Scholarship named after SRK for Indian women researchers brought back

MUMBAI: Actor Shah Rukh Khan, who is known for his philanthropic work, is back with his scholarship, which is to be awarded in partnership with the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne and La Trobe University.

The registration for the scholarship started recently from August 18 and will go all the way until September 23.

The first ever scholarship was announced at the 2019 festival at which SRK was the chief guest. The actor visited the university to launch this programme.

Soon after, India's Gopika Kottantharayil Bhasi from Thrissur in Kerala was awarded the maiden scholarship. The university expressed that this was their most applied for scholarship with over 800 applicants and hence the scholarship has been introduced back, courtesy of the festival that facilitated this.

The top criteria for the selection is that the candidate has to be a female Indian national who should be residing in India and have completed a Masters of Research degree within the past 10 years.

The selected student will be receiving a four-year La Trobe University Full-fee Research Scholarship.

Mitu Bhowmick Lange, director of the festival said, "We all know SRK has a big heart and he has proved it yet again. The scholarship is a life-changing opportunity for a female researcher from India. India is filled with talent and spark and all it takes is to ignite that spark."

"SRK's association with IFFM goes back a long time, but now, since it's for a cause, it makes it even more special. La Trobe University is one of the leading universities in Australia and getting a chance to study at this university has been on the wishlist of many students."

Announcement of the scholarship was made in 2019 during the physical event of IFFM. But due to the pandemic and travel restrictions, it was halted last year. Named as one of the top universities in the world, La Trobe University has hosted some of the renowned dignitaries from India, like Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi, Kapil Dev, Malaika Arora Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Rajkumar Hirani and Abhijat Joshi.

SOURCE: IANS