The Gulf Scholars Program (GSP) is proposed as a five year pilot project of the Board on Gulf Education and Engagement (BGEE), within the Gulf Research Program Division. It seeks to build the capacity of Gulf region colleges and universities to prepare the next generation to address critical challenges in the region. GSP students will pursue complementary academic experiences in the core focus areas of the GRP – community health and resilience, environmental protection and stewardship, and offshore energy safety.

The GSP specifies key learning outcomes necessary for students to address these challenges, provides funding for participating schools, and supports the development of a region-wide network of GSP schools and students committed to the GRP’s vision of a safer, more resilient and sustainable Gulf region. The GSP learning outcomes are:

1. Knowledge of the Gulf Region: Knowledge of the region's human cultures and physical and natural worlds.

2. Multidisciplinary and integrative learning. Ability to connect knowledge from multiple disciplines, over time, built across college, community and life experiences.

3. Intercultural knowledge and competencies. Skills and characteristics that support effective and appropriate interaction in a variety of cultural contexts.

4. Social responsibility and ethical reasoning. In promoting the quality of civic life, equity, and sustainability of Gulf communities.

5. Innovation and entrepreneurialism. Ability to develop and implement innovative solutions and responses to major Gulf challenges.

6. Gulf Impact Project. A mentored research/creative project, focused on one or more of the core areas of the GRP.

Each participating institution will establish its own organizational structure and pathways of curricular, co- and extra-curricular activities for student engagement and learning.

The Board on Gulf Education and Engagement will evaluate the institutional and student outcomes over the five year pilot period to establish a robust and long-term GSP that can leave a legacy that lasts beyond the sunsetting of the GRP in 2043. GSP higher education partners will develop a network of alumni – a generation of Gulf Scholars – working in communities, businesses, non-profits and government sectors who are committed and prepared to realize a safer, more resilient, and sustainable future for the Gulf region.