The Destabilized Middle East

Ron Forthofer

Ongoing fighting in Iraq, Libya, Syria and Yemen have devastated these nations and they may not survive as unitary states. The effects have been horrific for the populations of all four countries. There have also been lesser impacts for nations in Africa and Europe. For example, extremist Wahhabi Islamic groups are now operating in several African nations. Huge numbers of refugees fleeing from the incredible violence have sought asylum in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Europe. Extremists have recently attacked civilians in Turkey, Lebanon, France, Tunisia, Mali and other African nations. ISIS has taken credit for bombing a Russian passenger flight returning from Egypt killing all on board.

How did this horrendous situation come about? Was it an unintended consequence of a major war crime, the 2003 US-led attack on Iraq? Did the Arab Spring turn into the Arab Winter? Did someone plan this or did it just happen?

Although not widely known, in 1996 US neo-con supporters of Israel, including a number of people who would hold key positions in the next Bush administration, prepared a report for Binyamin Netanyahu. The report, 'A Clean Break: A New Strategy for Securing the Realm', laid out a major shift for Israel from the idea of trading land for peace. One of its proposals said: "Work closely with Turkey and Jordan to contain, destabilize, and roll-back some of its most dangerous threats..." Netanyahu rejected the proposal.

The neo-cons then formed a think tank, the Project for the New American Century. In September 2000, PNAC proposed Rebuilding America's Defenses (RAD). This plan called for an aggressive and unilateral military approach to expand US control and for the prevention of any other nation(s) from being able to challenge the US. RAD also discussed the need for regime change. "American military preeminence will continue to rest in significant part on the ability to maintain sufficient land forces to achieve political goals such as removing a dangerous and hostile regime when necessary."

After the appalling criminal attacks on 9/11, it appears as if the Bush administration adopted some of the ideas in RAD. According to General Wesley Clark, the Pentagon had Iraq in its sights immediately after 9/11. Clark added that a few weeks later that he was told of a plan to take out seven nations (Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Iran) over five years.

After the military attack against Afghanistan, the US led an unwarranted and illegal attack on Iraq in 2003. The attack and fighting devastated Iraq, killed an estimated 700,000 Iraqis, and Iraq became a failed state. The US failure to speedily crush the opposition in Iraq demonstrated that US leaders had grossly overestimated US power. Thus further military attacks were delayed although covert non-military efforts continued.

The Arab Spring raised hopes for democracy. It also created opportunities for the West to use the cover of protecting human rights to oust leaders not sufficiently subservient. For example, Libya was the next nation attacked under this human rights cover. After the killing of Moammar Qaddafi, Libya, despite holding elections in 2012 and 2014, has become a failed state with local militias and different extremist Islamic groups vying for power.

Syria presents a more complicated human rights story. For several years Qatar, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Israel along with the US and other Western nations have wanted the ouster of Bashar Assad, the Syrian leader. In response to Assad's use of lethal force, these countries quickly supported and then changed the opposition. The moderate opposition soon was mostly replaced by extremist Islamic groups. Russia, Iran and Hezbollah supported the Assad government. Both sides, especially Assad forces, have committed terrible war crimes. An estimated 400,000 Syrians have been killed and millions displaced. Syria is likely another failed state.

Do these events just happen or are we witnessing the implementation of the neocons' plans, opportunistic interventions, or of a combination of interests? It's hard to say with certainty. Regardless, several of the countries targeted by the neo-cons have been devastated. Israel's fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006 weakened another of these targeted nations.

In conclusion, the November 13th Paris attacks have generated widespread outrage, but where is the outrage by the 'civilized' nations about Western war crimes? Is blowback to Western violence really a surprise? Can't we finally learn that violence only begets more violence and incredible suffering? It's way past time to try diplomacy.

Otherwise ...

Turkey's Ambitions and the War in Syria

Ranjit Gupta

Like in almost all Arab countries, the regime in Syria is also an absolute dictatorship. The unprecedented revolutionary fervor sweeping across the Arab world since December 2010 hit Syria in March 2011, but the trajectory of developments in Syria was completely different from those in Tunisia and Egypt.

In Syria, the unrest spread only gradually and did not immediately become a spontaneous coherent mass movement demanding regime change. This was because the regime enjoyed the overwhelming, if not almost total, support of the minority communities such as the Alawites, Christians and Druze, and a rather substantial support amongst the upper and middle class Sunnis, particularly the business community in all major cities. Also, the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) did not withhold support as in Tunisia and Egypt despite the fact that at that time 3/5th of the SAA was comprised of Sunnis.

