New Delhi/Mizoram: The daughter of a smallholder farmer in Mizoram is among five successful recipients of a scholarship for admission to prestigious Asian University for Women in Bangladesh. The $375,000 (Rs 2.8 cr) scholarship will cover tuition, room and board, health coverage, textbooks, and supplies along with possibility of internship opportunities with Syngenta.

Hmangaihzuali, a resident of Thingsul in Mizoram, is admitted to AUW and will pursue undergraduate program in Politics, Philosophy & Economics, & Public Health at this all-women university, that endeavors to nurture skilled, effective and innovative professionals. “Despite coming from a poor farming family, I am privileged to have been enrolled for this prestigious program at Bangladesh. I always dreamt of going to a good university, and thanks to Syngenta, my dream has turned true,” said Hmangaihzuali.

Rafael Del Rio, Managing Director Syngenta India Pvt. Ltd. said, “This initiative is in recognition of the significant economic contributions of women in agriculture and is aligned to the commitments of AUW and Syngenta in expanding opportunities to help rural women succeed.”

Syngenta’s scholarship will cover tuition, room and board, health coverage, textbooks, and supplies for five students. Recipients of this scholarship are selected from interested students from farming communities based on their academic excellence and demonstrated leadership. 

Of the five-year scholarship period, students will devote an entire year to learning English under AUW’s rubric of ‘Pathways for Promise’. They will spend the second year at the Access Academy for further academic preparation for all core academic subjects, and the last three years will be devoted to completing a US accreditation-eligible undergraduate program.

Pamela Gonzalez, Head of Asia Group and APAC Head of Diversity & Inclusion said, “Rural women are key to achieving the transformational economic, environmental and social changes required for sustainable development. But limited access to credit, healthcare and education are among the many challenges they face, which are further aggravated by the global food and economic crises and climate change. Empowering them is key not only to the well-being of individuals, families, and rural communities, but also to overall economic productivity, given women’s large presence in the agricultural workforce worldwide. Syngenta and the Asian University for Women are empowering these rural women to become leaders of tomorrow with right access to quality education.”