Tokyo -- Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., has selected scholarship recipients for the seventh term (FY 2004) of the Nissan-NPO Learning Scholarship Program. The ceremony honoring students who have completed the sixth term and those who will start the seventh term will be held at Nissan's Ginza headquarters at 6:30 this evening.
Through the Nissan-NPO Learning Scholarship Program, Nissan recruits and selects students who want firsthand experience at an NPO (nonprofit organization) and provides them scholarships commensurate with the results of their internship activities. The program was launched in 1998 as a fresh initiative for promoting human resources development in partnerships with NPOs.
"We consider this program as an investment in young people," says Nissan President and CEO Carlos Ghosn. "The NPOs who partner with us help to guide these students through a unique learning experience that exposes them to interesting, important activities that improve the quality of life in Japan."
In March, Nissan began accepting applications for the seventh term (FY 2004) through the Internet and by posted notices at universities in the Kanto and Kansai regions. A total of 147 students from 53 universities applied, marking the largest number of applicants ever received. Based on a screening of their applications and interviews, 17 scholarship recipients were chosen, and they will enter activity programs at host NPOs beginning in June.
Host organizations are NPOs that set clear missions and respond to needs of society in diverse fields, such as environmental protection, international cooperation, culture and the arts, and social welfare. Among the NPOs selected as host organizations this year, 12 are based in the Kanto region and three in the Kansai region. Each organization will host and guide one or two students in activity programs lasting up to 300 hours, which are designed to avoid interference with the students' university studies. Nissan will provide the students with a scholarship for their internship results, which are certified monthly by a representative of the host NPO.
Some of the seventh-term scholarship recipients described their motives for participating in the program:
- "By understanding the gap between ideal and reality and gaining experience by myself, I would like to make this program an engine for realizing my dreams."
- "I would like to acquire the ability to resolve issues and interpersonal skills through ties with the real world."
- "By getting to know the needs of society at the early stage of my university life, I would like to explore what I should study at university now."
- "I would like to ascertain the raison d'etre of NPOs with my own eyes."
NPOs address areas that complement the social contributions made by governmental bodies and by corporations. Through these internships, the host NPOs are able to convey the social significance of their initiatives to the students and, potentially, secure human resources for their future activities. The experience also gives students good opportunities to cultivate their leadership ability and the spirit of entrepreneurship in a challenging, yet structured environment.
An outline of the seventh term of the Nissan-NPO Learning Scholarship Program is attached.
Outline of the 7th Term (FY 2004) 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
(Kanto: 12 organizations)
Able Art Japan, Association for Corporate Support of the Arts, Sawayaka Welfare Foundation, The Foundation for Child Well-being (National Children's Castle), 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
(Total of 15 organizations)
4. Application period
March 15-April 16, 2004
5. Activity period
June 2004 to February 2005 (The actual activity period differs, depending on the program.)
6. Number of applicants
147 university and graduate school students from 53 universities in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Osaka, Hyogo and other prefectures
7. Scholarship recipients
17 students
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