Mr. Börje Wallberg, Sida consultant, recently completed a
Sida-funded review of Sida support to master’s scholarships Program
2004-2008. The purpose of the review was to make an assessment of the
Sida funded scholarship program, its relevance, effectiveness and
cost-efficiency as compared with other education programs, as well as
to make a study and give recommendations to Sida of the AIT proposal
for a new program for the period 2009-2011. Aside from the review of
the scholarships, Mr. Wallberg also undertook an assessment of the
systems connecting the scholarship program with the Institute’s field
programs, like the Aquaculture Outreach Program (AOP) and the wider
Wetlands Alliance Program (WAP).
Since the end of the 1980s, Sida has had a very close cooperation with
AIT, and this support has encompassed different components of higher
education and research, that have been important for the effectiveness
of Swedish bilateral aid programs in countries, like Vietnam, Laos and
Cambodia and in regional programs and regional cooperation. Some of the
conclusions and recommendations from Mr. Wallberg’s report on the Sida
funded scholarship program included:
- The proposal made by a task force at AIT is of high quality and the
requests made therein and objectives set are realistic. The institute
has already for years proven that it can manage a program of this kind
with great skills and very good results. AIT’s Asia-Africa initiative
is a very positive step that could be actively utilized in Sida-funded
programs in Africa. - The cost-effectiveness of AIT in all examples above has been very
high. - Master’s education at AIT is by no means expensive, but rather at
an average level for the region and much less in comparison with
European universities. - The relevance of the education programs at AIT has always been
high, but is even higher today in the soaring economic development of
the region. The need for natural resources management, environment
protection, for gender equality and poverty alleviation will increase.
In this development, the education programs at AIT will become even
more relevant. - The Sida-funded scholarship program has been carried out in
accordance with the agreement between Sida and AIT. The relevance of
the scholarship programs at AIT is still, as it has always been,
high.
If evaluated against effects on development and efficiency it can now,
after twenty years, be said that it has been more than worth its price
to support scholarships for the bilateral cooperation countries. AIT’s
education programs fit well into the framework of Swedish development
goals. In a future, regional context they will become even more
relevant because of the international profile and regional role of
AIT.
- AIT’s contribution to competence development and capacity building
in South-East Asia has been of outmost importance. During the last two
decades, the institute has been the academic institution that has
contributed most to the fulfillment of the development goals of
national capacity building and of building new ways of cooperation
between countries. - The combination of timing with national developments, its
international status and profile and the quality of education, are
cited as the most important reasons, why the AIT scholarship programs
have been so successful. - Gender is now a crosscutting issue at AIT. The great majority of
graduates leaving the university will somehow have been exposed to
gender issues. The cost effectiveness of the education programs go way
beyond mere professional learning. It is the international approach and
the possibility to study and work with students from other countries
that is generally highlighted by former students. In addition to their
professional education, they have learnt to work together over
national, political religious and language barriers. This has formed
their thinking and improved their attitudes. For such education for a
young person at an age, when there is still so much to be developed,
AIT has no competitor. There are few places, where the potential to
spread the gender message to a larger number of students in South-East
Asia is greater.