Prof Mushtak: Reaching out to the underserved and reducing inequality is not an act of charity but of responsibility.
Heriot-Watt University Malaysia to sponsor 200 students from low-income families
PROVIDING equal access to education for the underserved communities is a collective responsibility.
With this in mind, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia (HWUM) provost and chief executive officer Prof Mushtak Al-Atabi announced that the varsity will provide 200 scholarships for students from the low-income (B40) community.
Known as the 1821 Appeal – Leaders with Impact Scholarship, the initiative is in commemoration of Heriot-Watt University’s 200th anniversary since its founding in Scotland.
“Applicants will not be chosen based on their academic excellence.
“As a matter of fact, we are accepting people who just about meet the entry requirements because the scholarship’s aim is to widen participation and access to education as the idea is to enable people to have an education,” he said during the scholarship’s launch last month.
Successful candidates will enjoy a full scholarship with living expenses covered.
Applicants will have to share their purpose and how they aim to make the world a better place during the interview, Prof Mushtak said, adding that the varsity is in search of students who will be leaders with an impact on themselves, their families, communities, Malaysia and the world.
“Reaching out to the underserved and reducing inequality is not an act of charity but of responsibility.
“Only by equipping people to help themselves will we be able to make a difference,” he said.
The scholarship is open for the university’s foundation and undergraduate programmes.
HWUM also signed a memorandum of agreement with FWD Takaful Berhad and Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) as partners for the scholarship.FWD Takaful and HWUM will co-sponsor up to five students each year, from this year until 2024, for the Actuarial Science undergraduate programme.
The contribution will also cover the cost of living for the full duration of their studies.
Meanwhile, Yayasan TAR and the varsity will co-sponsor six students over the next three years.
The foundation will collaborate with HWUM to support selected secondary school students from underrepresented communities to pursue their higher education at the varsity.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Noraini Ahmad applauded the varsity’s efforts and commitment towards developing holistic individuals beyond academic excellence.
In her speech, which was read by Higher Education Ministry director-general Prof Datuk Dr Husaini Omar, she shared that the ministry too had introduced a programme called the Siswa Sulung Keluarga Malaysia Development Programme, which is catered for B40 students who are the first in their families to pursue higher education.
“One of the important areas and targets for education, as tabled in the 12th Malaysia Plan, includes prioritising the needs of students in the B40 and M40 groups, and ensuring equal access to high-quality education and scholarship opportunities.
“Through (this) programme, students are given access to public universities, and offered scholarships and mentoring until they gain employment.
“We are very pleased to see that a global university such as Heriot-Watt University Malaysia is committed to supporting the government’s efforts in providing scholarships, such as the 1821 Appeal – Leaders with Impact Scholarship, for students from underserved communities to uplift their lives through quality UK education that will enable them to enrich their lives and attain gainful employment,” she added.
Also present at the launch was British High Commissioner to Malaysia Charles Hay.
