Sabeen Mahmud Scholarship and Mentorship
Call for applications
About the Sabeen Mahmud Scholarship
In loving memory of Sabeen Mahmud, the Sabeen Mahmud Forum (SMF) is announcing a scholarship for students enrolled in degree-awarding programs in psychology that will equip individuals to provide counselling services for children and adolescents in Pakistan.
This scholarship aims to honour Sabeen Mahmud’s legacy of listening, supporting, and advising young people facing mental health challenges. It also aims to convert into reality her dream of enabling children and adolescents to develop a positive sense of identity, manage thoughts and emotions, build social relationships, learn, and become active participants in society.
About the Sabeen Mahmud Mentorship
The Sabeen Mahmud Mentorship for final year undergraduate students is designed to introduce students to the practice of psychology in Pakistan. It aims to provide exposure and hands-on experiences that will help students explore their interests, develop career goals and strengthen their applications to graduate programs in psychology. Students will be matched with a mentor, who will work with them in areas of mental health and wellbeing. Students are welcome to propose their own initiatives or develop them in collaboration with their mentors. Meetings may occur in person or online.
Who is the scholarship and mentorship for?
Psychology students in their final year of an undergraduate program, and intending to work with children and adolescents in Pakistan, are invited to apply for the inaugural Sabeen Mahmud Scholarship to be awarded for the 2024-25 academic year. The scholarship is currently only open to students in an institution where we have circulated our Call for Applications and/or made a campus visit.
What will the scholarship cover?
The scholarship will provide funding support for students’ tuition fees, up to full tuition coverage for one year, provided that the academic requirements of the program are met.
What will the mentorship program include?
The mentorship program will require up to 3-4 hours per week. It will be designed by the mentor and student together based on the students’ interests and mentors’ areas of expertise and will keep in mind academic obligations such as exams, finals and theses. If mutually agreed with the mentor it can be extended into the summer after graduation. On completion of the mentorship program students will receive a certificate from the Sabeen Mahmud Forum and will have the option of requesting letters of recommendation from their mentors, for graduate study or employment.
What will be expected of Sabeen Mahmud Scholars and Mentees?
Successful candidates will be required to make a commitment to work with children and adolescents in Pakistan, in settings approved by SMF, for a minimum one-year period. Scholarship and mentorship recipients will be expected to act as ambassadors of SMF. As part of celebrating our scholars and mentees, and their commitment to serving Pakistan, recipients’ names, profiles, career progress, and achievements will be shared publicly by SMF.
How do we apply?
In order to apply, interested students applying to either or both the scholarship and mentorship programme should email the following materials to sabeenmahmudforum [AT*] gmail [DOT*] com no later than the July 1, 2024:
• A completed application form
• A personal statement (500-750 words) that demonstrates why they should be selected for the Sabeen Mahmud Scholarship
• Academic transcript (unofficial) of undergraduate courses completed to date
• A letter of support from a faculty member
We especially encourage women, minorities, and students from under-represented provinces to apply.
Do the scholarship and mentorship have the same application procedure?
Yes, they have the same application procedure. Please see, “How do we apply?” above.
Can we apply to either the scholarship, the mentorship, or both?
Students can apply to the scholarship, the mentorship, or both. They will have to indicate which programme(s) they are applying for by checking the relevant box on the application form.
What should the personal statement include?
The personal statement is an opportunity for students to tell us about themselves, and why they would be a good fit for the scholarship.
What happens after we apply?
Short-listed candidates will be called for an interview with the SMF team. After the interview, The decision of SMF will be final and SMF is under no obligation to provide reasons for selecting or rejecting candidates.
Last updated: 9 May, 2024