Syria’s army was estimated at around 350,000 strong, and after over four-and-a-half years of war, and taking into account casualties and desertions, approximately 90,000 still remain a part of the SAA. Furthermore, Sunnis also constitute a not-insubstantial number of the National Defense Forces raised since 2013. Foreigners played no part in the toppling of Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak. In Syria, the protests had become an armed uprising almost from the beginning entirely due to foreign intervention of Sunni regional states with Turkey taking the lead. Syrian President Assad’s foreign opponents had finally found an opportunity to overthrow the regime because its longstanding alliance with the Islamic Republic of Iran was a festering sore that had to be excised.

After Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s election victory in 2002 and the innovative enunciation of a ‘zero problems with neighbours’ foreign policy, in just under a decade, Turkey’s relationship with Syria was transformed from one of deep enmity to becoming Turkey’s best bilateral relationship; Turkey's prestigious Hürriyet newspaper labeled Turkish-Syrian relations as a “model partnership in the Middle East” as late as January 2011. When the uprisings in Syria began, Erdogan at first continued to publicly support Assad, calling him “a good friend who was loved by his people.” He was fully aware of the ground realities in Syria and knew well that Assad could not be overthrown by an internal revolt and that substantive foreign intervention would be necessary. Though Assad released large numbers of Muslim Brotherhood detainees on Turkey’s request, he turned down Ankara’s threatening demands to include the Muslim Brotherhood in the government. Turkey had its alibi, albeit rather weak, for large-scale intervention.

Having won three successive elections and successfully curbed the power that the military has traditionally enjoyed in the post Ottoman Turkey, Erdogan started nursing neo Ottoman dreams and, inter alia, described his election victory in 2011 as a victory of its Ottoman heritage. In October 2009, the then Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davotoglu, invoking Turkey’s former imperial grandeur, had said that “As in the sixteenth century, when the Ottomans were rising, we will once again make the Balkans, the Caucasus, and the Middle East, together with Turkey, the center of world politics in the future. That is the goal of Turkish foreign policy and we will achieve it.” Under Erdogan’s rule, Turkey began considering itself the foremost patron of political Islam and began pushing his belief that it should be the main component of governing entities in Muslim countries. Developments in Syria were viewed as the perfect opportunity to begin implementing these dreams.

Sanctions were put in place. Strident denunciations of Assad began, and he was now termed “a butcher’ – calls for him to be overthrown became a daily staple. 

Turkey began proactively supplying arms and sending in Islamist fighters almost from the beginning, and this steadily increased over time; and most of these foreign fighters and arms entered Syria via its border with Turkey. A NATO document  admits that “It is believed that there are as many as 1,200 armed opposition groups in Syria, with well over 100,000 fighters.” The war in Syria acquired a new dimension with the establishment of the Islamic State (IS) in mid-2014. Though initially created by disgruntled Sunni elements from Iraq, it expanded very rapidly due to several reasons, amongst which the Turkish role has been vital.

In fact, Turkey has chosen to attack the Syrian Kurds who have been the single most potent fighting force against the IS.

There is a large amount of literature in the West which substantiates Syria expert and West Asia historian Helena Cobban’s comment that “Turkey has certainly colluded with the Islamic State, allowing arms, men and money to flow across its border into the Islamic State-controlled area with almost no hindrance.”

Turkey is a NATO member and a long-standing ally of the Western powers. Barring Israel, Turkey is by far the most militarily powerful country in West Asia; if Turkey really wanted to hit the IS, the latter would crumble within months, given the heavyweight coalition that is fighting against it. There are two wars ongoing in Syria – one against the IS and the other against the Assad regime. The war against the IS cannot be won without Turkey being an active participant. Even with its best efforts, Turkish ambitions to overthrow Assad cannot succeed with Russia and Iran now actively militarily committed to the continuance of the Syrian regime at least until the end of a transitional period which – could be a long time away.

The first substantial step required to end the tragedy in Syria is a complete change of Turkish policy, which however, unfortunately, seems unlikely to happen anytime soon.

