This year, DFL welcomes three new scholars at Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), one of our longest standing academic partners in Europe. Meet them and get to know their stories:
Meet Hala Elhassan
Hala Elhassan is DFL’s first Sudanese scholar who just began a Master’s in Economic Science in Brussels.
Born and originally raised in South Africa, Hala’s family moved back to Sudan when she was 13 years old, which was when she had her first opportunity to connect with the local culture. After setting down new roots, her family relocated again, this time in pursuit of safety after the outbreak of war in 2023. She moved to Suez, Egypt, bringing along her observations from a well-travelled life across two continents.
A Future Leader, Uplifting Community Voices
Living in different countries and witnessing the devastating effects of war on civilian life was the catalyst for emerging interests from economic conditions, to public policymaking to the logistics behind humanitarian mobilizations. In particular, Hala began to analyze regional differences, comparing the economic realities and quality of life between Sudan and South Africa as someone with firsthand experience of both countries.
Despite the disruptions brought by war, Hala completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Medical Sciences and Technology in Sudan, graduating with distinction and an exceptional 4.96 GPA. As she looked toward the next stage of her education, her interest in the ways economic conditions shape people’s lives continued to grow, ultimately leading her to pursue graduate studies.
As she explored graduate programs at universities around the world, ULB’s Master’s in Economic Science stood out to Hala as an opportunity to explore questions that had shaped her thinking for years, while deepening her expertise and developing the research skills needed to pursue them.
While seeking funding pathways, Hala discovered DFL and was delighted to find how closely the Foundation’s mission aligned with her personal values. In particular, Hala expressed a hope to make a meaningful social impact and looks to Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, founder of DFL, as a key role model in making a difference in the MENA region.
When reflecting on her scholarship, Hala shared that her DFL Scholarship, awarded in summer 2026, gave her the confidence to pursue ambitions that once felt out of reach. By connecting her to an institution like ULB, and offering a built-in support system, she shared that her concerns have been fully alleviated, and that she looks to the year ahead with renewed confidence and drive.
After her graduation, she plans to launch a career as an analyst or a researcher with the goal of designing evidence-based policies that serve vulnerable populations. Hala deeply believes in the power of centering community needs, and intends to become an amplifying voice to make sure every citizen feels fully heard, and has their concerns reflected at the decision-making table.
Meet Salma Zanoun
Egyptian scholar Salma Zanoun also recently arrived in Brussels and is pursuing her Master’s in Bioinformatics and Modelling at ULB. Her graduate degree aims to build on her professional pharmacy and scientific research-based background. 
After building considerable professional experience in medical research, Salma shared that her work has widened her understanding of what technology makes possible in healthcare. Highly technical and passionate about her field, she shared how excited she was about contributing to work that saves lives.
A Brilliant Mind, Chasing Innovative Health Solutions
Learning more about how computational tools demystify diseases was a turning point for Salma’s intellectual journey. She learned how some tools lead to breakthroughs in advancing cancer treatments and enable personalized healthcare plans, her curiosity organically led her to the specialized field of bioinformatics. At the intersection of biology and technology, bioinformatics seeks to address complex healthcare challenges by bridging gaps and working towards modern solutions.
As an undergraduate student, Salma embraced every opportunity to learn. She enjoyed collaborating with her peers, exchanging knowledge and was eager to learn from others both inside and outside the classroom. The difficulty was that there were limited opportunities to materially pursue bioinformatics in Egypt and the cost of studying abroad was prohibitively high without support.
After learning about her passion to make a career transition, it was Salma’s professor who pushed her to apply to the DFL Scholarship Program during the 2026 cycle, bringing a potentially life-changing opportunity to her attention. Once she learned more, she found that it would be a good fit, blending academic opportunity with mentorship, community and the chance to strengthen her leadership skills.
Although moving abroad for the first time comes with challenges, Salma shared that one of her top goals is to make the most of this opportunity. Beyond the classroom, integrate with the local community, participate in cultural exchanges, while representing DFL as a thoughtful, future-forward thinker and STEM leader in the making.
Meet Hala Al-Arid
DFL’s third scholar to be awarded a scholarship to attend ULB is Hala Al-Arid from Palestine. Hala will be enrolling in the Master’s of Computer Science program as an extension of the academic project she began in her Bachelor’s degree.
Hala’s academic journey is one defined by determination. As a young girl who grew up in a refugee camp in Lebanon, she attended an UNRWA-run secondary school which faced significant and ongoing resource shortages. Often, students didn’t have consistent access to materials or equipment. Simultaneously, women often faced the additional hurdle of cultural disadvantage and gendered expectations.
A Determined Spirit, Achieving Success and Overcoming Doubt
When it came time for Hala and her peers to start thinking about university, she shared that the advice the admissions office had for her was to “pick something easy”, given that she was a young woman.
Instead of allowing herself to be defined by stereotypes, Hala instead decided to challenge herself, selecting Computer Science as her undergraduate major. She resolved to prove to herself that she could excel in a demanding and highly technical field, despite any doubts and in the face of limited technology.
Although she faced academic and extracurricular challenges, Hala excelled throughout university, volunteered extensively and mentored fellow students. She invested in additional courses despite the extra cost, believing that boosting her knowledge would better equip her to solve real-world problems. After six years of searching for scholarship opportunities, Hala discovered DFL and was immediately moved by the stories of past DFL Scholars and Alumni.
“These girls are just like me,” She said, “We come from different countries, but I see myself in all of them.”
As a refugee, she had often worried that the circumstances she faced would overshadow her achievements or make her appear less accomplished in scholarship applications. Those experience were what set DFL’s application process apart. Rather than feeling defined by the hardships she had experienced, Hala felt encouraged to share her story authentically and with dignity. Receiving a DFL Scholarship affirmed that her experiences did not diminish her potential, but were part of the journey that brought her to where she is today.
“I felt that DFL’s questions were crafted thoughtfully, and were natural for me to complete without sugarcoating my life as a refugee to be palatable,” Hala explained during her interview. “I applied with my real face and story, and getting accepted meant that the person I am is good and enough.”
Through her graduate studies at ULB, Hala hopes to use her technical expertise to solve the local issues she grew up with and other issues globally. As she prepares for her first international trip abroad, Hala is excited to experience Belgium’s culture, beauty and diversity while studying at one of Europe’s leading universities.