“Shoot for the moon” they say
Class of 2006, first day at the British Council. Photo: Karim Valimohamed
“Shoot for the moon”, they say - “even if you miss, you will land among the stars.” Are these just statements to give hope or is it a reality? As participants in the Syrian Preparatory Programme (SyPP) we set it to the test.
SyPP aims to prepare the next generation of qualified youth to become future leaders. The nine-month programme is held at the British Council in Damascus and is co-sponsored by the Jamati Institutions in Syria and The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS). After submitting our applications and going through an interview process we were selected to participate in SyPP 2006, the pilot programme.
Laurance (teacher) getting to know her new students. Photo: Karim Valimohamed
The first six months were spent developing critical and analytical language skills, followed by specialisations in either academics or management/leadership. We were exposed to ideas in literature, human rights and concepts of justice in order to polish and expand our critical and analytical thinking. Through role playing, debates and discussions of our readings (Richard Burton, Sheikh Mahmoud, Noam Chomsky, Edward Said etc.) we attempted to understand the idea of the "other" and how they perceive "us". These activities were complemented with practical sessions on delivering presentations, conducting research, managing our time, fostering teamwork, and the concept of lifelong learning.
Jayda and Ghena receiving their materials from the British Council. Photo: Karim Valimohamed
Undeniably, this training had an impact on our everyday lives, as we started to use these newly developed skills to negotiate the challenges that we faced as the first participants of this pilot programme. Eventually we became more articulate in our presentations and more confident in relaying our viewpoints to others.
The participants from the inaugural year have enjoyed remarkable success and the SyPP 2006 programme had an important impact on our future academic plans. Access to scholarship information, counselling and guidance for applications to world-renowned universities resulted in offers of admission from reputable universities such as Oxford, Edinburgh, Leeds and Sheffield. Just a year ago the idea of applying to Oxford was a laughable dream!
Hussein and Rola getting their folders and books organised. Photo: Karim Valimohamed
From our graduating class of 20 students, 11 participants were accepted into graduate programmes in the UK. This includes five who were offered scholarships to participate in the Graduate Programme of Islamic Studies and Humanities at the IIS, and three recipients of AKF Scholarships. One graduate was awarded the Chevening Scholarship and another received the Karim Rida Said Scholarship to attend Oxford University. We will be pursuing our interests in pharmacology, social sciences, humanities and administration including IT development, small and medium enterprise development, and water resources management. In addition, three graduates have returned to their administrative positions within the Jamati Institutions in Syria with a much better understanding of management, governance and strategic planning. Several other graduates are actively involved with the Jamati Institutions in a voluntary capacity.
So as they say, “Shoot for the moon” and with the SyPP 2006 we did!
