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Prestigious Tourism and Travel Scholarships Awarded to Australian Industry Employees
MasterCard and U21Global announce winners of scholarship program open to women in Asia/Pacific, Middle East & Africa
Sydney, 17 September 2007 - MasterCard and U21Global today announced Lisa Rangitutia from The Westin Hotel Melbourne and Julieta Lopez from Tourism Northern Territory as recipients of the 2007 MasterCard-U21Global Scholarship, an annual Program for Women in Travel and Tourism. The prestigious scholarship program, which launched last year, is for women professionals across the travel and tourism industry in Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa. It offers a solid platform for women wanting to further their career in this industry and meet the sectors’ demand for better trained professionals, empowering them to stay ahead of industry trends and realise their full potential. The program comprises 20 scholarships for the U21Global Executive Diploma of Business Administration and is intended for working women professionals in the industry who want to develop skills in the management and marketing of tourism and travel. The course can articulate into the University of Nottingham MSc in Tourism and Travel Management which has been developed by Christel DeHaan Tourism and Travel Research Institute, a part of Nottingham University Business School, and U21Global, a leader in quality graduate online education for working executives and professionals. Winner Julieta Lopez, 27, who currently works as an International Markets Coordinator for Tourism Northern Territory, says winning the scholarship is a great opportunity for her to develop knowledge in management and to complement the practical skills she has learnt. "As an international degree the scholarship will help increase my understating of how Australia fits into the global market place," said Ms Lopez. "Ultimately, I wish to become a Marketing Director of a travel business and thanks to MasterCard and U21Global I am now able to acquire the correct education and skills to do so," concluded Ms Lopez. Fellow winner, Lisa Rangitutia, 27, who is the Events Services Manager for The Westin Hotel in Melbourne, says that without the opportunity to participate in the scholarship program she would be unable to achieve her ultimate career as a Director of Sales in the Hotel industry. "I’ve worked in the hotel industry my entire life and I have a passion and results driven job which allows me to gain experience while having the opportunity to do things differently than others," said Ms Rangitutia. "Having no previous degree or education in the industry the scholarship is an opportunity for me to gain in depth experience and deeper understanding of what is required to reach my career goals," concluded Ms Rangitutia. "MasterCard’s important role as facilitator of travel and our commitment to domestic and international travel is the motivation behind our involvement in the scholarship program and we congratulate both Lisa and Julieta on winning this year," said Leigh Clapham, Executive Vice president, Australasia, MasterCard Worldwide. "MasterCard understands the value of travel and tourism to the entire Australian economy and wants to ensure that those working in the industry are provided with the best possible support and training needed to provide an outstanding service," concluded Mr Clapham. "Tourism jobs offer a dynamic and rewarding career, and the right skills and attitude are needed to excel in these jobs. The scholarships are awarded to women who have shown exemplary dedication and achievements in the travel and tourism sector, and we believe our premium curriculum will help both Lisa and Julieta keep abreast of industry trends" said Dr Helen Lange, Dean, Business Management Programmes, U21Global. Last year’s Australian scholarship winner was Vanessa Weigall, former Regional Manager for STA Travel in Western Australia and South Australia. "Winning last year’s scholarship has allowed me to progress in my career and I am now in a more senior position as Business Manager for TravelCorp," said Ms Weigall. Winners of the program have benefited not only from learning about the diverse aspects of tourism management and its practices but also the special online learning community that is in place, allowing the scholars to have access to a wide range of speakers and mentors, and enhance networking with each other. Recipients of the scholarship can enjoy the benefit of studying online and can hence better manage their work and educational commitments. Those interested in more information on U21Global can log on to www.u21global.edu.sg. About U21Global
Established in 2001, U21Global is the world's premier online Graduate School that offers globally recognised graduate programmes. The graduate school is backed by an international network of 20 leading research-intensive universities in 12 countries. U21Global combines the traditional quality of its founders with innovative modes of delivery on the Internet, providing students with substantial learning advantages, while balancing work, travel and family life. U21Global has successfully enrolled students from 60 countries around the world including those from Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. The graduate programmes draw upon the best practices in online learning and pedagogy and have been approved by U21pedagogica, an independent quality assurance body which ensures that the curriculum meets the rigorous academic standards of all 20 affiliated universities. For more information on U21Global, please visit our campus at www.u21global.edu.sg U21Global's affiliated universities include: North America: McGill University, Tecnológico de Monterrey, University of British Columbia, University of Virginia; Europe: Lund University; University College Dublin, University of Birmingham, University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, University of Nottingham; East Asia: Fudan University, Korea University, National University of Singapore, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, University of Hong Kong, Waseda University; Australia & New Zealand: University of Auckland., University of Melbourne, University of New South Wales, University of Queensland. About MasterCard Worldwide
MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link among financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide. As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes over 16 billion transactions each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial institution customers and merchants. Through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro® and Cirrus®, MasterCard Worldwide serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. For more information go to www.mastercard.com. Contacts:
Myriam Thibault, 02 9818 0942, mthibault@ppr.com.au
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