With the help of an international not-for-profit organisation, Sydney Business School has launched a new MBA scholarship designed to nurture more indigenous leaders in policy development.
Applications are now open for the Food Ladder Scholarship which will fund the participation of an indigenous student in the School’s part-time MBA, ranked as Australia’s number one program of its kind by the Australian Financial Review’s BOSS magazine.
“We want to help to ensure that more indigenous people have an opportunity to acquire the skills to lead,” Food Ladder CEO Kelly McJannett said.
“The Business School’s MBA program is about the development of future leaders and that’s why we are sponsoring this scholarship.”
An Australian-based organisation, Food Ladder uses commercial techniques to provide food security, employment, training and, ultimately, economic self-sufficiency for some of the world’s most disadvantaged communities.
Food Ladder is currently focused on the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and on remote indigenous communities in Australia’s Northern Territory where people are hungry and malnourished.
“Here in Australia we are focused on creating opportunities for indigenous development and it is clear that while there are outstanding indigenous leaders, there is also a need for more indigenous people in positions where they can direct policy and make decision in government and in publically listed companies,” Ms McJannett said.
Sydney Business School MBA Director Professor Guy Ford said the move reflected an alignment between the values of the two organisations.
“We are both committed to diversity and inclusion and in providing very practical leadership for good,” he said.
Ms McJannett is currently enrolled in the MBA program with the support of an Anstice Scholarship.
“From a personal perspective, this scholarship has been hugely valuable for me and it is really an experience that I want to pass on,” she said.
The Anstice MBA Scholarship for Community Leadership, donated by prominent Business School alumnus, David Anstice, offers support to emerging business leaders in the not-for-profit sector.
“I really what to see that future indigenous leaders have the same opportunities that I have had,” Ms McJannett said.
