On 24 September, King’s College London (KCL) announced the Dr Maisara Alrayyes Scholarship for Palestinian postgraduate students, to be introduced for the 2025-26 academic year.
The scholarship is designed to provide funding to one Palestinian student each year to pursue an MSc in a “health or health science subject”.
The scholarship seeks to support who share Dr. Alrayyes’s dedication to improving health outcomes, with a particular focus on women’s and children’s health.
Between 2019 and 2020, Dr Alrayyes completed for a master’s degree in Women and Children’s Health at KCL under the prestigious Chevening Scholarship.
After completing his degree, Dr Alrayyes returned to Gaza, Palestine and joined a humanitarian organisation, Médecins du Monde, to develop trauma care centres and manage emergency doctor training.
He was killed on 5 November 2023 alongside other family members by an Israeli airstrike. He is survived by his wife, Laura Elhayek, who is also a Chevening scholar.
Though the preferred criteria for the scholarship list a Palestinian medicine graduate applying for a health-related master’s degree, it is also possible that an applicant from a forced-migration background, may be successful in their application. Successful applicants shall receive:
- a full tuition fee waiver;
- a living allowance of £20,000 for their year of study;
- VISA and travel costs.
Students applying for this scholarship are also advised to indicate their interest in the Sanctuary Scholarship, for which they may also be eligible. Both scholarships are set to open for applications in early 2025.
A King’s College London spokesperson said:
“Together with Dr Alrayyes’s family, friends and colleagues, King’s has established The Dr Maisara Alrayyes Scholarship to honour his commitment to improving healthcare for women and children by supporting future students who share his ambitions, and in line with King’s vision of making the world a better place. The scholarship will be managed by King’s Sanctuary Programme. Formed in 2015 in response to the global issue of forced displacement, the Sanctuary Programme harnesses King’s expertise in education and remote learning, world-class research and existing partnerships to initiate and lead on projects that create positive opportunities for forcibly displaced people from around the world.”
