SAN FRANCISCO, February 16, 2018 – The Institute of International Education (IIE) has selected 48 award recipients of the Women Enhancing Technology (WeTech®) Qualcomm Global Scholars Program. The awardees are all female students pursuing engineering, computer science, information and communication technology (ICT), or other science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) related field at eligible universities in India, South Korea, and Taiwan.
“At IIE, we are committed to removing the barriers that women face in the STEM fields globally,” said Maxmillian Angerholzer III, executive vice president at IIE. “Through critical initiatives like the WeTech Qualcomm Global Scholars program, we can take significant strides towards that goal.”
Designed by IIE and wireless technology leader Qualcomm, the Global Scholars Program combines financial scholarship support with virtual mentorship to give women access to role models in the tech industry and to enhance their global competencies as well as their interpersonal and intercultural skills. The program aims to close the gender gap in STEM industries.
“Qualcomm is committed to providing STEM exposure and empowerment to students of all ages and backgrounds,” said Erin Gavin, director of government affairs at Qualcomm. “Through our Global Scholars Program, we link women to scholarships, mentorships and technical-skills training so they are ready to enter the workforce and contribute to a more diverse industry, which will benefit society as a whole.”
Last year, our @WeTech_Global program with @IIEWomen provided scholarships for 65 female college students in China, India, South Korea & Taiwan, pairing them w/ @Qualcomm employee mentors.
— QC Sustainability (@Qsustainability) January 25, 2018
Learn more in the 2017 Qualcomm #sustainability report: https://t.co/WAdM7MJ1gD pic.twitter.com/uxWsZR2cqD
Scholars will be matched with individual Qualcomm mentors over a six-month period in order to support and encourage the young women to succeed in their chosen fields. Piloted in 2015 in China and India and expanded to South Korea and Taiwan in 2016, the Global Scholars program has awarded scholarships to 65 women attending 14 universities in participating countries. Students in the third round of the scholarship attend 23 universities, including APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, Soongsil University, and National Taiwan University.
Over 90 percent of past scholars report that their mentorships were effective in helping them reach their goals. A computer science scholar from China’s EWHA Woman’s University best encapsulates the impact of the WeTech program by saying, “I have grown exponentially in the past six months thanks to this program. Seeking advice from my mentor helped me realize what I want to specialize in going forward. I am so grateful to my mentor and the WeTech Qualcomm Global Scholar Program.”
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.
About WeTech®
IIE’s Women Enhancing Technology (WeTech®) is a consortium of dedicated partners led by IIE to design and support a series of innovative activities to provide training, build networks and offer professional opportunities. WeTech® helps women and girls enter and succeed in technology careers, with the goal of enhancing women’s talent and skills needed to fuel technological and economic growth.
About the Institute of International Education (IIE)
IIE has been a world leader in international education since 1919. IIE works to build more peaceful and equitable societies by advancing scholarship, building economies and promoting access to opportunity. As a not-for-profit with 18 offices and affiliates worldwide, IIE collaborates with a range of corporate, government and foundation partners across the globe to design and manage scholarship, study abroad, workforce training and leadership development programs.
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
Qualcomm invents breakthrough technologies that transform how the world connects and communicates. When we connected the phone to the Internet, the mobile revolution was born. Today, our inventions are the foundation for life-changing products, experiences, and industries. As we lead the world to 5G, we envision this next big change in cellular technology spurring a new era of intelligent, connected devices and enabling new opportunities in connected cars, remote delivery of health care services, and the IoT — including smart cities, smart homes, and wearables. Qualcomm Incorporated includes our licensing business, QTL, and the vast majority of our patent portfolio. Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, operates, along with its subsidiaries, all of our engineering, research and development functions, and all of our products and services businesses, including, the QCT semiconductor business. For more information, visit Qualcomm’s website, OnQ blog, Twitter and Facebook pages.
For more information, contact:
WeTech Qualcomm Team, WeTechQualcomm@iie.org
Catherine Morris, cmorris@iie.org, +1 (202) 326-7765
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