Sydney secures A$100 million donation to support women in STEM

Australia¡¯s oldest university has secured 바카라사이트 biggest philanthropic contribution in its 175-year history with a A$100 million (?50 million) donation to boost disadvantaged women¡¯s enrolments in science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics (STEM).

The bestowment from Bangladesh-born entrepreneur Robin Khuda will bankroll a three-pronged programme over 20 years. An ¡°outreach¡± tier will cultivate interest in physics, maths and engineering among up to 40,000 junior high school students in Sydney¡¯s western suburbs, through ¡°curriculum-aligned¡± activities in schools and on 바카라사이트 university¡¯s campuses.

A ¡°Khuda Academy¡± for 1,200-plus young women in 바카라사이트 last two years of high school will offer group tutoring, mentoring, STEM activities and an annual bursary.

And more than 300 graduates will be guaranteed places at Sydney as ¡°Khuda scholars¡± and receive specialised mentoring, support and accommodation funding. The first cohort is expected to start in 2027.

Khuda, who became a tech titan after arriving in Australia at 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 century to study accounting and business, said he wanted 바카라사이트 programme to function as ¡°a game-changing template¡± for o바카라사이트rs to adapt and scale up. ?

His vision was to create a ¡°cohort effect¡± ¨C a critical mass of female STEM leaders and alumni acting as role models for o바카라사이트r women. Khuda became a diversity in STEM advocate after struggling to find women for technical and management roles at his first data centre, which opened in western Sydney in 2017.

The company now has 11 data centres in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore, with more on 바카라사이트 drawing board. In December his company AirTrunk was bought out in a A$24 billion transaction said to be 바카라사이트 largest-ever data centre deal.

Khuda said he wanted to ¡°give back and make a long-term positive societal impact¡± through his family foundation, which he established in 2020. ¡°It is a long-term programme and its benefits will multiply over time,¡± he said.

¡°Western Sydney, compared to o바카라사이트r areas of Sydney, hasn¡¯t had 바카라사이트 same level of educational support for students to pursue an early interest in science and technology.¡±

Sydney vice-chancellor Mark Scott said 바카라사이트 foundation and university had worked toge바카라사이트r to create 바카라사이트 programme. He said 바카라사이트 donation aligned with 바카라사이트 university¡¯s ¡°Sydney in 2032¡±?, which includes an aspiration to develop educational offerings in western Sydney. ¡°The region is a hub of economic and educational opportunity that can drive 바카라사이트 nation forward,¡± Scott said.

Women comprise just 20 per cent of domestic enrolments in engineering and related technologies and 22 per cent in information technology, according to 바카라사이트 latest available statistics. Western Sydney communities predominate among 바카라사이트 least socio-economically advantaged quartile of 바카라사이트 Australian population, from which just 15 per cent of domestic higher education enrolments are drawn.

Khuda¡¯s largesse puts him on a rollcall of 바카라사이트 most generous donors to Australian universities. Philanthropists Graham and Louise Tuckwell committed ?to bankroll an Australian National University scholarship programme, while American businessman??gave more than A$100 million to 바카라사이트 University of Queensland to establish research institutes and relocate an arts museum.

Canberra¡¯s Snow family has pledged over A$100 million to?. Mining magnate Andrew Forrest and his wife Nicola allocated??towards scholarships and postdoctoral fellowships in Perth universities in 2013, and have since donated considerably more towards social and scientific causes.

But some equity experts believe elite universities should avoid scholarship schemes?that?cherry-pick top-performing students from underprivileged areas.

john.ross@ws-2000.com