€500,000 gift to fund Smurfit school MBAs

CASH-strapped business graduates are to be the main beneficiaries of a €500,000 anonymous gift to establish a scholarship fund for masters degrees at UCD’s Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.

The publicity-shy Irish donor’s gift will enable the establishment of the Aspire scholarships, which will provide an opportunity for up to 60 graduates who would otherwise be unable to afford fourth level education to attend the business school.

At the launch of Aspire 2010, Professor Tom Begley, Dean of UCD Smurfit School, said: “Many talented minds are unable to consider doing a masters due to a lack of finance.