MasterCard - U21 Global scholarship program back to help advance women executives in the travel and tourism industry

The MasterCard-U21Global scholarship program was launched in 2006 to empower women executives through education to realize their full potential. It comprises 20 scholarships for the U21Global Postgraduate Diploma of Business Administration.

The program is intended for graduates who want to develop skills in the management and marketing of tourism and travel products and programs. It is designed to provide participants with a solid foundation in core management subjects, and is aimed at providing students with a firm grounding in basic management capabilities. Core subjects include Organizational Behavior, Finance, Marketing Management and Strategic Management.

The course can articulate into the University of Nottingham MSc in Tourism and Travel Management which has been developed by Christel DeHaan Tourism and Travel Research Institute, a part of Nottingham University Business School, and U21Global, a leader in quality graduate online education for working executives and professionals.

Priya Singh, Sales Manager, Taj Hotels, Resorts & Palaces, was last year's MasterCard U21 Global Scholarship winner from the U.A.E. Commenting on her learning experience, Priya said:

"I had long felt the need to enhance my professional capabilities by taking a relevant course, but the shortage of time in dealing with a full time job, kids and so forth kept me away from it. The MasterCard - U21 Global Scholarship has helped me overcome those challenges. The flexibility in the course enabled me to manage my time and allowed me to start a rewarding personal journey. As I begin my third subject I am delighted to say that the learning experience has been extraordinary."

The scholarship winners were nominated by their respective employers who recognized that they were the right candidates to benefit the most from the learning and exposure offered by such a scholarship. Today, these employers are optimistic that the scholarship recipients will bring valuable know-how to their organizations and the travel and tourism industry as a whole.

"As the industry works to deliver enhanced value and service to customers, this program is designed to equip female travel and tourism executives with the latest in training and knowledge. The positive response by businesses over the last three years demonstrates the program's close alignment with industry requirements and hot-button issues and trends," said Nick Hutton, CEO, U21Global.

The 20 scholarships are made possible by a grant from MasterCard Worldwide. Since its inauguration, 60 women have been awarded the MasterCard-U21Global scholarship program for women in travel and tourism. The scholars are professionals from a broad spectrum of the industry, from hotels and airlines to travel and tour operators.

Recipients of the scholarship can enjoy the benefit of studying online and can hence better manage their work and educational commitments.

"MasterCard is proud to support the U21 Global scholarship for the fourth year running. This initiative is part of our broader commitment to strengthening women's economic roles in the region. We welcome applications for the scholarship, which is awarded to help women fast-track their career in the travel and tourism sector,"

said Raghu Malhotra, area business head, Gulf countries, MasterCard Worldwide.

Organizations from the travel and tourism industry from the U.A.E, Saudi Arabia and across Asia/Pacific, South Asia and South Africa, are invited to nominate female employees. MasterCard and U21Global will institute a distinguished panel of judges to choose the 20 worthy recipients.