Category: News

On the 10th anniversary of the commencement of our scholarship programme, we continue to face one disappointing statistic. We have so far helped 43 students graduate as doctors, engineers, computer scientists, and more. Many of you have gone on to get great jobs and are helping your families and communities. Some of you have found careers overseas and are making a contribution to the global economy. These are all matters of great satisfaction for us.

But there is another statistic that does not reflect well on you or us. Once you graduate, you do not contact us again. Not a single person out of the 43 has bothered to keep us updated on their progress. This is equally as true of those who graduated in 2012 as of those who graduated in 2020. We do not expect you to contribute financially to FURTHER if you don’t wish to. But there are other ways in which you can contribute to our effort and make life easier for others like yourselves. You could always put in a good word-of-mouth for us at your work places and in your professional community. Your word might inspire others in your circle to contribute to FURTHER or help us achieve our goals in other ways. You could also mention us in your CV or on your website – as a matter of pride, that you received a scholarship from FURTHER.

Instead, we find that we are conspicuously absent from your CVs and your websites. Almost as if, far from being proud of your past and the hard work that made you turn your life around, you are ashamed that you once turned to FURTHER for financial help. This is not a good state of mind for you. We are proud of what you have accomplished. You should be too. Please show us that by giving us some space on your CVs and web pages. Others like you who still have ways to go to get where you are, deserve this from you. They are still counting on us to help them, as you did once. By giving us due recognition, for coming to your aid when you needed it most, you will be aiding those who need it most now. All FURTHER Scholars, please think about that. Carefully. Know yourselves, know who you are and where you’ve come from, acknowledge it, and be proud of it. It will help you and help those who now need assistance as you once did.

As educated people, anywhere in the world but particularly in the context of Pakistan, you are responsible for everyone’s safety around you. Please use your best judgment – acquired through your education in science and your difficult experiences in life – to make good decisions for yourselves and for those who rely on you.

COVID-19 is probably here to stay for longer than most of us expect. Waiting for a vaccine may not be the best strategy. So far, the science isn’t even certain that immunity to this virus is permanent. Evidence suggests that it only lasts 3 months or so. This means that even after a vaccine is developed, we may have to administer it globally every few months. That sounds impractical both physically and financially. Hence COVID-19 might just become endemic to the human population like influenza. However, it is far deadlier than the flu virus. Perhaps two or three orders of magnitude deadlier. If so, we can’t just act as if it’s not a big deal to get it, carry it, or give it to someone. As soon as we give it to someone who is not in perfect health or older, we could kill them. This is a fact of science, a statistical probability derived from millions of bits of evidence.

For the foreseeable future, therefore, you can protect yourself and your loved ones only through vigilence. Please do 5 simple things to do your duty to humanity:

• Wash or sanitise hands frequently
• Disinfect all surfaces before and after each use
• Keep a distance of 2 meteres from ALL those who don’t live with you
• Wear a mask in public
• Do not travel or stay overnight away from home unnecessarily

Please also understand that essential is only that which is required to sustain life in a household. It includes only three purposes: work, healthcare, groceries. Do not fool yourself that you can go about unnecessarily among crowds of people and take care of yourself. If you’re healthy and acquire the virus, you may not even know it. But you could pass it on to someone you love – an elderly parent or grandparent may not survive it. Think about that.

All FURTHER Scholars who received stipends in 2016-17 are hereby invited to apply for renewal of their scholarships. Please note that if you have graduated already or will graduate before December 2017, then you are not eligible to renew. We do have some spare funds this year to issue new scholarships so if you know somoene who is in need, please ask them to write to us. We’ve had no time to advertise this year, but we would like to be able to use all the spare funds to help students. However, please remember that need is not the only criteria we consider. There should be some evidence that the student will do well enough in their studies to get a job good enough to meet their needs. We are looking for self-motivated, capable students who are ready for the workplace – both in terms of their attitude and their academic success. Thank you.

We look forward to receiving renewal requests from all current FURTHER Scholars who will graduate in December 2017 or later. Please send your latest transcript in response to our email request which you would have already received. We must receive your reply no later than 5 PM on Friday, 22 September 2017, in order to process your payment by the middle of October. Thank you.

It’s that time of the year again when FURTHER Scholars return to their studies after the summer and apply for the renewal of their scholarships. FURTHER is happy to be a part of your efforts for another year.

Please help us determine your eligibility for renewal of scholarship this year by providing the following by Friday, 16 September 2016:

1. A scanned copy or screen-shot of latest academic transcript or marks sheet showing current and cumulative GPA or marks.
2. Expected month and year of graduation from current degree programme.
3. A short essay describing your current financial situation and how FURTHER has helped you so far.

Please note the date above and do not miss it. We shall not be able to release your scholarship payment in October if we don’t receive this information by the stated deadline. All the best.

We hope that all FURTHER Scholars had a good summer holiday and are back at their educational institutions for another great year. We are very proud of your achievements and are committed to supporting you through to the end of your degree programs.

Please help us determine your eligibility for renewal of scholarship this year by providing the following by Sunday, 20 September 2015:

1. A scanned copy or screen-shot of latest academic transcript or marks sheet showing current and cumulative GPA or marks.
2. Expected month and year of graduation from current degree programme.
3. A short essay describing your current financial situation and how FURTHER has helped you so far.