Singapore, 4 February 2016 – MasterCard today announced the recipients of the MasterCard MBA Scholarships for Women 2016. Two Singapore Management University (SMU) MBA students have been awarded scholarships as part of a broader partnership between MasterCard and SMU to propel women’s advancement.

The 2016 recipients – Divvya Dasan from Singapore, and Garima Jain from India – were selected for their outstanding academic transcripts, entrepreneurship potential, and continuous dedication to serving their communities.

The MasterCard MBA Scholarships for Women, which is in its sixth year, is awarded to full-time female MBA candidates from Asia Pacific. It aims to empower awardees, and support and develop them into academically outstanding, business savvy and socially responsible women.

Associate Professor Lieven Demeester, Associate Dean (MBA programmes), SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business, said, “We are very grateful for this long-standing partnership with MasterCard. At SMU we strongly believe in the value of diversity and this is reflected in our classrooms. Women represent 44 per cent of our recent MBA intake, with students holding 15 different nationalities from Asia and beyond. In the SMU MBA programme, students have many opportunities for collaboration and self-reflection, allowing them to experience the value of diversity first-hand and to become skilled in leveraging diversity for larger impact. We are proud to see Divvya’s and Garima’s accomplishments recognised by MasterCard and we look forward to be a partner on their path of societal impact.”

Divvya Dasan said, “I am humbled and honoured to have received the prestigious MasterCard MBA Scholarship for Women. It is very rare to find a scholarship that not only values academic and business leadership but also social responsibility in candidates. By providing a scholarship which is coupled with an internship opportunity, MasterCard is nurturing both my personal and professional ambitions and in turn allowing me to focus on becoming the best student, business leader and civic-minded citizen that I can be.”

Garima Jain said, “In a world where disparity is widespread, the prestigious MasterCard scholarship has reinforced my conviction to be a socially responsible professional. I feel grateful to have been granted this opportunity. Awarding worthy women such scholarships boosts our determination to pursue our professional goals and inspire other women leaders too.”

Georgette Tan, Group Head, Communications, Asia Pacific, MasterCard, said, “MasterCard is committed to empowering women through education and increasing their participation in business throughout Asia Pacific. MasterCard’s scholarship programmes, in partnership with well-respected educational establishments such as SMU are a key part of this. We are delighted to be awarding Divvya Dasan and Garima Jain the 2016 scholarships and welcoming them to MasterCard as interns. Although we still have a long way to go before reaching gender parity, we hope such initiatives will inspire women to have the confidence to step into leadership roles both in business, and their communities.”

The two scholarship recipients will also get to take part in an internship with MasterCard, where they will gain invaluable insight on the business and operations of the global payments company. To date, the scholarship has benefitted 15 young women.

(Left to right) SMU students Divvya Dasan and Garima Jain are the recipients of the MasterCard MBA Scholarship for Women 2016.

Media Contacts

Charlene Liew, Singapore Management University, +65 6828 0020, charleneliew [at] smu.edu.sg

Georgette Tan, MasterCard, +65 6390 5971, ../../weiwen.sng/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/7FT4P1JD/georgette_tan [at] mastercard.com">georgette_tan [at] mastercard.com

Samantha Yong, Weber Shandwick, +65 6825 8053, ../../weiwen.sng/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/Temporary%20Internet%20Files/Content.Outlook/7FT4P1JD/samyong [at] webershandwick.com">samyong [at] webershandwick.com