Tokyo - Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. is today holding a ceremony to mark the completion of the third term of the Nissan-NPO Learning Scholarship Program, as well as an orientation seminar to start the fourth term. The combined events are taking place in the Auditorium at Nissan's Head Office at 6:30 this evening.
Mr. Ghosn will be personally presenting the third-term scholarship recipients with certificates of completion and wish them every success in their future careers. He will also be delivering a message to the effect that he will enthusiastically cheer the young people who will undertake the challenge of gaining intellectual experience as well as the people of NPOs.
Under the Nissan-NPO Learning Scholarship Program, Nissan recruits and selects students who want to experience the activities of a nonprofit organization (NPO) and provides those selected with scholarships as compensation for their efforts at such organizations. This program is a new initiative launched in 1998 and carried out in partnerships with participating NPOs. The objective is to give students an opportunity to acquire intellectual experience and to develop their thinking abilities in the process of learning through their work at NPOs, where versatile and self-initiated action is required. Nissan has positioned this Learning Scholarship Program as an "investment" in young people who will be responsible for supporting the future of society.
In March, Nissan began accepting applications for the fourth term (FY 2001) by posting notices calling for applications at Kanto and Kansai universities and also via the Internet. A total of 112 students from 45 universities applied this time, which exceeded last year's applicant figure. Based on a screening of their application documents and interviews, 19 scholarship recipients were chosen for the fourth term. They will engage in activity programs, beginning the end of this June.
A portion of this term's scholarship funds has come from a donation made by Nissan employees, who are members of the Technology and Engineering Development Group that developed a super-ultra-low exhaust emission system. This system was chosen for one of the "10th Nikkei Global Environmental Technology Awards" last November. The employees offered their prize money to be used to benefit young people.
Seventeen NPOs have been selected as the host organizations this year, fourteen of which are located in the Kanto region and three in the Kansai region. These NPOs are active in diverse fields, including environmental protection, social welfare, international cooperation, culture and the arts. Each organization will host one or two students and give opportunities for learning by providing activity programs (a long-term course of up to 300 hours and a short-term intensive course of up to 150 hours), which will be designed in such a way as to avoid interference with the students' university studies.
The following remarks were made by some of the fourth-term scholarship recipients as their motives for applying for the program. "University studies tend to be oriented toward theories or to tend to go after an ideal. By acquiring experience at an NPO, I hope I will gain an opportunity to face reality squarely." "I want to develop my ability to think from a broad viewpoint and act of my own initiative." "By listening carefully to the opinions of various people with many different interests, I want to learn the process of converging those various opinions into a consistent one with the prevailing situation at hand." "I want to learn about NPO activities in much more detail, as there is a possibility of my working at an NPO in my professional career in the future." These comments clearly show that students' intellectual desire is on the rise and that an increasing number of students are envisioning finding their jobs at an NPO, other than working in the business community or for the government.
The experience of working at NPOs, where there is an abundance of the pioneer spirit, diverse nature, and specialized disciplines, is expected to offer excellent opportunities for young people to acquire the spirit of entrepreneurship, as they will be responsible for carrying the future of society. Accordingly, since its inauguration, this scholarship program has attracted widespread interest from many different quarters of society.
Outline of the Fourth Term (FY 2001) of the Nissan-NPO Learning Scholarship Program
1. Form of implementation
Sponsor: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Partner: Japan NPO Center
2. Target participants
Students currently enrolled in a university or a graduate school
3. Host organizations (17)
(Kanto: 14 organizations)
Able Art Japan, Environmental Partnership Office / Global Environment Information Centre, Association for Corporate Support of the Arts, Sawayaka Welfare Foundation, The Foundation for Child Well-being (National Children's Castle), Japan Platform, Shapla Neer Citizens' Committee in Japan for Overseas Support, Shanti Volunteer Association (SVA), Tokyo Children's Library, Japan NPO Center, Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE), Ecosystem Conservation Society-Japan, The Association of National Trusts in Japan, Kanagawa Information Center for Citizens' Activities (Alice Center)(Kansai: 3 organizations)
Osaka Voluntary Action Center, Kobe Foreigners Friendship Center, Kobe Empowerment Center
4. Application period
March 21- April 20, 2001
5. Activity period
June 2001 to February 2002 (The longest period is nine months, but the actual activity period differs depending on the program.)
6. Number of applicants and scholarship recipients
No. of applicants: 112 university and graduate school students from 45 universities in Tokyo, Saitama, Osaka, Hyogo and other prefectures
No. of scholarship recipients: 19 students
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