Western Sydney University is putting its money where its mouth is, today announcing a $500,000 scholarship fund to support refugees with a desire to study.
The scholarships, worth $7500 per year, will be used for education and living expenses, and available to anyone on a humanitarian visa who’s studying the full range of courses offered by WSU; from English-language and diploma programs to masters and PhD courses.
The uni is calling on the Abbott government, corporate sector and members of the public for contributions to the scholarship scheme, with the hopes of raising $12 million to help 400 students over the next four years.
Here’s where to donate, with all donations will be tax deductible and directed entirely to support eligible students from 2016.
To help with the tough task of determining who’s most deserving of the funds, an advisory panel will be set up, and one of its first members is to be South Sudanese refugee and WSU graduate himself: Deng Adut.
Now a defence lawyer in Bankstown, Adut’s story – of being ripped from his family at age six, and forced to fight in the People’s Liberation Army – was the subject of a powerful ad that UWS released last week.
“Deng’s story is a shining example of the transformational power of education and the enriching flow-on effects not only for individuals, but for their families and our community,” says UWS’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Barney Glover.
If you missed our weekend post about it, here’s the video:
There are currently more than 350 students on humanitarian visas studying at UWS, and Professor Glover says the university felt compelled to do more to provide refugees with educational opportunities as the global humanitarian crisis in the Middle East and Europe continues to unfold.
“Western Sydney University has a long and proud history of opening its doors to those for whom the journey to university has been anything but conventional.”
Check in with the UWS website for more information on how to contribute in the coming weeks.
Images: supplied.
