Tata gives back through scholarships

Tata is doing its bit to promote social and economic development of local communities in Africa and has awarded scholarships with a total value of more than R2,3 million to 53 academically and financially deserving students at four South African universities. This as part of the company’s annual Postgraduate Scholarship Programme for the 2018/19 academic year.    

“In line with the business ethos and core values of Tata, which has a strong culture of uplifting society and giving back, our objective is to help increase the number of young people primed to take up leadership roles in business, government and civil society. The Tata Postgraduate Scholarship Programme is one of our flagship education initiatives,” says Len Brand, CEO of Tata International in Africa.

Tata has partnered with Nelson Mandela University (NMU), University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), and University of Free State (UFS) to support postgraduate students who have demonstrated academic competence and require financial assistance.

The scholarships are not faculty-specific and a wide range of candidates are supported across several academic fields, allowing the recipients to freely pursue their chosen specialisations. Scholarship recipients are not contractually bound to Tata once they complete their studies.

Since the programme’s inception in 2006, Tata has sponsored scholarships to the value of more than R10 million, assisting more than 250 young postgraduate students.

“Education is extremely empowering and transformative,” says Brand. “It has an amazing ripple effect, with the potential to not only uplift individuals, but the communities in which they live and work and, ultimately, society at large.

“By nurturing South Africa’s rich pool of young talent through this annual investment, and growing a culture of giving back, Tata is committed to making a significant and sustainable impact on the continent,” Brand concludes.