300 Swedish Institute Study Scholarships for Developing Countries 2016

Brief description: The Swedish Institute Study Scholarships (SISS) are awarded to students from selected countries for full-time master’s level studies in Sweden starting in the autumn semester 2016. The scholarships cover both living costs and tuition fees.

Accepted Subject Areas: About 600 different study programs at Swedish universities are eligible for a scholarship. Priority will be given to applicants choosing study programmes with an emphasis on gender equality, sustainable development, democracy, human rights or poverty reduction.

About Scholarship

The Swedish Institute Study Scholarships – SISS is the Swedish government’s international awards scheme aimed at developing global leaders. It is funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden and administered by the Swedish Institute (SI),

TheScholarships target highly-qualified students and are awarded for studies in Sweden starting in an autumn semester. The scholarships are intended for full-time master’s level studies in Sweden and cover both living costs and tuition fees.

The Swedish Institute is looking for applicants who display both intellectual ability and leadership potential and welcome applications regardless of age, gender and religious beliefs.

Scholarship Offered Since: Longer than 2007

Eligibility Criteria:

The programme offers a unique opportunity for future leaders to develop professionally and academically, to experience Swedish society and culture, and to build a long-lasting relationship with Sweden and with each other.

Ideal candidates are ambitious young professionals with outstanding academic qualifications, demonstrated leadership experience and a clear idea of how a study programme in Sweden would benefit their country.

Applicants must be from an eligible country and have at least two years’ work experience. Applicants must display outstanding academic qualifications and leadership experience. In addition, applicants should show an ambition to make a difference by working with issues which contribute to a just and sustainable development in their country.

Number of Scholarships: Approximately 300 scholarships will be awarded

Scholarship Benefit

The scholarship covers both tuition fees (paid directly to the Swedish university/university college by the Swedish Institute) and living expenses to the amount of SEK 9,000 per month.

The scholarship period cannot be altered or extended beyond the study programme period, nor can the scholarship be transferred to a study programme other than the awarded one.

Duration of Scholarships

The scholarship is intended for full-time master’s level studies of one or two years, and is only awarded for programmes starting in the autumn semester. The scholarship is granted for one academic year (two semesters) at a time. It will be extended for programmes longer than two semesters, provided that the student has passed his/her courses/credits.

Eligible countries: International students especially from developing countries

To be taken in (country): Sweden

Application Deadline: The scholarship application period opens with a first application round 1–15 December 2015, followed by a detailed second application round for successful candidates from the first round, on 1–13 February 2016

Scholarship offered annually? Yes

How to apply

Click Here to learn how to apply

Sponsors: The Swedish Institute

197 ARES Scholarships in Belgium for Developing Countries 2016-2017

Scholarship Name: ARES – Academy of Research and Higher Education – Scholarships Program for Developing Countries Belgium

Brief description: 2016-2017 Masters and Training Scholarships for 197 Students from Developing Countries by University Commission for Development (CUD) Scholarship Program, Belgium

Accepted Subject Areas

Master complementary Aquaculture,
Master complementary Transport Management,
Master in Public Health – Health and Development,
Master of Science and supplemental, Environmental Management in Developing Countries
Master complementary Managing animal and plant resources in tropical,
Master complementary Managing Natural Hazards,
Master complementary Food Science and Technology,
Master in Transfusion Medicine, European Microfinance Programme,
Master complementary Crop Protection tropical and subtropical,
Advanced Master in International and Development Economics,
Master in Development, Environment and Society,
Master in Public Health Methodology complementary

About Scholarship

Within the framework of the Belgian policy for development cooperation, the Minister for Development Cooperation and the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation entrust the Belgian Higher Education Institutions with the preparation of Postgraduate Programmes (Advanced Masters) and Training Programmes that are specifically oriented towards young professionals from developing countries.

International Courses and Training Programmes are part of the global study programmes of the Higher Education Institutions. They are open to all students who satisfy the conditions of qualification, but aim at proposing training units that distinguish themselves by their openness towards specific development issues.

Within the programme for International Courses and Training Programmes 2016-2017, ARES grants 130 scholarships for participation into the masters and 67 scholarships for participation into the training programmes.

Scholarship Offered Since: Not specified

Scholarship Type: Master’s and training scholarship programmes

Selection Criteria

The following criteria will apply for the selection of holders of scholarships:

1. Only applicants originating in developing countries, qualify for selection. To be eligible, candidates must reside and work in their country at the time of the introduction of the file.
2. Only the nationals of the following countries are authorized to postulate with the scholarships: Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cuba, Ecuador, Haïti, Indonesia, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Niger, Peru, Philippines, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Vietnam.
   
