Qalaa Holdings believes that the private sector should take an active role in affecting positive change in all branches of Egyptian society. The Qalaa Holdings Scholarship Foundation (QHSF) was founded in 2007 with this belief in mind and as a part of the company’s commitment to education and human capital development in Egypt and across the region.
To ensure the program’s sustainability, we established an endowment to support the activities of the Foundation. Today QHSF has grown to become the largest private sector funded scholarship program in Egypt. Despite economic and political challenges, every year since 2007 QHSF has been giving 15-20 of Egypt’s brightest students the chance to pursue graduate studies abroad at leading global universities in the U.S. and Europe on the condition that they return to work in Egypt after the completion of their studies. By providing youth from cities in 15 governorates throughout Egypt with opportunities we are enabling them to make a positive impact on the economic and social well-being of the country. During their time abroad, scholarship recipients gain critical thinking skills, professional qualifications, and international connections that equip them to make a pivotal impact when they return to Egypt.
Since 2007, we have provided more than 200 students across 17 scholarship rounds with the opportunity to pursue masters and doctoral degrees at top universities across the world including Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge, Columbia and Wharton to name a few. Recognizing the crucial link between diversity and innovation, we have sought out talented young men and women from 15 different provinces across the country. Our students have a diverse array of passions and have pursued degrees in fields ranging from filmmaking, anthropology, and art to law, business, engineering, and medicine.
We are exceptionally proud of our QHSF Alumni, who have graduated to become pioneers involved in cutting-edge business and cultural initiatives that are transforming our country’s future. Among the recepients of our first round of scholarships is Hisham Wahaby who obtained an MBA from Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and returned to launch one of three early-stage venture capital firms in Egypt. Randa Fahmy, a 2012-13 QHSF recipient, obtained an MA in Sustainable Engineering from Cambridge University in the UK. Today, she is the co-founder and R&D manager of KarmSolar, an off-grid technology company developing local solar energy infrastructure. These are just two examples of how these inspirational young leaders are making difference. For more information on our program and our scholars please visit: