NEW DELHI: The Cargill Global Scholars Program (CGSP) is a distinctive, two-year scholarship program, under CSR that provides financial support to undergraduate students in Brazil, China, India, Russia, Indonesia and the United States. This scholarship aims to help the students to become leaders that may have an impact on Cargill’s businesses in the future.
To know more about the program, India CSR Network talked to Ashu Malhotra- Head – Human Resources, India Sub-Continent & Malaysia, Cargill. Edited Excerpts:
What is Cargill’s Global Scholars Program all about?
The Cargill Global Scholars Program is a two-year scholarship program for talented and high-performing undergraduate students around the world. Students are selected based on their demonstrated high level of academic performance and leadership potential. It currently runs in six countries – Brazil, China, India, Russia, Indonesia and the United States. In 2017, 10 students were selected from each of the six countries.
In addition to monetary support, the program offers management improvement opportunities through networking events, seminars and one-on-one mentoring program. The vision is to build a foundation for future leaders by getting new talent ready to take on exciting opportunities and challenges. To date, there are more than 200 Cargill Global Scholars Program alumni all over the world.
How is this program benefitting the lives of the students?
Through this program, Cargill is investing in the next generation of leaders. The purpose of the Cargill Global Scholars Program is to build a global network of future leaders who will make important contributions to advance business, agriculture and food security. In addition to financial support, students receive leadership development training, membership in the alumni to maintain and create connections, and one-on-one mentoring to equip them with the necessary tools become future global leaders, decision makers, and influencers. The hands on training experience benefit them when they step into the corporate industry.
What is the objective of Cargill Global Scholars Program?
The vision is to build a foundation for future leaders by getting new talent ready to take on exciting opportunities and challenges.
What are the main components of this scholarship?
Monetary: The selected students receive an annual scholarship of $2,500 USD for up to two years for academic related expenses.
Leadership seminars: During the first year, they are invited to participate in a three-day leadership seminar. In their second year, students are invited to participate in a Global Leadership Program held at Cargill’s headquarters in Minneapolis, U.S., or one of the 70 countries we operate in. Through these seminars, the students will have an opportunity to interact with our business leadership, our employees and learn more about various jobs and functions in a corporate environment.
Mentorship: Throughout the program, students receive academic and professional guidance as well as counseling from a Cargill leader. They also automatically become a member of the Cargill Global Scholars alumni community once the program is completed.
What are the basic parameters that you consider in the selection process?
A critical component of the Cargill Global Scholars Program is careful identification and selection of the most deserving candidates. In India, there are two selection committees which run concurrently.
The first step in this process is for review of online applications individually by each panelist to identify 20 semi-finalists to advance to the next stage of the selection process . Each year over 160 applications are reviewed.
Once the panelists have finished reviewing and ranking the applications individually, they convene as a group to review applicants by their combined average ranking and determine the 20 semi-finalists who are invited to attend an in-person interview.
Each panel interviews 10-12 finalists and recommends the top five ranked applicants from their panel as five of the ten Cargill Global Scholars and two applicants as alternates.
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