Maybank Foundation today awarded full scholarships to 51 deserving students to pursue their dreams locally or abroad at top public and private universities for 2013. These scholars were meticulously shortlisted from a total of 6,931 applications received this year. A key annual CR initiative by Maybank Foundation, the Maybank Scholarship Award aims to assist deserving students from Pre-University/Foundation studies up to degree level at local and overseas institutions.
Maybank has allocated some RM30 million throughout the duration of the courses for the new scholarship holders this year. The Maybank Scholarship encompasses financial support including tuition fees, living allowances, a laptop and paid practical training for the scholars. The bank also nurtures the scholars with development programmes to develop them professionally and personally for a rewarding career with the Maybank Group. The scholarship award scheme is part of the Group‟s commitment in supporting the country‟s human capital development as well as enabling deserving students pursue their dreams, with an emphasis on academically excellent students from lower income families.
The scholarships were presented by Maybank Chairman, Tan Sri Dato‟ Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor at a special ceremony in Menara Maybank. Also present was Nora Abdul Manaf, Head of Group Human Capital, Maybank. The deserving recipients attended the event accompanied by their parents and guardians.
In his speech at the awards presentation ceremony, Tan Sri Dato‟ Megat Zaharuddin Megat Mohd Nor said, “The Maybank Scholarship Award is part of Maybank‟s social responsibility
towards education. It is central to our educational initiatives to recognise and assist deserving students to excel in their studies. We believe deserving achievers should not be constrained by lack of financial means to excel.”
Each year, the Group invests considerably in driving education at all levels including Maybank employees. Similarly in Indonesia, Bank Internasional Indonesia (BII) Maybank also offers scholarships to underprivileged students from 33 provinces to study at top universities in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Our scholarship award is an essential part of the Group‟s human capital development programme offering scholars upon their graduation, an opportunity to work with the Maybank Group.” added Tan Sri Dato‟ Megat Zaharuddin.
Some of the scholars will be enrolling at international premier Universities like the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, London School of Economics, University of Chicago or University of Melbourne. The Award also accepts those pursuing degrees in non-financial disciplines which include among other law, psychology, engineering, Shariah, and International Relations.
This year, the Maybank Scholarship includes one full scholarship for a female student to pursue a degree course at an established Asian University for Women (AUW), Chittagong, Bangladesh. She will undergo a 4-year course in Biology Sciences there.
Maybank‟s support for educational programmes goes beyond the Scholarship Awards as the Bank has numerous other initiatives to help promote excellence in education. These include adoption of 15 schools under the school adoption programme, providing „Back-to-school‟ financial assistance to eligible staff to defray education costs for their school-going children or those entering first-year Diploma or Degree courses locally, academic-excellence award for account holders and children employees as well as training and development programmes for its 47,000 employees.
Maybank Foundation is the regional arm of Maybank which executes its corporate responsibility (CR) initiatives and serves as a platform to engage with communities wherever the Group Operates.