3. At the beginning of the programme, candidates must be less than 40 years old for courses, and less than 45 years old for training programmes.
4. Candidates must be holders of a degree that is comparable to a Belgian University graduate degree (“licence”). However, for certain programmes different rules of admissibility may be defined, and these are specified hereafter, where appropriate.
5. Candidates must show professional experience of at least two years upon termination of their studies. Where candidates are holders of a postgraduate degree delivered by an university of an industrial country, they must show professional experience of at least three years upon termination of their studies.
6. Candidates must have a good knowledge of written and spoken French; for programmes organised in another language, good knowledge, in writing and speaking, of this language, is required. Moreover, the candidate will be asked to commit himself to study French in order to be able to participate in daily life in Belgium.
7. Candidates are not allowed to apply for more than one programme.

Applicants must not first obtain admission to one of the French-speaking universities of Belgium in order to apply for grants from ARES.

Number of Scholarships: ARES grants 130 scholarships for participation into the masters and 67 scholarships for participation into the training programmes.

Duration of Scholarship:  For the duration of the program

Eligible Countries: Students from African and  developing countries

To be taken in: Belgium

Application Deadline: starting from 5 October 2015 to 10 February 2016

Offered annually? Yes

How to Apply

The application form can be downloaded from our website here.

It will be carefully completed and returned, only by Post Mail or Express Mail, to ARES (rue Royale 180, 1000 Brussels, Belgium), that must be in their possession at the latest by 10 February 2016

Visit the Scholarship Webpage to for details

Sponsors: The University Commission for Development

Important: Applying for a ARES scholarship is absolutely free of charge. ARES does not charge any fee at any stage of the application or selection process. You may raise any question or concern about persons or companies claiming to be acting on behalf of ARES and requesting the payment of a fee by emailing us at maryvonne.aubry[at]ares-ac.be.
Any application containing cash will be automatically rejected.

ESED Scholarship for Developing Countries 2016 (US$ 23,000/year)

Scholarship Name: Education for Sustainable Energy Development [ESED] scholarship

Brief description: 2016 Masters Scholarship in Sustainable Energy Development for Students from Developing Countries by the Education for Sustainable Energy Development [ESED] to be taken in any University around the world

Accepted Subject Areas: Programs eligible for this scholarship must show a 75% focus on renewable energy and/or the power sector in general.

About Scholarship

The purpose of the Education for Sustainable Energy Development [ESED] scholarship is to support outstanding students from developing countries pursuing advanced studies in sustainable energy development and to encourage meaningful contributions to the collective body of knowledge about this subject. These scholarships are available to up to 10 outstanding students from developing countries and economies in transition, for a period of up to two years for Masters Degree, awarded annually.

Scholarship Offered Since:  2001

Selection Criteria

The Global Sustainable Electricity Partnership considers an outstanding student to be one who:

• graduates with excellent grades in the top 20% of her/his class
• is determined to advance her/his knowledge and understanding
• has a history of community involvement
• is committed to sustainable energy
• is committed to return and contribute to her/his home country

Who is qualified to apply?

To be eligible to apply for this scholarship, students must

• plan to undertake studies at the Masters level in areas directly related to sustainable energy development
• be citizens of the developing countries and territories identified for OECD official development aid in the DAC List of ODA Recipients

Number of scholarships: Up to ten (10) Masters scholarships will be awarded annually.

Value of Scholarship: Scholarships of US$ 23,000 per year.

Duration: Scholarship will last for a period of up to two years for Masters Degree

Eligible African/Other Countries

Developing countries and territories identified for OECD official development aid in the DAC List of ODA Recipients are eligible to apply. Download list for details.

To be taken at (country): All universities are eligible for the ESED scholarship. It is preferable that the candidate pursues her/his studies in a university outside his home country.

Application Deadline: The ESED Masters Scholarship deadline is March 4, 2016. The online application system and application forms will be available in early January 2016.

Offered annually? Yes

How to Apply

Applications should be submitted using the Online ESED Scholarship Application Submission and uploading the requested documents. As the volume of incoming applications is extremely heavy around the deadline, we strongly urge you to submit your file as early as possible.

