Part of ‘Our Commitment to Change’ initiative, scholarships reinforce global pledge to advance diversity, equity and inclusion, workforce preparedness and STEM education
To foster opportunities for high-performing female students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, Otis has awarded the first STEM scholarships to 90 outstanding female students attending three prominent Chinese universities: Sichuan University, Wuhan University and Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University.
The Mulan Development Program Otis Scholarships, launched by Otis in partnership with the China Women’s Development Foundation (CWDF), recognizes talented female students and supports them in their studies as they prepare for STEM careers.
“As a company built on STEM talent, Otis can affirm that a diverse workforce helps fuel innovation,” said Jordi Casas, Vice President of Human Resources and Transformation, Otis China. “Our Scholarship program is a manifestation of Otis’ commitment to diversity and support of STEM as a driver of economic and social development. We are grateful to the CWDF and our partner universities for collaborating with us to empower talented female students as future STEM leaders.”
Dong Kui, Deputy Secretary-General, CWDF, said: “We thank Otis for partnering with us to support the growth and development of female STEM students. Like Otis, we believe that giving more women STEM opportunities will drive innovation and benefit the community as a whole.”
Otis unveiled “Our Commitment to Change” initiative in 2020, outlining specific actions the company would take to nurture a workplace environment of diversity, equity and inclusion. Recognizing that to achieve our goals, we needed to partner with organizations that are addressing critical issues like workforce preparedness and STEM education – organizations like China Women’s Development Foundation.
In parallel, we also created the Made to Move Communities™ student challenge, designed to inspire young innovators to develop STEM-based mobility solutions for underrepresented communities.
Otis is making STEM a pillar of its corporate social responsibility commitment, with a plan for STEM programs to account for the majority of its CSR efforts in China by 2025. In addition to continuing the Otis Made to Move Communities competition for university students, it intends to expand the Scholarship program and work with CWDF to further motivate women in STEM education and entrepreneurship. It will also continue to nurture female talents within Otis.