The Asian University for Women (AUW) and Syngenta Asia Pacific on Wednesday announced that Syngenta will sponsor $375,000 in scholarship fees for five female students from January 2022 to December 2026.
These five students have been selected from the minor communities of India and Bangladesh based on their academic excellence and demonstrated leadership.
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, said a statement.
Syngenta’s scholarship will cover tuition, room and board, health, textbooks, and supplies for five students.
Of the five-year scholarship period, 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 programme.
Pamela Gonzalez, Head of Asia Group and APAC Head of Diversity & Inclusion said, “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. Syngenta and the Asian University for Women are empowering these rural women to become leaders of tomorrow with right access to quality education. I personally look forward to the possibilities of this scholarship with internship opportunities and more for these young students at Syngenta.”
Syngenta Bangladesh Managing Director AMM Golam Towhid said, “Education is the fundamental right of every girl in Bangladesh, we are gradually advancing in this sector. However, active participation in the field of higher education for women is extremely challenging.”
Kamal Ahmad, Founder of the Asian University for Women said, “By dedicating scholarships to the daughters of landless agricultural workers, AUW joins Syngenta in lifting the curtain against that great divide and creating a pathway to discover and nurture the teeming talents that the tyranny of our divided societies otherwise suppress.”
