New Delhi, 12 August, 2022.
In partnership with the Indian Film Festival
of Melbourne, La Trobe University today announced a new life-changing
opportunity for an aspiring female researcher from India to make a meaningful
impact in the world.
The inaugural Shah Rukh Khan La
Trobe University PhD Scholarship was awarded in
2020 to Indian student Gopika Kottantharayil Bhasi, who eventually was able to travel to Australia to begin
her PhD in early 2022.
As part of the prestigious four-year scholarship,
Gopika is researching new techniques to protect the world’s honeybee population
from viruses, pollutants and declining diversity in flora.
La Trobe University Chancellor, The
Hon John Brumby AO, said he was thrilled Shah Rukh Khan had endorsed the
University offering another scholarship to an aspiring female researcher from
India.
“Gopika is already making a
valuable contribution to La Trobe’sworld-class research inagricultural sciences
– a rapidly growing area at the University that aims to help address global
food insecurity,” Mr Brumby said.
“We’re excited to announce another
life-changing opportunity for an Indian woman to help us find solutions to some
of the world’s most pressing challenges, in research areas such as environmental
sustainability, health or agriculture.”
Mr Brumby said Shah Rukh Khan’s
philanthropic leadership drove the decision to create a PhD scholarship in his
name.
“The Shah Rukh Khan La Trobe
University PhD Scholarship recognises Mr Khan’s extraordinary altruism,
demonstrated in his work to advocate for women’s empowerment – including
through his Meer Foundation,” Mr Brumby said.
“It also reflects La Trobe’s values
of inclusivity, equity and social justice.”
Gopika said when she finally
arrived in Melbourne, after waiting two years to travel due to the pandemic, it
was the happiest moment of her life.
“I love this country – especially the people, whoare all
are very warm and welcoming. My colleagues, supervisor and friends are very supportive
and caring,” Gopika said.
“I encourage other women from India
to apply; come out of your comfort zone, explore the beautiful world, and you
might be able to take up this amazing opportunity.”
Registrations opened today for
research candidates to submit an Expression of Interest for the scholarship by Friday
23 September. The successful candidate will be a female Indian national who
resides in India and has completed a Masters by Research degree (or equivalent)
within the past 10 years.
The candidate will be supported
with a four-year research scholarship valued in excess of $225,000 (AUD) to be
completed at La Trobe’s state-of-the-art facilities in Melbourne, Australia.
They will undertake research supervised by the University’s leading experts in a
project aligned to La Trobe’s priority research themes, which are linked to the United
Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals..
Appropriately, the announcement coincided
with the launch of the 2022Indian Film
Festival of Melbourne. La Trobe was the first Australian university to award Shah Rukh
Khan with an Honorary Degree, Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) in 2019, in
recognition of his wide-ranging humanitarian work, including establishing the
Meer Foundation to support and empower women who have survived acid attacks in
India.
The Shah Rukh Khan La Trobe University PhD Scholarship recipient
will receive benefits including:
Interested candidates must submit an
online Expression of Interest for the Shah Rukh Khan La Trobe University PhD
Scholarship by Friday 23 September 2022.For more information about scholarship
eligibility criteria, please refer to www.latrobe.edu.au/srk-scholarship
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