Children spur business leader to set up environmental scholarship

A family dinner conversation sparked Mr Sanjay Kirpalani’s desire to encourage students to become agents of change who will develop solutions for modern environmental issues. Recognising that global issues, such as climate change, habitat and species conservation and the building of liveable high-density cities, affect everyone, Mr Kirpalani, Chairman of the Enpee Group, established a scholarship at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Bachelor of Environmental Studies (BES) programme.

He explains, “It was my teenage children who, one day at the dinner table, asked me what my businesses were doing for the good of the environment. Whilst I did proceed to tell them what efforts were being made, I thought about what we could contribute from an education point of view. In short, it was the next generation who inspired me to look into this area of study.”

The BES programme is designed to produce the next generation of environmental leaders who are passionate about the environment, are scientifically informed on the issues and are creative in generating solutions and opportunities. The Enpee Group Scholarship will support two Singaporean undergraduates on the programme over the duration of the four-year course.

“Our hope for the two Singaporean students is to gain a solid foundation into the issues that currently – and in the future – affect our environment, and then to take this knowledge into the “environment” that they will be a part of, whether it be Singapore or elsewhere,” shares Mr Kirpalani. As a loyal donor to NUS who supports multiple causes, from solar energy research to diabetes research, Mr Kirpalani believes that corporates have a responsibility to give back to the community. “Life is fleeting, and permanence in this world is something we all strive for. Perhaps a great way to achieve permanence is through philanthropy. The worlds of philanthropy and business must be intertwined and NUS has given our Group a platform to participate in this connectivity!” he says.