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TATA International Africa Thursday handed over donations to worthy causes, as well as scholarships to 32 deserving young postgraduate students from four South African universities, to the value of R2.4 million, at the 2021 Tata International Africa Scholarship Programme Virtual Handover Event.
The universities include the University of the Free State, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Nelson Mandela University and the University of the Witwatersrand. The scholarship handovers are usually held on university campuses at their graduation ceremonies. However, this year, they were held together virtually, due to the pandemic.
The online event was an exciting and motivating affair, comprising a performance by the Quavo Vocal Group and an inspirational keynote address from TATA International Africa’s CEO, Len Brand. Representatives from each university also gave addresses and pre-recorded messages of gratitude and encouragement from scholarship recipients from previous years were screened.
“Today we honour some of South Africa’s brightest and most promising young minds, potential future leaders that we hope will serve and uplift communities in the years to come”, said Brand.
“Education is extremely empowering and transformative. It has an amazing ripple effect, with the potential to not only uplift individuals, but also the communities in which they live and work, and ultimately society at large. Our objective is to help increase the number of young people primed to take up leadership roles in business, government, and civil society. We are committed to empowering and transforming lives through education which is one of the key components of the TATA business values and its belief system,” Brand added.
Professor Kroukamp from the University of the Free State provided the following motivating quote; “Recognise that the world is hungry for action, not words. Act with courage and vision. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. You can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom”.
The scholarships are given to beneficiaries who have a proven academic track record during their graduate years. All fields of study as well as faculties are taken into consideration. Students must be accepted via the respective university’s academic or development foundation and must pass the university’s academic criteria for acceptance.
The amount that each student receives covers the student’s tuition fees, stipend (living costs), books and accommodation for the year of study. TATA postgraduate scholarships contribute to the country’s objective of increasing the number of postgraduate scholars primed to take up leadership positions in business, government and civil society in the country.
Recipients are not contractually bound to TATA once they complete their studies. The students are free to pursue whichever direction they want to.
TATA International Africa’s full CSR programme comprises projects aimed at community development and environmental preservation. Having a strong CSR programme is a core principle of the company and supports the tradition of community and nation building started by Jamsetji Tata himself, in communities across the world where TATA has business operations.
In addition to the scholarship handovers, a donation of R120 000 was made to Operation Smile South Africa (OSSA). TATA’s relationship with OSSA dates back to 2015 during which time donations have exceeded half a million rand, and at least 12 children per year have been supported with operations at no cost to their families.
“Our donations are a token of our ongoing support for the work OSSA does. We believe in the future of our children and through this support we have faith that we can assist in making joy visible through their smiles. We are very proud to be in the position to support such a meaningful and life-enhancing programme,” says Brand.
TATA International Africa also announced the launch of a new CSR initiative called the TATA International Africa Postgraduate Internship Programme. This is a fully-paid internship available to recipients of the 2021 Postgraduate Scholarship Programme and for which applications are now open.
“It is well known in business environments that internships provide a viable route for many graduates to a job, with many employers making job offers soon after the internship has finished. These internships will be specific to a skillset deployed by the company within the following divisions: Marketing, Human Resources, Finance Management and Administration, Public Relations contenders and Project Management. These will assist interns to gain valuable practical and marketable skills and knowledge. We are hopeful that they will develop in-demand skills, strong life and career plans, connections to mentors, and a network of supportive peers to help them.
“The TATA Postgraduate Scholarship Programme is one of our flagship corporate social responsibility initiatives and these handovers are a highlight of our year. We understand you cannot completely replace the experience of the in-person ceremonies we had planned. However, in light of the current circumstances, we hope today’s virtual ceremony demonstrates just how important this programme, and all our other CSR initiatives, are to us,” said Brand.
