$100 Million Donation that Could Alter Academics

The women in Australia couldn’t have hoped for a better Women’s Day month. The Khuda Family Foundation recently made a whopping donation of $100 million, the largest ever made to the University of Sydney, to fund an ambitious 20-year program. The new long-term program has been created with a lot of foresight and is designed to develop a pathway for girls from Western Sydney to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education and careers.

Lend your ears to these words from Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Sydney, Professor Mark Scott. "Robin Khuda came to the university with a challenge he knew we cared deeply about - the lack of

gender diversity in STEM and of opportunities and support for students to pursue their interest in STEM studies and careers. We’ve worked together in close collaboration to create this program and forge this partnership, which will create life-changing opportunities for girls and women from Western Sydney."

Beginning in Year 7, this generously funded program will have three stages, including tutoring, mentoring and University scholarships. Undoubtedly, this will go down in history as one of the largest investments in women in STEM globally.

Thanks to the foundation, it is also the largest single philanthropic gift in NSW. Robin Khuda, founder and CEO of Australian-founded data centre business AirTrunk, established the Khuda Family Foundation in April 2020, aiming to address the persistent under-representation of women studying and working in historically male-dominated STEM degrees and employment. We congratulate the University of Sydney on this achievement and are delighted to publish this yearly special issue dedicated to the prestigious alumni of the university. Do let us know your thoughts.