Visit Scholarship webpage for details

Sponsors: Education for Sustainable Energy Development [ESED]

Apply for 150,000 China Government Scholarships for Developing Countries 2016

Do you want to study in China for undergraduate, Masters or Doctoral degree?

China’s goal to Attract 500,000 foreign students by 2020 is causing the government to offer enormous scholarships to students around the world. At the September UN Sustainable Development Summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China will provide 150,000 scholarships for citizens of developing countries including Africa. And also help nurture 500,000 professional technicians in these countries with the next 5 years. The essence of the two programmes was to ensure that beneficiaries fast-tracked development of their countries.

China, the third Most Popular Study Destination for International Students

Over the last couple of years China surpassed other leading countries, such as France, Germany, and Australia, to become the third most-popular study destinations for higher education studies, behind UK and US.

In addition, as of July 2013, international students are now permitted to take part-time jobs during their studies, or to pursue paid internships off campus, so long as they have permission both from their host institution and Chinese immigration authorities.

Language of study in China

Some Chinese universities provide international bachelor, master and doctoral programs conducted in English which have no requirements of Chinese language proficiency.

150,000 China Scholarships for Developing Countries

China Scholarship Council (CSC), entrusted by the Ministry of Education (MOE) of People’s Republic of China, is responsible for the enrollment and administration of Chinese Government Scholarship programs. 279 designated Chinese universities offer a wide variety of academic programs in Science, Engineering, Agriculture, Medicine, Law, Economics, Management, Education, Liberal Arts, Philosophy, History, and Fine Arts for scholarship winners at undergraduate, masters and PhD levels.

Chinese Government Scholarships for developing countries includes the following programs.

Chinese Government Scholarship Bilateral Program

This includes full or partial scholarships in accordance with educational exchange agreements or MOUs between the Chinese government and governments of other countries, institutions, universities or international organizations. It supports undergraduate students, graduate students, general scholars and senior scholars. Applicants shall apply to the dispatching authorities for overseas study in their home countries.

Where to send the application: dispatching authorities in applicant’s home country

Eligible Field of Study: Undergraduate, Master’s and Doctoral students, General and Senior Scholars

Learn more about the Bilateral Program

Chinese University Scholarship Program

This is a full scholarship for designated universities in China and certain provincial education offices to enroll outstanding international students to pursue graduate degrees in China. It only supports graduate students. Applicants shall apply to the designated Chinese universities undertaking this program. At present, a total of 271 Chinese universities are designated to undertake this program.

Where to send the application: designated Chinese universities

Eligible Field of Study: Master’s and Doctoral students

Learn more about the Chinese University Program

Great Wall Program for Developing Countries

This is a full scholarship for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to sponsor students and scholars in developing countries to study and conduct research in China. Applicants shall apply to the National Commissions for UNESCO in their home countries.

This program only supports, in general, one-year English-taught programs. Scholarship recipients of Chinese-taught programs without adequate Chinese proficiency are required to get approval from both CSC and UNESCO for one-year Chinese language study.

Where to send the application: National Commissions for UNESCO in applicant’s home country

Eligible Field of Study: General and Senior scholars

Learn more about the Great Wall Program

Applications Deadline

You can apply to the dispatching authorities for overseas study in your home country or the designated Chinese universities undertaking the program between January and early April.

Number of Scholarships: Up to 150,000

Full Scholarship covers: tuition waiver, accommodation, stipend, medical insurance

Offered annually? Yes

How to Apply

CSC only accepts recommended applications from the dispatching authorities in your home country. The Agency Number, which can only be got from the dispatching authorities upon recommendation, is a must for online application.

The illustration below will help you understand the general application steps. There might be minor differences between programs. Please read the introductions to each program for detailed guidance.

You can register and submit your online application at www.csc.edu.cn/laihua/ and click“Application Online for International Students”.

What is “Agency Number” and where can I get it?

Agency Number is the first required item that must be filled when applying online at CSC Online Application System for International Students. Each Agency Number stands for a specific application receiving agency and will be given to the recommended candidates only. You will only get your Agency Number from your application receiving agency (e.g. Chinese embassy, AUN Secretariat, etc.) when you are recommended as a candidate.

Apply for Total Startupper Challenge 2016 for African Entrepreneurs – Up to $30,000

Brief description: Do you aspire to start your own business and build a brighter future? Startupper of the year by Total is a unique opportunity for Start-Ups and entrepreneurs in Africa to get coaching and financial support (Up to $30,000) to grow their ideas and business.

