This surprised me, and I hope it surprises you as well.

Apart from the well known NIS (National Infocomm Scholarship) by IDA of which SingTel is part of, SingTel also gives out scholarship to students in the region, as part of a global CSR thing (instead of a manpower development agenda). Quoting the site:

Education is a cause close to our heart. Under the SingTel Group’s regional scholarship programme, recipients pursue undergraduate studies in a variety of disciplines at selected top universities in Asia Pacific.

A recent internal news flash reported about the 1st ceremony in Thailand. Here’s a snapshot:

Our first regional undergraduate scholarships

19 Jan 2010

The inaugural SingTel Group Undergraduate Scholarship Award Ceremony was held on 8 January 2010 in Thailand. And it was certainly a proud day for the three outstanding young people who became the pioneer group to enter the programme.

Khun Jeerawat and Khun Supapat are from the Business Admin/Marketing Faculty while Khun Mongkol is from the Political Science Faculty of Thammasat University. They had stood out among the very strong field of 111 candidates who had applied for the scholarship both in Singapore and Thailand. While all the applicants displayed excellent academic achievements, the three of them proved to be all-rounded individuals, demonstrating strong values and leadership potential.

The SingTel Group Undergraduate Scholarship programme will provide them with a double internship at SingTel and our regional associate AIS – as well as diverse work experiences and excellent opportunities to learn and grow – during their third and final years of education.

In addition, our scholars are encouraged to go beyond the confines of their studies by participating actively in campus and community activities so that they can obtain a well-rounded and balanced education.

… … …

I think this is really a small step and yet a huge gesture. It is hard to find common ground between polarized nation states in today’s world. Education is one of those common ground we can work together in. We should cherish the opportunities created by such scholarships to build bonds and relationships, find common solutions and common platforms for change, whether or not the change has to be led by political leaders or corporate leaders.

Apart from AIS in Thailand, other countries SingTel has invested in includes Australia (Optus), The Phillipines (Globe), Indonesia (Telkomsel), India (Bharti Airtel), Bangladesh (PBTL) and Pakistan (Warid).

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