Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman, the Aditya Birla Group and alumnus, London Business School (LBS) on Thursday announced the creation of a £15 million endowed scholarship programme to support the education of 10 full-time MBA candidates every year in perpetuity, at his alma mater.
Five of the scholarship recipients will be from India and five from the rest of the world.
“The BK Birla Scholars Programme honours the legacy of Mr. Birla’s late grandfather, industrialist and philanthropist Basant Kumar (B.K.) Birla. A humble and visionary leader, B.K. Birla (1921-2019) viewed access to higher education as a fundamental right for all. The BK Birla Scholars Programme marks the largest endowed scholarship gift to a European Business School,” said a LBS statement.
BK Birla Scholars will represent the most impressive talent across the school’s full-time MBA programme, and will embody academic excellence and high leadership potential. The top 5% of the class will be eligible for the award. The award will represent the mark of highest distinction among students. The first cohort will start in autumn 2019.
“I am extremely proud to honour my grandfather’s legacy and create something enduring through this landmark global scholars programme at LBS. Through this programme, we look to build a diverse and vibrant community of next generation leaders who are committed to the ideals of integrity, dedication and service to humanity. The very values epitomised by my grandfather,” Mr. Birla said adding that the BK Scholars Programme reflected his grandfather’s generosity of spirit and commitment to supporting the continued growth of emerging business leaders.
François Ortalo-Magné, Dean of LBS, said: “It is an incredible gift to be able to honour B.K. Birla’s memory with this prestigious scholars programme.”
