India Tops Scholarship Program for Women in Travel and Tourism

MasterCard and U21Global this week confirmed the recipients of the MasterCard-U21Global scholarship program for women in travel and tourism.

Twenty women from Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa have been offered full scholarships to pursue the Postgraduate Diploma of Business Administration from U21Global, an online Graduate School.

India topped the list of recipients, with four women being awarded the scholarship, followed by Australia, the Philippines and Singapore, which had three recipients each.

The MasterCard Worldwide-U21Global Scholarship Program for Women in Travel and Tourism aims to empower working women professionals in the travel and tourism industry to stay ahead of industry trends and realize their full potential. Now in its fourth year, the program continued to attract strong interest from women across the region, especially from India and the Philippines, which had the highest number of applications.

The twenty recipients of the scholarship this year come from a diverse range of markets, including India, the Philippines, Korea, Australia, Singapore, the UAE, Hong Kong, China and Nepal. The recipients are from a variety of organizations, ranging from national tourism councils to hotels, airlines and travel agencies. Majority of them are insenior- to mid-level positions.

Swaty John, Learning & Development Manager at Taj Group of Hotels, India, said, “The course will provide me with a foundation for continued personal growth and career advancement whilst being able to maintain a work life balance since it is an e-learning on line programme. I believe that it will provide me with a leading edge to work effectively in diverse teams and situations and further energize me to look for opportunities of improvements in the organization I work for. I am eagerly looking forward to this self development which in turn will be instrumental in achieving the objectives and goals of my company at large.”

The course was developed by U21Global in conjunction with the Christel DeHaan Tourism and Travel Research Institute, a part of Nottingham University Business School. Students completing the Diploma can qualify for the University of Nottingham Master of Science in Tourism and Travel Management. The first batch of scholars of the program, from the Philippines, Singapore and India, completed the program in the first half of 2009.

Georgette Tan, vice president, Communications, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, MasterCard Worldwide, said, “The MasterCard-U21 Global Scholarship is part of MasterCard’s broader commitment to women’s advancement and we are delighted to see that the scholarship continues to be well received among female professionals in the travel and tourism industry. We believe that the interaction among the professionals from different regions during the course of the program will pave the way for a network of female professionals in the travel and tourism industry who can learn from each other and grow. With economies around the world just beginning to come out of difficult times, we hope that the program enables these professionals to better cater to the changed demands of the industry.”

This year’s scholarship recipients will begin their first class in October.

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