Eligible Projects: All projects are eligible regardless of the type of business or activity, as long as they share the characteristics common to creative start-ups: innovation, competitiveness, growth boosting and job creation.

About The Challenge

In Africa as elsewhere, many young people aspire to start their own business and build a brighter future, which is why Total created the Startupper of the year challenge. If you’re currently preparing a business plan or are in the early stages of creating your own business, you’re eligible to enter this challenge!

What challenges need to be tackled where you live? How will your innovative project address them? After you show how, Total will support those of you who will inspire, create, invest, hire and produce, all to transform “your” world

Offered Since: 2016

Contest Type: Challenge for African Entrepreneurs

Eligibility

• Are you under 35 years old?
• Do you want to create a business or develop one that is less than two years old?
• Are you a citizen of one of these 34 African countries: Algeria, Angola, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Republic of Guinea, Republic of the Congo, Reunion, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia or Zimbabwe?

If so, this challenge is for you!

Only one application by contestant is admitted.

Selection Criteria

Be clear, concise and efficient. Demonstrate your thoroughness, precision, knowledge and desire to be an entrepreneur. In each of the 34 countries, “Startupper of the year by Total” jury will evaluate the innovativeness, boldness and originality of your project, along with its social and economic impact, feasibility, sustainability and potential in terms of growth, development and employment.

To boost your score, don’t overlook anything.

Number of Winners: up to 3 winners per country

Value of Award: Each winner will receive a customized coaching to help him/her to create and/or develop its business.  Its content and duration will be defined by the jury in accordance with the needs of the winner that it will have identified during the selection process. Total will provide financial support up to $30,000 (in winners local currency)

Duration of Program: will be defined by the jury based on the needs of the winner

Eligible Countries: see list above

To be taken at (country): The contestant must be a citizen of the country where its application is submitted in order to create or develop its project there.

Application Deadline: is 31 January 2016

Challenge schedule

• 28 February 2016 – Notification of preselected finalists
• 15 March 2016 – Finalists oral presentations before the jury
• 1 May 2016 – Announcement of the winners

Offered annually? Not specified

How to Enter

To enter, create your profile and provide the required information online. To support, justify and illustrate your project, you can attach as many documents as you wish to your application, including:

• your résumé,
• your business plan,
• your financing plan,
• your partnership strategy,
• an executive summary,
• a marketing brochure,
• your logo,
• your graphic standards,
• and/or a photo or video presentation, etc.

Each country has specific rules for the application process. Go to startuppers.total.com/en/challenges/ and download the rules for your country (PDF).

On completion of the pre-selection stage, the jury in each of the 34 countries will select up to 10 finalists of the best projects submitted. The finalists will then be invited to present their project orally to the jury, which will select up to three winners.

Take advantage of this opportunity. Enter for challenge

Sponsors: Total

Romanian Government Scholarships for International Students 2016

The Romanian Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs offers Scholarships  to foreign citizens to study for Undergraduate, Masters and Doctoral Degrees for the 2016- 2017 academic year

Eligible Field of Study: priority will be given to the candidates applying for: political and administrative sciences, education studies, Romanian culture and civilization, journalism, technical studies, oil and gas, agricultural studies, veterinary medicine, architecture, music, arts.

About Scholarship

The scholarships are granted for three levels of study:

1.  for the first cycle (licenta): This scheme is dedicated to graduates of high schools or of equivalent pre-university systems, as well as to candidates who require the equivalent of partial studies and the continuation of their studies in Romania. The complete cycle of university studies lasts for 3 to 6 years, according to the specific requirements of the chosen faculty, and ends with a final examination (licenta);
2.  for the 2nd cycle (master): This scheme is dedicated to graduates of university/post graduate studies; it lasts for 1,5 to 2 years and ends with a dissertation;
3.  for the 3rd cycle (doctorate) this scheme is dedicated to the graduates of university/postgraduate studies (i.e. master); it lasts for 3-4 years, in keeping with the specific requirements of the chosen faculty, and ends with a doctor’s thesis.

Scholarship Offered Since: Not specified

Scholarship Type: Undergraduate, Masters and Doctoral degrees

Eligibility

Citizens of non EU countries (irrespective of their country of residence) are eligible to apply. Priority is given to citizens from non EU states with which Romania does not have cultural and education cooperation agreements.

