The UN Women National Committee (NC), Australia, has endorsed the University of Sydney Business School’s Global Executive MBA (Global EMBA) program with a scholarship for “women committed to extending gender equality”.
The announcement of the new Global EMBA scholarship has been timed to coincide with this year’s International Women’s Day.
The first recipient of the scholarship is Kerryn Richardson, the Director of Strategic Planning and Governance at the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.
The new Global EMBA scholarship further strengthens a five year old partnership between the Business School and UN Women which already includes an MBA scholarship, awarded this year to Emma Brown, the Finance Manager for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance.
UN Women NC Australia’s Executive Director, Janelle Weissman, describes the Global EMBA scholarship as “an extraordinary opportunity for women leaders to develop themselves, both personally and professionally, in concert with a stand-out cohort of fellow students”.
“The University of Sydney Business School delivers outstanding executive education programs and by promoting scholarships for women, we believe that together we can unlock opportunities for women to propel their career opportunities forward,” Ms Weissman said.
Commenting on gender inequality, Ms Weissman singled out the gender pay gap as an area of particular concern. “Globally and here in Australia, the gender pay gap persists, and despite gains in women’s representation as leaders in government, board rooms and in C-suites, there is a long way to go,” she said.
UN Women (NC) Australia exists to raise funds for and awareness of UN Women which promotes empowerment and gender equality in a way that meets the needs of women and girls worldwide.
The Business School’s top ranked Global EMBA is an 18 month leadership oriented program of five, two week modules undertaken in Australia, California’s Silicon Valley, in the Indian city of Bangalore, in London and in southern France.
Welcoming the scholarship initiative, the Director of the Global EMBA, Associate Professor Robin Stonecash, said that it was necessary to have women in the pipeline if they are to “end up in the senior executive team”.
“For this reason, we decided to work with the UN Women National Committee to sponsor a scholarship for a woman who not only demonstrates real leadership potential, but has also worked to help other women achieve their potential,” Associate Professor Stonecash said.
“Our inaugural winner of the scholarship, Kerryn Richardson, has demonstrated leadership potential in her various roles within government organisations. She has succeeded in male-dominated organisations and has been instrumental in mentoring other women to help them succeed,” she added.
Describing herself as “passionate about issues such as diversity and inclusion and gender equality in the business arena”, Ms Richardson said the UN Women’s scholarship “aligns beautifully” with her own values.
“The GEMBA will equip me with the tools and perspectives to take back into organisational development and even potentially reveal new opportunities where I can value add,” Ms Richardson said.
The recipient of the UN Women’s MBA Scholarship, Emma Brown says the not-for-profit sector “employs a high number of women, often in low paid and under-valued roles”.
“My position as part of the senior management team at the Cerebral Palsy Alliance affords me a unique opportunity to make a tangible impact on women and those with a disability,” Ms Brown said.
“Through the scholarship and involvement with the UN Women’s National Committee I will be able to draw upon a deep pool of knowledge and experience to ensure that I have the resources to make the greatest impact I can at a critical time.”
The MBA program at the University of Sydney Business School last year became the first in the world to enrol more women than men.
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