By Business & Finance 
Aspire Scholars, Mark Byrne, Kerry McLaverty, Clyde Gjini, Aoife McCarthy, Cathal Reilly, Benjamin Cottrell and Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, Dean, UCD Business.
The Aspire Scholarship Programme has been launched and graduates across the country are in with a chance of securing a significant scholarship opportunity through the UCD Michael Smurfit school of business.
Graduates from across Ireland are being given the opportunity to apply for a scholarship to attend the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School Aspire Scholarship Programme 2016. The programme offers up to three MBA and nine MSc scholarships to graduates who may have thought a business masters was beyond their means.
The Aspire Scholarship Programme was established in 2010, after an anonymous benefactor of the School committed €500,000 to establish the programme. The donor provided the funds specifically for those who could not otherwise afford to study at UCD Smurfit School and as a contribution to the recovery of the Irish economy. Since 2010, almost 70 scholars have benefited from the donor’s generosity and many of these scholars are employed in leading companies such as Google, Citi, KPMG, Ulster Bank, PepsiCo, Microsoft, AIB, Accenture, Mitsubishi and PwC, among others.
Speaking at the launch of the Aspire scholarship programme, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, Dean, UCD Business, said, “We are very grateful to our donors for their continued generosity and unwavering commitment to the school. At UCD Smurfit School our primary purpose is to educate future business leaders who will have a profound impact on society. The Aspire Scholarship Programme enables graduate students with the talent, drive and initiative, but without the necessary financial means, to advance their career prospects by securing an MBA or MSc.”
The scholarship will pay for 50% of the successful candidates’ chosen course fees at UCD Smurfit School. Students will commence their studies in September 2016 and can choose to study any of the wide range of MBA and MSc courses on offer. A special Selection Committee has been established to decide who will be awarded the scholarships and will be chaired by Cormac McCarthy, Chief Financial Officer, Paddy Power, and representatives from UCD Business.
Clyde Gjini, an Aspire Scholarship MSc in Marketing Practice student added, “Being awarded the Aspire Scholarship has allowed me to meet and connect with a diverse alumni network. I feel proud to be part of such a prestigious network that are welcoming and always willing to help. The Aspire scholarship has given me the opportunity for educational and professional development that I would have otherwise never been able to accomplish.”
The closing date for entry is April 29th 2016. Applications can be made at www.smurfitschool.ie/aspire.
