ACS Foundation Awards $2 Million in ICT Scholarships

Friday 22 March 2002 - The Australian Computer Society Foundation will distribute nearly $2 million in over 50 scholarships for tertiary studies in Information and Communications Technology this year.

The ACS Foundation, which was launched last August by the ACS to improve access to tertiary ICT education, will present scholarships to ICT students in two ceremonies in Melbourne and Sydney next week.

Twenty-one scholarships worth a total of $448,000 over three years will be awarded to Victorian students enrolled in ICT courses at RMIT, Monash University and Deakin University during a ceremony in Melbourne on Monday 25th March 2002.

A second ceremony in Sydney on Wednesday 27th March will recognise an additional 21 NSW students will scholarships worth a total of $620,000 over three years. These scholarships are associated with the University of Wollongong, University of NSW, University of Technology, Sydney, University of Western Sydney, Macquarie University and Charles Sturt University.

"When we first launched the ACS Foundation last year, we aimed to distribute 10 scholarships during our first year of operation," said John Ridge, Chairman of the ACS Foundation Board and ACS Immediate Past President.

"It is extremely pleasing to announce that we will distribute over five times that number during 2002, thanks to the extraordinary support we have received from the business community, tertiary education sector, industry and government."

While the majority of scholarships are based in NSW and Victoria, additional grants will be announced for Queensland in April, with a number of research scholarships to be made later in the year.

"We chose to focus our initial efforts on the eastern seaboard and have been successful in raising a total of $1,980,000 to date for ICT scholarships so far. While we will continue to build on the solid foundation already established in NSW, Victoria and to a lesser extent in Queensland, our future efforts will also seek to develop opportunities to work with sponsors in other states and territories," Mr Ridge said.

Recipients of ACS Foundation scholarships will also be awarded Student membership of the ACS for the duration of their studies, providing access to valuable information resources, networking opportunities and up to date professional development to broaden their education.

"As the professional society for the ICT industry, the ACS has a responsibility to support and encourage young professionals in their pursuit of knowledge and career development," said ACS National President, Richard Hogg.

"We established the Foundation in order to smooth the way for disadvantaged students wishing to pursue studies in ICT and particularly encourage more women into the industry to address the gender imbalance amongst ICT professionals.

"I am delighted to see that around 30 per cent of our initial scholarships are going to women and we hope to increase that percentage in the future," he said.

The ACS Foundation is continuing to build linkages between industry and the tertiary sector and expects to increase this initial offering of scholarships substantially during 2003.

Details of Awards Ceremonies:

Melbourne - 6.00pm Monday 25 March 2002 at Medina Grand Melbourne, 189 Queen Street, Melbourne

Sydney - 6.00pm Wednesday 27 March 2002 at Medina Grand Harbourside, King Street Wharf, Darling Harbour, Sydney

This media release is available on the ACS Web site at http://www.acs.org.au/news/220302.htm

ENDS

About the Australian Computer Society: The ACS is the recognised association for information technology (IT) professionals, attracting a large and active membership from all levels of the IT industry and providing a wide range of services to its 16,000+ members. A member of the Australian Council of Professions, the ACS is the public voice of the IT profession and the guardian of professional ethics and standards in the IT industry, with a commitment to the wider community to ensure the beneficial use of IT.See the ACS Home Page for more information. Media Enquiries:

John Ridge, ACS Foundation Board Chairman, Tel: (0407) 913 992, Email: jridge@acslink.net.au

Richard Hogg, ACS National President, Tel: (0408) 549 531, Email: richard_hogg@acslink.net.au

Caroline New, Caroline New PR, Tel: (02) 9555 1986 or (0411) 889 456, Email: cnew@acslink.net.au