Number of Scholarships: 85 scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Romania

Value of Scholarship:

• Free-of-charge tuition
• Free-of-charge accommodation (depending on availability, accommodation will be offered free-of-charge in students hostels, in keeping with the higher education regulations and within the limits of the sums available for this purpose),
• Financial support – a monthly amount representing :
  •  the equivalent in Romanian currency of 65 EURO per month, for the under-graduate students (1st cycle),
  • the equivalent in Romanian currency of 75 EURO per month, for post-graduate students (master degrees and specialization) 2nd cycle,
  • RI737126839CN the equivalent in Romanian currency of 85 EURO per month, for post graduate students (doctor’s degree) 3rd cycle.

These scholarships do not cover food, international and local transport. The candidates must be prepared to support personally any other additional expenses.

Duration of Scholarship: For the period of study, subject to academic performance

Eligible Countries: Any non-EU country

To be taken at (country): Romanian Universities

Application Deadline: The deadline for submitting the application files is established by each diplomatic mission. The candidate should enquire at the diplomatic mission about the enrolment calendar, starting with 2 December 2015. Foreign diplomatic missions accredited to Bucharest must send the application files with a Verbal Note to Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Public, Cultural and Scientific Diplomacy Directorate (MFA – PCSDD) by 15 March 2016, at the latest.

Offered annually? Not specified

How to Apply

To get all the necessary information about the scholarships (conditions, necessary documents, enrolment calendar) and to submit their application files, the candidates should apply directly to:

• the Romanian diplomatic missions accredited to the candidate’s country of origin or of residence or to
• the diplomatic mission of candidate’s state of origin accredited to Bucharest

Visit scholarship webpage for application details

Sponsors: Romanian Government

Important Notes

Language of Study: In order to promote Romanian language and culture, the Ministry of National Education has decided that the beneficiaries of the scholarships should study only in the Romanian language. The candidates who do not know Romanian are offered one supplementary preparatory year to study the language. Students who declare that they know Romanian language will have to pass a language test organized by the competent higher education institutions.

The significance of the elevation of the Chinese renminbi

Nick Beams

The elevation the Chinese renminbi (also known as the yuan) to the basket of global currencies making up the International Monetary Fund’s special drawing rights (SDRs), in effect making it an international reserve currency, is unlikely to have any major immediate effects. But it does underscore the vast transformation in the foundations of the world economy over the past three decades resulting from the long-term economic decline of the US.

As the Stratfor web site noted in its comment on the decision, it is the first time that the basket of reserve currencies, which had previously comprised the dollar, the British pound, the Japanese yen and the euro, will include the currency of a country not allied with the US.

The post-World War II monetary order, of which the IMF was a part, was grounded on the overwhelming economic dominance of the US. In 1945, Stratfor pointed out, US gross domestic product was estimated to be as high at 50 percent of the world total. This year it will be 22 percent.

While it supported the decision to include the renminbi in the SDR basket, the US did so very much with gritted teeth. The principal reason for its acquiescence was fear that its continued resistance—it played the leading role in having China’s 2010 push to be included in the SDR basket turned down—would provoke opposition from other powers. There is already criticism of the US from within the IMF because Congress has refused to ratify a 2010 decision to give China increased voting rights. At present, it has the same vote within the organisation’s bodies as Belgium.

This incongruity is a measure of the transformation in the world economy over the past quarter century. Two decades ago, China comprised just 2 percent of global GDP. Since then, its share has increased six-fold and this year will reach 12 percent, as the world’s second largest economy. This is one of the most significant transformations in world economic history.

However, its implications and impact on geopolitics cannot be determined by simply extrapolating from what has already taken place and drawing the conclusion that China is set eventually to become the world’s economic hegemon, or that it is on the way to becoming an imperialist power, if it is not already.

The rise of China can be understood only if it is placed in its historical and international context. This is completely ignored both by those who maintain that China is going to provide a new base of stability for world capitalism and by various pseudo-left tendencies that claim it is an imperialist power.

The overriding tendency in the historical integration of China into the framework of world capitalism has been the drive by the imperialist powers to dominate and subjugate it.

