Norican Group Board members met with young students and their teachers in India in September to see how support from Norican has made a difference to their school and their learning. The 16-strong delegation visited Empress Government Girls High School and Pre-University College in Tumkur.
The students showcased their drawing, singing and musical talent and impressed the visitors with their enthusiasm and curiosity. The group, which included Søren Johansen (Chairman, Norican Board) and Robert E. Joyce Jr (CEO and President), joined students in their classrooms to talk about their academic achievements, extracurricular activities and dreams.
Since 2014, DISA India Limited has been providing scholarships to more than 750 students in Tumkur and Hosakote, where its manufacturing facilities are located. The “DISA Wheelabrator Scholarship” programme supports the academic ambitions of students from lower-income households. DISA India has also invested in school infrastructure, helping to fund drinking water tanks, teaching aids and sanitation.
Robert E. Joyce Jr said: “Our business is built on solid engineering skills and on pushing the boundaries of knowledge. The driver behind this is curiosity, which is present so abundantly in the students at Empress Government High School. We’re delighted to be able to invest in that curiosity and give back to our local community in Tumkur. We hope one day to welcome many of the young people we met today into our global community of engineers.”
From Left to Right: Ramaswamy (School Teacher), Lokesh Saxena, Thomas Kvorning, Stephys Udayakumar, Padmavati (Vice Principal, School), Daniel Reimann, Eric Brunner, Andrew J Matsuyama, Robert E. Joyce Jr., Mahadevappa (Principal, School), Søren Johansen, Stuart Davidson, Ian Bird, Rizwan Basha (School Teacher), Jean-Marc Lechene, Neil Mosley, Andrew Carmichael, Ananad Mallapa (School Teacher), Julian Zagemeister, David Hughes, Nagaraju (School Teacher), Goutham BS, Manohar (School Teacher), Jagadish Kulkarni and Rajanna (School Teacher).
About the initiative
DISA India started the “DISA Wheelabrator Scholarship” programmes in 2014 for disadvantaged year 9-12 students in schools near DISA India’s manufacturing facilities in Tumkur and Hosakote in Bangalore.
In Tumkur, a total of 543 students and in Hosakote, a total of 231 students were awarded DISA Wheelabrator scholarships, across four schools or colleges in each location.
Through its Corporate Social Responsibility activities, DISA India is looking to make a significant positive impact on the lives of a large number of people and society – more than it could through its role as a business and employer.
DISA India’s activities are focused on:
- providing financial assistance (scholarships) to students, and
- promoting education in STEM (science, technology, engineering & maths) subjects.
Activity focusses on the state of Karnataka and neighbouring states.
DISA also contributes to another scholarship initiative, the NGO Foundation for Excellence (FFE) India Trust, which provides “DISA Wheelabrator - FFE” scholarships to students in engineering colleges across the state of Karnataka and neighbouring states. DISA India has been investing in the FFE programme since 2014, awarding nearly 60 scholarships.
