Community Jameel and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announce enhanced financial support for refugees through the Jameel-Toyota Scholarship programme

• The Jameel-Toyota Scholarship provides financial support to undergraduate students from Saudi Arabia, Japan, and a catchment of countries in Africa and Asia, as well as Armenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina in Europe.
• Aspiring students from the catchment countries who self-identify as refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons or having been otherwise forcibly displaced will now have enhanced access to the scholarship’s support if admitted to MIT.

Community Jameel and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have announced they will offer enhanced access to financial support for refugees and displaced persons seeking to study at MIT through updated terms of the Abdul Latif Jameel-Toyota Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Established in 1994 by Community Jameel, the Jameel-Toyota Scholarship provides financial support to undergraduate students from Saudi Arabia and Japan, and a catchment of countries across Africa and Asia, as well as Armenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina in Europe. Mohammed Jameel KBE, founder of Community Jameel, is an alumnus of MIT. The scholarship is named to honour the long-standing and close relationship between the Jameel family and the Toyota Motor Corporation of Japan.

In the nearly three decades since its inception, the scholarship programme has facilitated nearly 200 scholars from across the world to complete undergraduate studies and realise their academic ambitions. Under the new terms, aspiring students from the catchment countries who self-identify as refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons or having been otherwise forcibly displaced, have enhanced access to the scholarship’s support if admitted to MIT.

Hassan Jameel, Vice Chairman of Community Jameel, said: “This scholarship holds a special place in my family’s heart. My father, Mohammed Jameel, the founder of Community Jameel, graduated from MIT and is a proud alumnus to this day. As an organisation, we are committed to helping aspiring students realise their potential, particularly those facing financial obstacles. With global volatility disproportionately affecting refugees, we want to make sure that they have the same opportunities as other students around the world.”

Melissa Nobles, MIT Chancellor, said: “The expansion of the Jameel-Toyota Scholarship is tremendous news and in keeping with our commitment to increasing access to the life-changing opportunities an MIT education affords young scholars. We are grateful to Community Jameel for their enduring generosity and, along with the Toyota Motor Corporation, their indispensable commitment to our students. We look forward to helping more Jameel-Toyota Scholars further their education and pursue their passions at MIT so that they can go on to make a lasting, positive difference in the world. 

Yumi Otsuka, Operating Officer and Chief Sustainability Officer at Toyota Motor Corporation, said: “We are delighted that Toyota has this opportunity to drive meaningful change in thelives of talented young students across the world, together with our trusted and respected partner, the Jameel family. The expansion of the scholarship programme to cover more countries and serve refugee students furthers its role in helping displaced families and disadvantaged communities achieve self-sufficiency and build a better future through durable solutions. The enhanced programme also supports Toyota’s deep-rooted commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to create a better, safer, and healthier world for all. This comes as part of our continuing drive to promote diversity and human rights, helping communities achieve a sustainable future and ensuring that no one is left behind.”

Refugee education is a common area of focus for Community Jameel and MIT. In 2019, Community Jameel and the MIT Abdul Latif Jameel World EducationLab collaborated with Save the Children, the Ministry of Education, Dubai Cares, and Hikma to launch the Transforming Refugee Education towards Excellence (TREE) programme, addressing the mental health and educational needs of students and teachers in Jordan, including Syrian refugees. TREE – also known as Ejada – uses an innovative approach to teaching that embeds compassionin the classroom and is tackling trauma—especially among Syrian children—to improve learning outcomes.

Today, Community Jameel and MIT are allied through four major research centres at the Institute—the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, the MIT Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab, the MIT Abdul Latif Jameel World Education Lab, and the MIT Jameel Clinic—and over the years have collaborated on a range of other initiatives.