Sugar Research and Development Corporation scholarship program : Final report SRD014

Abstract

The Sugar Research Council (fore-runner of SRDC) was established in November 1987 and in their 1989/90 Annual Report stated “For the first time the Council funded two postgraduate scholarships as part of its human resource development program.” When announcing two more scholarships the next year, their purpose was described as follows: “The regular awarding of postgraduate scholarships is aimed at not only involving universities in research associated with the sugar industry but also with the long term view of creating a pool of highly qualified persons who are acquainted with the industry and who may wish to continue their association later in their career.”

SRDC has continued to award scholarships each year since 1990 and in 2006 the SRDC Board commissioned this review of the scholarship program, asking for a report on:

• inputs, outputs and outcomes of SRDC investment in scholarship projects over the period to 2006 and

• lessons and recommendations to deliver greater benefits from future investment in SRDC scholarship projects.

The information in this review has been compiled by searching SRDC files, Annual Reports and published literature; by interviews with selected Board members, managers, supervisors and past scholarship holders (Appendix 1); and through contact with universities and other rural industry research and development corporations. Abbreviations used in the text are explained in Appendix 2.