Thanks to generous donations, Peace Scholarship Fund will support up to 10 graduate students.
WALTHAM (Mass.) — In response to the humanitarian needs caused by the war in Ukraine, Brandeis University announced today that it will launch a scholarship fund that will support up to 10 students studying at Brandeis International Business School over the next several years.Two members of Brandeis International Business School’s Board of Advisors have committed $250,000 each to support the scholarship fund: board co-chair Alan Hassenfeld, a 2020 honorary degree recipient from Brandeis, and board member Barbara Clarke, MA’91, a graduate of the school. The rest will be raised through matching funds.
The Peace Scholarship Fund is aimed to support students who have been displaced from and forced to leave their country due to violent conflict or persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, or membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.
“The war in Ukraine, which has already forced more than four million people to flee their homeland, demands a response from those in a position to help,” said Brandeis University President Ron Liebowitz. “Brandeis was founded by the American Jewish Community, many of whom had either fled Europe or lost whole families in World War II. Helping those who face similar threats to their lives is something we feel a strong obligation to do.”
“I am deeply grateful to Alan and Barbara for taking a leadership role in enabling Brandeis International Business School to support students who might otherwise have nowhere to turn — let alone to continue their education — if not for these scholarships,” Liebowitz added.
“If we are to live up to our highest ideals, Brandeis University and Brandeis International Business School must strive to be a beacon of hope in times of despair,” said Hassenfeld. “The Peace Scholarship Fund will allow us to open our doors to students from Ukraine who are forced to flee their homes and need a safe, welcoming place to pursue an education.”
“Brandeis International Business School provides students from all over the world with the foundation they need to be good global citizens and lead by example,” said Clarke. “To live those values, we must act in times of crisis. The Peace Scholarship Fund will extend an extraordinary opportunity to those students who need it most and ensure we live up to Brandeis’ founding mission of repairing the world.”
Brandeis International Business School plans to award the first scholarships to graduate students entering this fall.
Alan Hassenfeld is the retired chairman and CEO of the global toy company Hasbro, and the current chairman of the company’s executive committee. He is also chairman of Hassenfeld Family Initiatives, a philanthropic organization whose goals are to globalize safety and human rights in children’s products, empower women in developing countries, and undertake initiatives to improve the economy, education and business opportunities in Rhode Island.
Barbara Clarke is an investor, economist and entrepreneur, who is the founder of The Impact Seat, a firm that invests in emerging technologies led by gender and racially diverse teams. Clarke has invested in more than 60 companies and 12 funds in North America and Europe.
Donations to the Peace Scholarship Fund can be made online or by contacting Senior Director of Development and Alumni Relations Shane Dunn at sdunn@brandeis.edu.
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