August 16, 2022
Ornua, Ireland’s largest exporter of dairy products and owner of the Kerrygold brand, has announced a fully-funded postgraduate scholarship for the MSc in Co-operatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development at Cork University Business School for the 2022/23 academic year.
A first-of-its-kind programme, the MSc in Co-operatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development fully integrates co-operative approaches into the study of sustainable development and agri-food.
Through a combination of work placements and research-based learning, the programme is highly effective in giving students the knowledge, skills and practical experience needed to secure exciting roles across sustainable development and agri-food, in areas such as ESG, green energy, logistics, project management, agri-advisory and consultancy and research.
The Ornua Scholarship, which was launched for the first time in 2021, will support a postgraduate student in the upcoming academic year, as they work towards becoming the next sustainable leader in Agri-Food Business. The successful scholar will complete a work-placement with Ornua as part of their participation in the programme.
Commenting on the launch of the 2022/23 scholarship, Dave Fitzgerald, Sustainability Director, Ornua said: “We’re delighted to extend our partnership with Cork University Business School for a second academic year and to continue our support for those pursuing the leading-edge MSc programme in Co-operatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development.”
“As a co-operative, and Ireland’s largest exporter of dairy products, Ornua is committed to safeguarding the future of the sector and returning value to Irish farming families by achieving sustainable growth. We also understand and value the importance of collaboration between industry and academia in responding to the challenges and opportunities associated with growing sustainably and are therefore proud to support the development of tomorrow’s agri-food leaders through the Ornua Scholarship.”
Dr. Olive McCarthy, Programme Director of the MSc Co-operatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development, UCC added: “At Cork University Business School, we are committed to providing a dynamic, supportive learning and research environment, which recognises the diverse backgrounds and interests of students, staff and partner organisations. We are hugely grateful to Ornua for allowing us to further this ambition for the second year running.”
Isabel Power was the first recipient of the Ornua Scholarship for the MSc in Co-operatives, Agri-Food and Sustainable Development at Cork University Business School, UCC. Having undertaken the 2021/22 MSc programme, Isabel concluded her studies with a 5-month work placement within Ornua’s Sustainability team.
Isabel Power said: “I am passionate about the co-operative model and its potential for sustainable development and community wealth building. I believe that this scholarship and work placement have kickstarted my career in co-operatives and sustainability, areas of enormous growth and future importance. I am incredibly grateful to Ornua for supporting my studies and for providing me with this wonderful opportunity.”
The application process for the 2022/23 academic year is open until Monday, 22 August 2022. Find out more here.