NEW DELHI/AIZAWL: Hmangaihzuali, daughter of a smallholder farmer in Mizoram is among five successful recipients of a scholarship for admission to prestigious Asian University for Women (AUW) in Bangladesh.
Global agriculture firm Syngenta said in a statement that the $375,000 (Rs 2.8 cr) scholarship will cover tuition, room and board, health coverage, textbooks, and supplies along with possibility of internship opportunities from Syngenta.
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Hmangaihzuali, a resident of Thingsul in Mizoram’s Aizawl district will pursue undergraduate program in Politics, Philosophy & Economics, & Public Health at the all-women university, that endeavours to nurture skilled, effective and innovative professionals.
“Despite coming from a poor farming family, I am privileged to have been enrolled for this prestigious program at Bangladesh. I always dreamt of going to a good university, and thanks to Syngenta, my dream has turned true,” said Hmangaihzuali.
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Syngenta managing director Rafael Del Rio said, “This initiative is in recognition of the significant economic contributions of women in agriculture and is aligned to the commitments of AUW and Syngenta in expanding opportunities to help rural women succeed.”
Recipients of Syngenta scholarship are selected from interested students from farming communities based on their academic excellence and demonstrated leadership.
Of the five-year period scholarship, students will devote an entire year to learning English under AUW’s rubric of ‘Pathways for Promise’.
They will spend the second year at the Access Academy for further academic preparation for all core academic subjects, and the last three years will be devoted to completing a US accreditation-eligible undergraduate program.
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Pamela Gonzalez, Head of Asia Group and APAC Head of Diversity & Inclusion said that rural women are key to achieving the transformational economic, environmental and social changes required for sustainable development.
But limited access to credit, healthcare and education are among the many challenges they face, which are further aggravated by the global food and economic crises and climate change, he said.
He said that empowering rural women is key not only to the well-being of individuals, families, and rural communities, but also to overall economic productivity, given women’s large presence in the agricultural workforce worldwide.
“Syngenta and the Asian University for Women are empowering these rural women to become leaders of tomorrow with right access to quality education,” he added.
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About Syngenta
Syngenta is one of the world’s leading agriculture companies, helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources.
Its ambition is to help safely feed the world while taking care of the planet.
The company aims to improve the sustainability, quality and safety of agriculture with world class science and innovative crop solutions.
It works in more than 100 countries to transform how crops are grown.
Through partnerships, collaboration and The Good Growth Plan the company is committed to accelerating innovation for farmers and nature, striving for regenerative agriculture, helping people stay safe and healthy and partnering for impact.
About Asian University for Women (AUW)
Established in 2008 and located in Chittagong, Bangladesh, AUW is the first of its kind: a regional institution dedicated to women’s education and leadership development through liberal arts and sciences education.
It is international in outlook but rooted in the contexts and aspirations of the people of Asia. Chartered by the Parliament of Bangladesh, AUW exists solely to support a rising network of women leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers from across the region.
It seeks out women who show significant academic achievement and potential, demonstrate courage and a sense of outrage at injustice, and are empathic to the woes of other people.
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1160 students from 17 countries currently attend AUW.
More than 85 per cent of AUW students are on full or near-full scholarships funded by supporters from around the world.
Over a thousand students have graduated from the University till date.
A majority of AUW graduates secure employment in the private and public sectors in their home countries while about 25 per cent go on to pursue graduate studies at other institutions of higher learning including Oxford, Cambridge, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, Columbia, Duke, Brandeis and Tufts, among others.