Overwhelming Response for MasterCard-U21Global Scholarship Program for Women in Travel and Tourism

Twenty women from Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa have been offered full MasterCard-U21Global scholarships for women in travel and tourism to pursue the Executive Diploma of Business Administration from U21Global, a leading online Graduate School. This is the second consecutive year that MasterCard and U21Global are collaborating to offer this scholarship program.

The number of applicants for the scholarship program increased by over 50% this year with India seeing the highest surge in the number of applicants. Indian women bagged the maximum number of scholarships spots this year with five recipients, followed by four recipients from Korea and three from the Philippines.

In addition, 24 women received partial scholarships to the Executive Diploma program. Indian applicants also shone in this category, with half of the partial scholarships being awarded to women from the country.

“We are really excited to extend the MasterCard-U21Global Scholarship Program for the second year running,” said Dr Helen Lange, Dean, Business Management Programmes, U21Global. “Tourism jobs offer a dynamic and rewarding career, and the right skills and attitude are needed to excel in these jobs. The scholarships are awarded to women who have shown exemplary dedication and achievements in the travel and tourism sector, and we believe our premium curriculum will help these outstanding professionals keep abreast of industry trends.”

“We are immensely pleased with the response garnered by the scholarship program this year. The fact that the program received over 50% more applicants as compared to the inaugural year reinforces our belief that not only is the travel industry gaining momentum, but more importantly, women are committed to building their careers in the travel and tourism industry,” said Georgette Tan, vice president, Communications, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, MasterCard Worldwide.

“The calibre of applicants was impressive and we are confident that with the U21Global Executive Diploma of Business Administration under their belt, this batch of winners will give their organizations an edge and add to the talented pool of tourism professionals in the industry,” Ms. Tan added.

One of the winners of the scholarship program Shereen Bong, Learning Manager at The Regent Singapore, said, “I am very excited to have been selected as one of the winners of the MasterCard-U21Global scholarship program. I applied for the scholarship as I wanted to challenge and prove to myself that one is never too old to go back to school. With the burgeoning travel and tourism industry in Asia Pacific, I am confident that the skills and knowledge gained from this program will enable me to educate, influence and mentor junior executives in the industry.”

The MasterCard Worldwide-U21Global Scholarship Program for Women in Travel and Tourism was introduced last year with the aim of empowering working women professionals in the travel and tourism industry to stay ahead of industry trends and realize their full potential. The program focuses on diverse aspects of tourism management and helps build a broad understanding of management principles and practices as they apply in the tourism and travel industries. The course has been developed by Christel DeHaan Tourism and Travel Research Institute, a part of Nottingham University Business School and U21Global, a leader in offering quality graduate online education to working executives and professionals.

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