News
GivingTuesday fundraising campaign for WUR talent
University Fund Wageningen is raising funds for talent development at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) with a special campaign on GivingTuesday, 3 December 2024. The University Fund hopes that many people, who are passionate or concerned about education and Wageningen themes, make a donation. GivingTuesday is an annual internationally renowned day for philanthropic giving, providing an opposing idea to consumption-focused Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
Donors of the University Fund’s GivingTuesday campaign will help support a myriad of indispensable opportunities for talented students at WUR to help them make the most of their academic journey. With their support, the Fund both provides full scholarships to follow a Master’s programme in Wageningen as well as financial support for a study trip or conference visit. Moreover, donors supports extracurricular academic activities such as student challenges. And for those in need, donor contributions provide financial aid from an emergency fund and free courses for refugee students.
Life-changing scholarships
Through scholarships, young talents are given the opportunity to pursue their academic dreams, which would not have been possible without financial aid. A life-changing cause, according to Anne van den Ban scholarship recipient Phuu. Due to the political upheaval in her home country Myanmar, she could no longer safely study and work. Thanks to a scholarship, she can explore her passion for mitigating climate change at WUR. “In my Master’s Climate Studies, I am learning how we can adapt to the impact of climate change and navigate the changes socio-economically and biophysically. Without this scholarship I would not have been able to study here. There is so much potential wasted in war, inequality and poverty. This fund has a big impact.”
Extraordinary academic development
By supporting innovative learning opportunities, such as Student Challenges, the University Fund empowers students and young researchers with the skills and experiences they need to excel in a dynamic and challenging world. During the Nature-Based Futures Challenge, participants learned valuable skills while designing an interdisciplinary nature-based solution for the deltas of Bangladesh, confirms a team member of the winning team Delta Harmonics: “Participating in the challenge required exceptional teamwork, self-motivation, and perseverance, but allowed us to explore and develop skills in new areas.”
Help those in need
Student life can be challenging enough, even more so when students find themselves in acute financial difficulty through no fault of their own, or have to flee their country. Therefore, University Fund donors support the WURth-while programme for academically schooled refugee students waiting on asylum. “I see many academically schooled refugees, whose brains and talents are just wasted in the AZC’s,” says Eythel, participant of WURth-while. “In Pakistan I was a doctor, working in the ICU during the Covid-pandemic. Since I had to flee my country because of my religion, I have been wanting to study or work, but I did not have access to any opportunities. Luckily I found the WURth-while programme. It allows refugee students like me to do something with our lives and give meaning to our lives. After following several courses, I now know I want to do a Master’s in infectious diseases to do research on antiviral medication.”
Give to talent at WUR!
Do you want to make a donation to University Fund Wageningen to help support students at Wageningen University & Research (WUR)? You can make a donation online via iDeal or credit card here. Are you based in the USA? Support these activities in a tax-efficient way through a contribution to the American Friends of Wageningen University at Myriad USA!