Indian doctoral student wins scholarship

A student of Indian origin pursuing her doctoral degree at New Zealand's University of Auckland has been awarded a Fulbright-Platinum Triangle scholarship in entrepreneurship.

The scholarship, valued at $0.1 mn, will fund Privahini Bradoo's MBA at Harvard, which she will start in August 2006. It will also provide the 24-year-old with work experience in the US and support her entrepreneurial career on her return to New Zealand.

Privahini, who 'wants to grow as a science-savvy business leader', is presently studying at the Liggin Istitute.

Only one such highly prestigious and competitive scholarship is awarded in New Zealand each year to an emerging entrepreneur who shows academic excellence and the ability to make a real contribution to the development of New Zealand's knowledge economy, as well as be a cultural ambassador for the country.

Privahini had excelled during her four years at the Liggins institute, the university said. In addition to her excellent academic work, she has been the inaugural chief executive for Spark, a student-led initiative at the University of Auckland, which fosters the development of business ventures harnessing new ideas.

She was also deeply involved in the creation of Chiasma, set up to encourage innovation in biotechnology and create links between the university's biotech student community and the New Zealand Biotech industry.