The first scholar is expected to join the university in September 2015 to begin the masters programme in Health Promotion.
The Forward Bound scholarship has been funded in full by a local resident who has chosen to turn personal loss into an opportunity to broaden the horizons of health professionals from particular countries.
The donor’s father sadly passed away in February 2012. On learning of her inheritance from her father’s estate, the donor set her mind upon creating an award that would reflect her own interests in terms of education overcoming disadvantage, especially in developing economies. The local resident worked directly with Sam Davies (Director of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement) alongside colleagues from the School of Health Sciences to establish the award.
This is one of the first privately funded awards for the university and is the very first to provide full support, including tuition fees, accommodation, air fare and day-to-day subsistence – together worth £25k per annum. It is the donor’s intention that the award exists in perpetuity.
Professor Shirley Bach, Head of the School of Health Sciences, has been closely involved in the establishment of this new award and in supporting the donor to achieve her philanthropic ambitions: “We are delighted that we have been able to help to turn this vision into a reality. The donor is very interested in enabling health professionals from low and lower-middle income countries to benefit from an international study experience and as a result of this exposure, to make tangible difference to their community once they return home. This reflects the school’s commitment to enhance the knowledge base of nursing educators in such countries and therefore it has been a pleasure to work with this donor to make this happen.”
The Health Promotion programme is committed to teaching and research which makes a difference to a range of stakeholders in community, national, European and global health arenas. On completion of the course, students can operate effectively in contexts here and across the world.