The Sun/MAPCU Scholarship Awards 2011
Deserving students receive The Sun/MAPCU Scholarship Awards 2011
By StudyMalaysia.com
43 ecstatic students and their proud parents gathered on Tuesday, 9th August 2011 to receive their scholarship awards at The Sun/MAPCU Scholarship Awards 2011 ceremony. YB Dato’ Dr Hou KokChung, the Deputy Minister of Higher Education, was the guest of honour who presented the awards to each and every deserving scholarship recipient. The luncheon at the Bukit Kiara Equestrian &Country Resort was attended by 300 scholarship recipients, parents and senior representatives from the donor institutions who are MAPCU members.
This year, 1557 applicants vied for the 45 scholarships pledged by participating education institutions. The high number of applications received indicates that while tertiary education is still very much in pursuance, many still see its cost as an obstacle. After stringent short listing and interviewing, The Sun and MAPCU have decided on the 43 most deserving students to receive the scholarships this year. The students were selected based on a combination of factors, namely academic achievements, participation in co-curricular activities and economic status.
Sixteen MAPCU colleges and universities dished out RM4.5 million worth of scholarships as part of their corporate social responsibility. KDU University College, which was just awarded the status of university college, was among the biggest contributors for the program by sponsoring RM216,000worth of courses for 8 students. In his opening speech, YB Dr Hou commended KDU for their generosity and role in educating the future leaders of the country.
In an effort to become a high income nation driven by innovation, the Government has allocated total of 2.6 billion ringgit for the MyBrain15 postgraduate scholarships program as part of the10th Malaysia Plan to be implemented from 2011-2015. This program aims to produce highly knowledgeable individuals to stimulate the growth of the nation through research and innovation.It is estimated that 60,000 PhDs holders are required by the year 2020 to achieve this objective,which the Government seeks to achieve through the My Master, My PhD and Industry PhD programs.2,802 applications for the My Master initiative have been approved as of date while under the My PhD initiative, 672 postgraduate students have been awarded scholarships to pursue their doctorate degrees. Each student receives up to RM24,000 in tuition fees to pursue their higher education at either public or private universities and an additional RM5,000 as journal and thesis allowances.
By highlighting the My Master and My PhD initiatives in his speech, YB Dr Hou had created awareness of available financial aids and encouraged students to further their studies beyond their bachelor degrees. He also congratulated the students in securing one of the highly sought-after scholarships and reminded them of their commitment and responsibilities to their parents, the scholarship providers and panelist as well as to the nation. At the end of his speech, YM Dr Hou applauded MAPCU and The Sun for once again lightening the financial burden that prevents students from pursuing knowledge.