IIE, Qualcomm Celebrate Global Scholars Program Year 1

SAN FRANCISCO, September 19, 2016—A group of outstanding university women studying technology fields at top universities in China will come together to celebrate their accomplishments on September 22 at the Qualcomm office in Beijing. The women were selected in early 2016 to receive a competitive scholarship through the Women Enhancing Technology (WeTech) Qualcomm Global Scholars Program. Offered by the not-for-profit Institute of International Education and wireless technology company Qualcomm, Incorporated as part of the WeTech initiative, the Global Scholars Program is designed to close the global gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) industries.

In the first year of the program, 36 Chinese and Indian university women in STEM each received financial scholarships, professional development and leadership training, and access to a network of industry mentors and peers through an intensive virtual mentorship. Each Global Scholar was matched with an individual Qualcomm mentor over a six-month period, giving the students an important opportunity to gain academic experience, access to role models, and build professional skills preparing them for a globally competitive world. This holistic package of support further enhances the ability of women to elect a technical career after graduation and be poised to succeed in their field.

Scholars and mentors from China will join others from the Qualcomm community on September 22 in Beijing in a celebratory event designed to acknowledge the achievements of the scholars and solidify and strengthen their interest in technology careers. Students will tour the Qualcomm research and development lab in Beijing, learn about Qualcomm’s STEM initiatives, as well as participate in a workshop where the students will assess their strengths and explore their professional and personal goals beyond the program mentorship period. The Beijing event follows a similar event for the scholars in India held on August 20 in Bangalore.

The overwhelming majority of students and mentors in China and India reported positive experiences and outcomes after the six-month virtual mentorship. The program’s first year impact report shows that 94 percent of the mentees in China and India said that their mentorships were effective in helping them achieve their goals. One mentee shared, “We have extremely informative and interactive sessions. My mentor addresses all my doubts and questions and offers good ideas and suggestions for useful materials as I explore different technology industries”.

Female and male employees from Qualcomm’s offices in China, Singapore and India, were recruited to serve as mentors to the scholars, each committing to dedicating one to two hours of advising per week for the program’s six-month term. “My mentee has achieved better self-understanding and has identified her personal strengths she can continue to develop in her future career,” said a WeTech mentor.

The Global Scholars Program is a part of IIE’s and Qualcomm’s long-term efforts to advance educational and professional opportunities for women and girls on a global scale. IIE’s Women Enhancing Technology (WeTech) initiative manages several scholarships and enrichment events in collaboration with corporate stakeholders. This year, WeTech and Qualcomm held a mobile app pitch event for high school and middle school girls in India, and expanded its intensive summer camp for San Diego-area middle school students interested in STEM.


About WeTech

The Institute of International Education (IIE) created WeTech to help women and girls enter into and succeed in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) education and careers, as a core part of its commitment to empower women. IIE joined with corporate partners who share this vision to launch WeTech at the 2013 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting. WeTech is led by IIE and its initiatives are carried out in India, Africa and the United States with a consortium that includes Goldman Sachs, Google and Qualcomm Incorporated as lead collaborators.

About the Institute of International Education

The Institute of International Education (IIE) is the leader in providing international education strategies and program services. Our international approach to education—diverse, borderless, impactful—is a proven way for governments and companies to invest in global talent and solidify overseas relationships. We work with policymakers, educators and employers across the globe to prepare students and professionals for the global workforce and equip them to solve the increasingly complex challenges facing our interconnected world. An independent, not-for-profit organization founded in 1919, IIE has a network of 19 offices and affiliates worldwide, including in New Delhi, and over 1,400 member institutions.

Through its Center for Women’s Leadership Initiatives, IIE provides opportunities for women worldwide to participate in cutting-edge training, professional development and exchange programs and pursue higher education. Our programs help women to develop and join networks of peers, mentors and experts and serve as effective leaders in the public and private sectors around the world.

About Qualcomm Incorporated

Qualcomm Incorporated is a world leader in 3G, 4G and next-generation wireless technologies. Qualcomm Incorporated includes Qualcomm’s licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of its patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, substantially all of Qualcomm’s engineering, research and development functions, and substantially all of its products and services businesses, including its semiconductor business, QCT. For more than 30 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of digital communications, linking people everywhere more closely to information, entertainment and each other. For more information, visit Qualcomm’s website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages. Learn more about the work Qualcomm and its project collaborators are doing.

Qualcomm is a trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated, registered in the United States and other countries.

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