ACS Foundation Presents 20 NSW Scholarships

Wednesday 27 May 2003 - The ACS Foundation awarded scholarships to 20 university students at a ceremony in Sydney on Wednesday night as part of a scholarship program involving 84 students studying ICT courses around Australia in 2003.

An additional 23 students will receive their scholarship certificates at a special presentation in Melbourne this Wednesday evening, followed by a presentation in Queensland in coming weeks. Students in Western Australia have already received their scholarships, presented during the West Australian Information Technology & Telecommunications Awards (WAITTA) in Perth in March.

Speaking at the Sydney event, ACS Foundation Chair, John Ridge, paid tribute to the many organisations which were providing support to the Foundation despite the harsh economic conditions pervading the industry.

"During 2002-2003, we have allocated a total of $2.5 million in scholarships, which is an extraordinary achievement for a body that is just under two years old, and during such tough times".

"I congratulate the students on their achievements and thank our many donors for their commitment and generosity," he said.

Foundation Executive director, Peter Rose, highlighted the close relationships that had been forged between the Foundation, it's various corporate and government sponsors, and the universities through which the scholarships funds were being channelled.

"We are particularly grateful to the ACS for establishing the Foundation and providing a high level of on-going support, and to Foundation Sponsor, Compuware, which has demonstrated its unparalleled commitment to our industry by funding 12 scholarships on its own," he said.

"A non-profit body like the ACS Foundation is completely dependent on the support it receives from the business community. For an organisation like Compuware to support so many scholarships is truly impressive."

Mr Rose also thanked other corporate sponsors in NSW including Air France, Altiris, Alt-U, American Express, the French Trade Commission, Gammasonics Institute for Medical Research, the Graphic Arts & Merchants Association of Australia (GAMAA), the NSW Department of Land Management, Oberthur Card Systems, Peugot Australia and Toshiba Computers Australia.

This media release is available on the ACS Web site at http://www.acs.org.au/news/270503.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 Chair, Tel: (0407) 913 992, Email: jridge@acslink.net.au

Peter Rose, ACS Foundation Executive Director, Tel: (0405) 198 404, Email: peter.rose@acsfoundation.com.au

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