The American International Recruitment Council has announced the 2023 recipients of the Sir Cyril Taylor Memorial Scholarship for Study in the US.
Nine US HEIs will receive up to $10,000 to award scholarships to disadvantaged or underrepresented students from the UK to enrol at their institution during the 2023/24 academic year. Students can opt to pursue variety of degree or non-degree programs.
“This program is a wonderful example of how a partnership between a charitable foundation and a membership association can make a positive impact on students’ lives through high quality educational opportunities,” AIRC executive director Brian Whalen said.
The initiative was launched in 2022 together with AIFS with a $100,000 backing.
The nine institutions included in the first iteration include: California State University Long Beach; Elgin Community College; Middle Tennessee State University; Nazareth College; San Mateo County Community College District; State University of New York at Plattsburgh; University of Louisville; University of Maryland Baltimore County; and University of Tennessee Knoxville.
“We trust the institutions will do a really good job of finding the students who fit Sir Cyril Taylor’s vision of increasing diversity and inclusion in study abroad,” said current chairperson of AIFS and trustee of the Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation, William Gertz.
“We’re very proud of the work that the foundation has done in its initial few years and we’re very excited about the future this brings to move the needle so that more students from the UK can study abroad.”
“As an institution firmly committed to inclusive excellence, we are honoured to receive this award”
Speaking with The PIE News, AIRC president Derrick Alex said the collaboration “is one more example of AIRCs commitment to support international students and opening doors for deserving students to pursue their dream of studying in the US”.
The scholarships “will directly benefit our members by assisting institutions and agencies to achieve their international enrolment goals”, added director of Membership and Sponsorship at AIRC, Rachael Lamson.
David Di Maria, associate vice provost for international education at University of Maryland Baltimore County, told The PIE News, “As an institution firmly committed to inclusive excellence, we are honoured to receive this award. We very much look forward to welcoming the future scholarship recipients to our UMBC community.”
Likewise, vice provost of international affairs at Middle Tennessee State University, Robert Summers, said, “The Sir Cyril Taylor Scholarship is a way for MTSU to show its deep commitment to incoming international student mobility”.
“Ensuring that every student has an international experience is one of the pillars of our strategic plan. This scholarship helps us to fulfil this goal,” Summers added.
The award is named after Sir Cyril Taylor, distinguished academic, entrepreneur, public servant in both the UK and US, and founder and chairperson of AIFS, who passed away in 2018. The Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation has been established to honour Taylor’s legacy, with initiatives that promote US/UK relations and international education opportunities.
The Cyril Taylor Charitable Foundation also offers scholarships for American undergraduates to study in the UK, together with the Fund for Education Abroad.
