Fellowships have been awarded to 83 college graduates studying problems in Asia and the Near and Middle East, the Ford Foundation announced last night. Four University students were among those receiving awards.

Richard W. Rabinowitz 2G, of New Haven, Connecticut, was granted a fellowship to study two years in Japan.

Thomas W. Ayers 4G, of Cambridge, received a two-year fellowship to continue his studies on Japan and China at the University.

William Persen 6G, of Worcester, Massachusetts, will study for one year at the American University of Beirut.

A Research Fellow, Dr. Herbert F. Schurmann, at the Harvard-Yenching Institute, received the fourth local award to continue his studies on Turkey, Persia and Japan for the next two years.

The purpose of the Ford program is "to stimulate increased knowledge of certain foreign areas and to help meet the urgent need throughout those critical areas for large numbers of men and women well qualified in business, education, government, agriculture, labor relations and the Professions," according to chairman of the board Gordon Gray.