Stephen Young Global Leaders’ Scholarship winners announced
The Stephen Young Institute at the University of Strathclyde Business School is delighted to announce the three recipients of the 2023 Stephen Young Global Leaders’ Scholarships (SYGL) award.
These exceptional candidates will receive a generous fees and stipend scholarship to support them on the 2023/24 Strathclyde MBA programme. The SYGL scholarship received a large number of high calibre applications in its inaugural year and, after undertaking a rigorous selection process, scholarships have been awarded to:
Hachikaru Karen Chukwu (Nigeria): an entrepreneurial lawyer with a strong focus on social impact and ambitious plans for growing her digital legal service in Africa.
Angeline Otiende Ondeng’e (Kenya): a CPA from Kenya who has spent several years working in non-profit NGOs on poverty alleviation based in Kenya and Germany.
Dr Vijay Venkoba Rao (India): a chief scientist in an Indian biotechnology company working on solutions for a range of diseases including Alzheimer's and who aims to complement his first class science qualifications with the management skills from the Strathclyde MBA.
Professor Emma Macdonald, Director of the Stephen Young Institute said, “All three applicants impressed the panel with their drive and vision to make a positive impact on the world. We look forward to welcoming them to the Stephen Young Institute as our inaugural cohort of Stephen Young Global Leaders.”
The scholarships are available thanks to the generous donation from alumnus and business leader Dr Charles Huang who gave £50 million to the University in September 2021 from his philanthropic foundation. The gift is the largest Strathclyde has ever received and is set to transform the lives of students and the global communities we serve in a number of ways - including the scholarships.
Dr Huang gained his MBA from Strathclyde in 1989 and his PhD in Marketing in 1994. He is a global business leader and founder and chairman of Pasaca Capital Inc, a California-based private equity firm established in 2016 with a global focus on investing into innovative technologies and products.
The donation was made as a token of gratitude to the UK for the scholarship and education opportunity Dr Huang received at Strathclyde and also to honour Professor Stephen Young, a former Head of the Department of Marketing and Dr Huang’s supervisor and mentor during his PhD studies.
The Stephen Young Global Leaders’ Scholarship is just one of the initiatives funded through this donation. It will fund up to five scholarships each year for scholars of exceptional merit undertaking the Strathclyde MBA on a full-time study basis (one year) in Glasgow. In exceptional cases, it may also fund taught (one year) Masters courses taught in Glasgow.
The Scholarship aims to develop global leaders and talented individuals in society and business. Alongside their MBA/Masters studies, each scholar will also benefit from enhanced leadership elements via the Stephen Young Institute including as part of the wider Stephen Young community.
Overall, the gift will enable the University to grow its work with business, industry and the public sector to tackle major challenges of our time, develop the next generation of students, and support Scotland and the UK’s recovery from the pandemic.
£30m of the transformational gift will support the construction of a new building named after Dr Charles Huang in the University’s Technology and Innovation Zone in the heart of Glasgow City Innovation District. The remaining £20m is set aside for the creation of The Stephen Young Institute, The Stephen Young Global Leaders Scholarship Programme and The Stephen Young Entrepreneurship Awards, all of which stimulate business creation and ultimately support the economy.
For further information, please go to https://www.strath.ac.uk/whystrathclyde/charleshuangfoundation/
Published: 6 November 2023