RWS Launches Scholarship Programme with The University of Manchester

RWS, one of the world’s leading language and intellectual property support services providers, has launched a scholarship programme in collaboration with The University of Manchester to encourage students from lower income families to complete a degree in modern languages.

Named after RWS’s Chairman, Andrew Brode, the ‘RWS Brode Scholarship Programme’ will support a total of 50 undergraduate students who join the university between 2019 and 2021 from a state school, with a household income of £60,000 or less per year.

“As one of the world’s largest language services providers, we see the growing demand for translation and interpreting services required to support our clients’ global business goals. At the same time, we are witnessing a national decline in the UK of students studying languages at university. As a large employer of language graduates, we believe we have a role to play in encouraging the next generation to consider a degree in languages and support those who may not have the financial means to complete their studies,” said Andrew Brode, Chairman of RWS.

As part of the scholarship programme, RWS staff, many of whom are linguists, will act as mentors to the students, offering support with their studies and guidance on future career opportunities. To offer students first-hand experience of working in the language services industry, RWS will also be running summer internships and work placements, with the potential for full-time graduate roles on completion of their studies.

“Beyond the financial contribution, the opportunity for students to gain first-hand work experience through this programme will be invaluable as they consider future career opportunities. We are all very excited for the programme to start and to welcome our first cohort of students,” said Karl Posso, Professor of Latin American Studies, Head of Modern Languages and Cultures, and Deputy Head of the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures.

Laila-Grace Gane, a current first-year Modern Languages – French and Italian student said when choosing which university to study at said: “I was immediately drawn to The University of Manchester after visiting on the Open Day. The University site is not only architecturally beautiful but there is a real atmosphere and buzz in the air. I had always known that I wanted to study French but decided that I would like to learn another language from the beginning and was drawn to Italian.

The Italian department really shone with a large body of teaching staff and a wide range of areas of study from the medieval to modern period. Since starting at Manchester, I have also enjoyed how the French department’s programme is so well thought-out. For example, what we learn in Modern French Identity lectures has links to Cultural Studies lectures and enables students to gain a well-informed, wide knowledge of epochs in French life and culture.”