hajam.ai
21 September 2026

Education

Villa College has been designated as an official centre providing fully funded undergraduate fellowships under the King's Commonwealth Fellowship Programme (KCFP), and the opportunity to apply for five degree programmes at the college was opened on 21 September 2026 in collaboration with the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). Villa College's Vice Rector, Associate Professor Dr. Ali Najeeb, stated that the deadline to apply for these opportunities, under which studies are scheduled to commence in 2027, is 14 October 2026.

Villa College has been designated as the host institution in the Maldives for the "King's Commonwealth Fellowship Programme," an initiative led by King Charles III of the United Kingdom and administered by the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), and has opened up study opportunities. Under this fully-funded fellowship aimed at Small Island Developing States (SIDS) of the Commonwealth, Villa College offers pathways to pursue undergraduate degrees across five vital fields: Nursing, Primary and Special Educational Needs Teaching, as well as Civil, Mechanical, and Electrical & Electronics Engineering. Villa College is the sole institution selected from the Maldives to host the program's undergraduate pathway. The primary objective of this opportunity is to assist in building the human resource capacity necessary to address development challenges and overcome the impacts of climate change faced by small island nations.

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Also in this edition

Politics

An issue came to light regarding the GDh. Gadhdhoo Council unlawfully issuing more than 1,600 licences without tests, leading to the suspension of the land and sea vessel licensing services provided by the council on 21 September 2026 and the commencement of an investigation in collaboration with relevant authorities. Former President Abdulla Yameen and former Vice President Dr. Mohamed Jameel Ahmed have directed strong political criticisms at the policies of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's government. The Criminal Court has ruled that the case regarding a 2,000 Rufiyaa scam carried out through the Instagram account 'Madadhaa' was not proven, as the prosecution failed to prove a connection between the accused and the account. The Civil Court has determined the transaction to be valid following Malé City Mayor Adam Azim gifting his share from the 871.25-square-foot plot of land at H. Maadhoofiyaa, which was in his ownership, to his wife, Aishath Nasheeda.

Economy

Minister Dr. Abdulla Muththalib signed the commercial terms agreement for the approximately $20 billion "Maldives Waterfront and Marina" project being developed in Ras Male' with Abu Dhabi's Eagle Hills company on 21 September 2026. Russian tour operator Tez Tour has launched new tourism packages specially for the Maldives. Under the China-Maldives Free Trade Agreement, arrangements have been made to exempt duty and import 296 varieties of fish exported from the Maldives to China at zero percent tariff. Former President Mohamed Nasheed, on 21 September 2026, called on audit firms to publicly disclose the true financial figures of the Bank of Maldives, alleging that foreign exchange shortages have worsened and customer deposits are being used to service debt.

Health

Targeted at improving infant care and health, the "NeoCare 2026" symposium, organized jointly by Hulhumalé Hospital, the Ministry of Health, WHO, and STO Healthcare with 50 participants from 19 health centres, commenced at Meeruma from 21 to 23 September 2026, and was officially inaugurated by First Lady Sajidha Mohamed. Meanwhile, a 16-year-old Maldivian girl who was injured after falling from the third floor of Amaan Udhares Tower 2 in Hulhumalé Phase 2 was transferred to IGMH after receiving treatment at Hulhumalé Hospital, and police have urged the public not to circulate videos of the incident.