that it incorporates shared success learning and service learning, as well as practical, hands-on, and issue-based learning. Students take management and sustainable development courses during the three semesters of the program, as well as a practicum. Check out this fantastic chance if you’re a social entrepreneur or environmental leader in Afghanistan who wants to advance your academic career.

January Semester/Term Intake: School of Engineering and Technology (SET), School Of Environment, Resources And Development (SERD), School Of Management (SOM)

• 20 December is the deadline for overseas applicants requiring an educational visa.

March Term Intake (only for the School of Management)

• 15 February is the deadline for overseas applicants requiring educational visa
• 25 February is for other applicants

June Term Intake (only for the School of Management)

• 15 May is the deadline for overseas applicants, requiring educational visa
• 25 May is for other applicants

Purpose of this Initiative

• 12-15 scholarships are awarded each academic year to provide Afghan environmental leaders and social entrepreneurs with the skills, tools, networks, and support they need to collaborate and lead interdisciplinary multi-stakeholder projects and social businesses that will contribute to Afghanistan’s resilience and prosperity.
• 3-4 interdisciplinary projects in Afghanistan integrating environmental, social, and economic issues that provide local solutions to global challenges and innovative and practical ways of working in conflict-affected areas.
• A network of graduates with the knowledge and experience for how to engage with communities and key stakeholders, specializing in a key focus area with a broad awareness of other key issues they learn about through workshops and field visits.
• Collaboration and a train-the-trainer strategy with an extended network of project partners improved local knowledge, skills, and support for stakeholders and communities in Afghanistan.
• Strengthened global network of Afghan environmental leaders and social entrepreneurs.
• Ongoing mentorship, guidance, and support for students through the AIT Afghan alumni network.

Programs

Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) provides students with unique chances to pursue meaningful and demanding education, and each program has its own application for participation.

Who is it for?

Yunus Professional Masters – Special Program for Afghanistan is being offered for environmental leaders and social business leader students to take advantage of possibilities that would otherwise be ineligible under AIT admissions requirements. The program has attracted impact-driven students and aims to provide education and further learning opportunities focused on collaboration, community engagement, integrated and solution-focused approaches to address both local and global challenges.

Benefits

Through this special master’s program, 12-15 Afghan environmental leaders and social business leaders will be able to study tuition-free at one of Asia’s most respected institutions.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for admission to Yunus Special Master’s program, an applicant must:

• Be an Afghan citizen,
• Be an environment leader or social business leader in their community.
• Hold a Bachelor’s degree (normally from a four-year program), or its equivalent, in an appropriate field of study from an institution of good standing acceptable to AIT;
• Have undergraduate grades significantly above average; the minimum cGPA requirement for admission to the Master’s Program is 2.75 or equivalent, at the Bachelor’s degree level;.
• English Proficiency Requirement: AIT-EET:6 or IELTS-Academic:6 (writing 6) or TOEFL Paper: 550 (writing 59-61) or TOEFL CBT: 213 (writing 25-26): TOEFL IBT: 80 (writing 21-23);
• Be in satisfactory physical and mental health, and have a record of good conduct,
• For the Professional Master’s (PM) degree program, besides the above eligibility requirements, an applicant must:
• Have at least 3 years of work experience in areas related to the academic program and be executives in organizations/companies

How to Apply

Through your application, they want to get to know you, hear your voice, and discover your potential. They also believe that the application process would help you come to know yourself better. They actively seek students from a wide range of backgrounds across all programs. They value exceptional academic ability, intellectual curiosity, individual perspectives, creativity, and other distinguishing characteristics that each student brings to their community. The application procedure for Yunus Special Master’s program is the same as a regular application. Applicants need to insert their personal info, educational background and language proficiency test scores. They will automatically be considered for this special master’s program.

The below apply now button will take you to the application form.

Click here to apply