Quacquarelli Symonds does more than just rank the world's universities—it offers scholarships, too
The QS World University Rankings are well known to those in academia. But few British Columbians are aware that the company behind them, Quacquarelli Symonds, also gives away large scholarships to attend graduate schools.
Canadian Lee MacPherson is one lucky recipient, collecting US$10,000 last year to cover tuition at the Manchester Business School.
In a phone interview from Manchester, MacPherson told the Straight that he obtained the scholarship after attending one of the company's educational fairs in Tokyo. (There's a similar one scheduled at the Vancouver Convention Centre East on September 15.)
The back story is something that goes beyond your usual smart-boy-wins-a-bursary tale.
MacPherson ended up in Japan after obtaining a bachelor's degree in psychology. In March 2011 he was a teacher in a small town north of Tokyo when the massive earthquake struck the Fukushima area. That was followed by large emissions of radiation from nuclear reactors in the coastal town as a tsunami power plants, prompting massive evacuations.
For two weeks afterward, MacPherson remained in a sombre mood.
“I didn’t want to enjoy myself when other people were suffering,” he said. “There were still hundreds of thousands of people out of their homes.”
Later that month, the Winnipeg native attended an improv workshop, which boosted his spirits somewhat. It led him to start incorporating humour into the classroom.
The progam that he developed helped him win the Quacquarelli Symonds scholarship and became a springboard for his graduate studies.
“I’m researching how organizations can get a competitive advantage by utilizing improv,” MacPherson said of his thesis.
The QS World Grad School Tour will be in Vancouver next month, giving students an opportunity to meet admissions directors from many of the world’s top universities and graduate schools. Prospective students will also be able to apply for some of the $2.2 million in scholarships that will be given out. If they're as fortunate as MacPherson, they can earn a chance to study abroad.
There will also be presentations by representatives of Hult International Business School, York University, Queen’s University, and other academic institutions.
Comments