Booking.com funds Oxford scholarships for women in tech

Booking.com, the University of Oxford, and Delft University of Technology have teamed up to offer scholarships to women in technology in the UK and Netherlands.

The two-year initiative will support women looking to start their career in technology, with grants worth 500,000 available across both universities. The consortium will offer 10 women places at the University of Oxford on Master of Science (MSc) courses across three departments for the academic year 2018-2019, while the remaining five places will give women studying at Delft's partner universities across sub-Saharan Africa the opportunity to study for a two-year MSc courses.

"Women are still heavily under-represented in a range of areas of post-graduate study which are relevant to building a successful career in tech," said Gillian Tans, chief executive officer of Booking.com. "By introducing the Women in Technology Scholarships, we hope we can drive change, increase diversity, and demonstrate that there are exciting opportunities in tech for talented women from across the EU and beyond."

To access the programmes, students will need to apply to the University of Oxford and Delft using the usual MSc application process. If the applicant's profile meets the scholarship's profile, they will be put forward to receive funding. Booking.com's contribution will cover university fees and living expenses.

"We are delighted that Booking.com has chosen the University of Oxford as its partner for this innovative scholarship programme," said Professor Louise Richardson, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford.

"Encouraging and supporting more young women to study STEM subjects is a key priority for Oxford, and the Women in Tech Scholarships have an important role to play in helping us realise this ambition," she added. "We look forward to building a lasting, successful partnership with Booking.com."