The international composition of the cohorts is at the very heart of every EMJM program, therefore everybody is welcome to apply for taking part in the study program, regardless of nationality. The first three cohorts of PROMISE comprise 22 nationalities and we like all of them. Having them close together for two full years while transforming into a close knit union of friends and colleagues is a core strength of such a program.
However, receiving one of the scholarships (21 in each intake of PROMISE) is a competitive challenge, and the allocation of the EMJM scholarships to nationalities needs to obey geographical balance. This rule applies to ALL programs with EM scholarships.
Not having been offered a scholarship from PROMISE has been read by some applicants as being an act of discrimination based on their nationalities. This is definitely not the case and the misunderstanding has likely been triggered by the wording of the notification email.
Also, not receiving a scholarship does not have any effect on the eligibility for becoming a self-funded student of PROMISE. This depends only on qualification, availability of study places and the willingness to raise sufficient funds independently.