This started with the Opium Wars initiated by Britain in the mid-19th century. By the end of the 19th century, there was not only a scramble for Africa, but also the carve-up of China, as all the imperialist powers, including the emerging ones—the US, Japan and Germany in particular—sought to establish their own economic zones and spheres of influence. The US announced its emergence on the world scene with the declaration that it sought an “open door” policy in China—in other words, it was not to be excluded from exercising its burgeoning interests.

When that perspective was challenged by Japan in the 1930s, first with the invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and then the attempted conquest of the whole country in 1937, the US set itself on a path of war against its Asian rival, which erupted with the attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941 and concluded with the dropping of two atomic bombs on Japan in August 1945.

However, US plans for domination of the Chinese landmass were thwarted by the Chinese Revolution of 1949, which threw off the yoke of imperialism. But the nationalist policies and program of the Maoist regime, based on the Stalinist dogma of “socialism in one country,” meant that the country’s economic problems could not be resolved, erupting in a series of crises such as the “Great Leap Forward” of the 1950s and the “Cultural Revolution” in the 1960s.

Fearing an eruption of the working class from below, the Maoist regime moved back towards imperialism, beginning with the Nixon-Mao rapprochement at the start the 1970s and leading to the turn to market forces at the end of the decade under Deng Xiaoping. With the bloody suppression of the working class in the events of June 1989 and the subsequent economic opening up of China, the Maoist-Stalinist bureaucracy carried through the restoration of capitalism, making its economy ever more dependent on the shifts and flows of global capital.

The spectacular growth of the Chinese economy over the past quarter century, however, does not mean that China is on the path taken by the existing imperialist powers in an earlier historical period. In the first place, its economic expansion has taken place very differently: it has been a product not of some organic national development, but has flowed above all from its role as the cheap-labour manufacturing platform of the transnational corporations of the major powers.

Consequently, the physiognomy of the Chinese ruling elite—notwithstanding the great wealth of its upper echelons—is very much that of the comprador bourgeoisie that emerged in the earlier period of colonial subjugation, seeking to manoeuvre its way through the powerful currents of the global economy while enhancing its wealth, often by political means and outright corruption.

The concerted push by the regime to have the renminbi recognised as part of the SDR basket displays these characteristics. It is aimed at trying to enhance China’s economic status and give it greater room for manoeuvre by lessening, at least to some extent, the power of the US dollar in determining its connections to the world market.

In that way, the hope of the regime is that it will contribute to what it calls China’s “peaceful rise.”

Such calculations, however, completely leave out of account the implications of the very changes in the structure of the global economy and geo-political relations that have led to the renminbi’s rise.

One hundred years ago, in analysing the significance of World War I as the opening of the imperialist epoch of wars and revolutions, Lenin explained that there could be no permanent peace under capitalism because any equilibrium between the major powers would, by the very nature and dynamic of the capitalist economy, be only temporary.

This was because the capitalist economy developed unevenly. Consequently, the economic conditions that prevailed at one point and formed the basis for stability would immediately start to be disrupted, leading inevitably to the eruption of new wars.

Lenin specifically pointed to the transformation that had led to the emergence of Germany from a “miserable” collection of states and principalities to a major economic power in the space of barely 50 years.

The situation a century ago is not exactly analogous to that of today. China, unlike Germany in the first decade of the last century, is not an imperialist power. But Lenin’s analysis has contemporary relevance nonetheless. The economic rise of China has completely disrupted the post-war economic order and the equilibrium established between the major imperialist powers following the 30 years of conflagration—two world wars and many smaller conflicts—from 1914 to 1945.

The elevation of the Chinese currency must be seen within this context. Rather than providing a new foundation for stability and order, it is an expression of the deepening instability and disorder that increasingly characterise the global economy, flowing from the erosion of the foundations on which it was based—unchallenged US economic hegemony.

Faced with this situation, the US is not planning to fade away peacefully into the background, but is seeking to counter its economic decline by military means. This is the meaning of its ever-increasing bellicosity towards Russia and its pivot to Asia, aimed at the subjugation of China. However, this drive brings it into conflict with its old imperialist rivals, which likewise see their future as bound up with the exploitation of the resources and labour of the Eurasian landmass, and whose interests do not necessarily coincide with those of the US.

From this perspective, the elevation of the renminbi is an expression of shifts in the tectonic plates of the world economy that are fueling geopolitical tensions and creating the conditions for the eruption of a third world war—a catastrophe that can be prevented only by the unification of the working class on the program of world socialist revolution.