New scholarships bring top Indian students to Victoria
Mumbai: Vinutha Haridhasan, Kavya Adishesh and Ian Desouza arrived at Victoria in Trimester 1 and are part of a group of 35 top students from India to receive the New Zealand Excellence Scholarship. The scholarship is jointly funded by ENZ and eight participating New Zealand universities including Victoria.
Their scholarships, worth $5,000 each, allow the students to study in New Zealand at postgraduate level in the fields of business, fashion, science, technology, engineering or mathematics.
Vinutha, who is studying a Postgraduate Diploma of Professional Accounting, says she chose Victoria for its international reputation.
“Victoria Business School is among 75 business schools worldwide that holds the Triple Crown accreditation, and this Postgraduate Diploma at Victoria is a gateway to my dream of becoming a chartered accountant.”
She’s hoping her new qualification will lead to a job so she can stay on in New Zealand.
Ian comes to Victoria as a mature student already having a Bachelor’s degree, a Postgraduate Diploma in Financial Services, and six years’ experience in the sector. He took up the opportunity to study at Victoria to further his studies while learning about another culture.
“I’d visited New Zealand before and it seemed like the most attractive option for me. In comparison to Indian education, it’s more laidback. The infrastructure of the University is different, it’s quite impressive.”
Kavya is studying a Master of Professional Business Analysis at the Victoria-led Wellington ICT Graduate School.
“Studying at Victoria has been pretty good. In India, study was mostly theoretical, whereas here I get to apply theories and knowledge practically.
“I also enjoy studying with and hanging out with people from different cultures and backgrounds, which is a great way to enhance my knowledge and understand other cultures.”
The scholarship programme provides a pathway for India’s top scholars to gain a world-class education in New Zealand while also strengthening ties between the two countries.
Victoria’s International regional manager Isaac Brosnan says he is “thrilled” with the calibre of the scholars.
“The cohort of Indian students have arrived in Wellington ready to immerse themselves in our city and University. While here, we’re encouraging the group to make the most of all opportunities at the University while studying.”