As a global organization serving an international student body, the Intercultural Open University Foundation (IOUF) is sensitive to how challenging it is for adults to return to school to further their education. Our learners are generally well established in their careers and often aged 40-plus. They usually have families to tend and charitable interests to promote. And they all contribute to making their communities, if not the whole world, a better place.
The language of learning at IOUF is English and this is not always the mother tongue of our learners. This makes the achievement of a PhD degree an even greater accomplishment.
Sometimes our learners live in countries where internet access – an important factor in working towards a distributed education degree — is inconsistently available. But they are a persistent group with strong motivation to add value in the world; they view an IOUF degree as a way to strengthen their efforts to do so.
Staff and faculty at IOUF mirror this desire to contribute. All have devoted their time and energy to improving the world we live in; none receive compensation for their work on behalf of IOUF learners.
Education is expensive no matter where you live and in order to help make the dream of a PhD degree a reality for more worthy candidates, the IOUF offers three different types of scholarship. They are:
- The Dr. Jan R. Hakemulder Scholarship for Social Change.
Jan R. Hakemulder, PhD, was the founder and President of Intercultural Open University Foundation. He also served as a United Nations Chief Technical Adviser to Kenya and Ethiopia where he devoted his life to helping impoverished people in the developing world.
IOU Foundation offers scholarships in his honor to learners that are actively involved in social change programs. Scholarships range from 1,000 to 5,000 Eurodollars in value.
- The Dr. Sebastian Devasia (Asiananda) Scholarship for Peace
Dr. Sebastian Devasia (Asiananda) was a Professor of Philosophy and holder of the Sri Aurobindi Chair of Human Unity at IOU Foundation. He was a respected author and scholar in peace studies and he founded the India Unity Forum in Germany. In concert with Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, he called for the first global convention for people of Indian origin, held in 1989.
IOU Foundation awards scholarships in his honor to learners who are social change agents actively promoting world peace, and who support the philosophy of nonviolence as a means to promote peace. Scholarships range from 1,000 to 5,000 Eurodollars in value.
- The Dr. Fay Hakemulder Scholarships for Gender Related Issues
Fay Hakemulder, PhD, together with her husband Jan R. Hakemulder, PhD, established the Intercultural Open University Foundation in 1988. Fay Hakemulder has a long and respected background as a tireless supporter of improvements to education in numerous African and Asian countries. She served as a technical advisor to the UN in Kenya and has held many educational appointments throughout her career.
In Fay Hakemulder’s honor, IOU Foundation offers scholarships to learners who are actively involved in social change work that gives women worldwide an opportunity for personal empowerment and well being. Scholarships range from 1,000 to 5,000 Eurodollars in value.
If you feel a PhD degree would help you carry out your mission in the world, and you would like more interested in how the IOU Foundation can help you do so, we invite you to contact us for more information about scholarships.