Taylor’s University Clears The Air About “Social Influencers” Receiving Full Scholarships
Taylor's University released a statement regarding the controversial scholarship yesterday, 22 March.
By Justin Tan — 23 Mar 2018, 07:32 PM
Over the past few days, much buzz has circulated around a screenshot of the Taylor’s University Talent Scholarship that show that full scholarships can be given to “social influencers”
According to Taylor's official website, the private institution has allocated 100 full scholarships for students who excel in academics, extra-curricular involvements, leadership skills, or to those who have talent in arts, sports, e-sports, and socially.
The scholarships are divided into two categories - merit and talent.
The whole fiasco started on Twitter on Sunday before it was posted up on Taylor’s University Confessions page on Facebook
The original post on Twitter that pointed out the specific criteria attracted over 4,000 retweets before it was deleted.
Netizens shared their theories on the university’s choice to offer scholarships to social influencers
Famous local personalities such as Jinnyboy and Marianne Tan also shared their perspectives
However, not everyone seems to think that offering scholarships to social influencers is a bad idea as they believe it is time for society to recognise their skills and effort
Some pointed out that the university’s Talent Scholarship category was for “social influencers”, not “social media influencers”
To address the issue, Taylor’s University posted their definition of ‘social influencer’, yesterday and also denies that it is offering scholarships to social media influencers
The statement reads, "Taylor’s Talent Scholarship was launched in December 2017 to recognise exceptional candidates who possess an excellent academic record with talent in areas such as music, drama, sports and social influencing.
"A social influencer, as defined by our stringent standards and guidelines, is a champion of social issues. Such leaders have a proven track record of organising communities to engage or solve pressing issues of our time.
"Our sole recipient for this category thus far is Daniel Devan, an entrepreneur whose initiative WHEE (Where Holistic Experiences Empower) mitigates the effects of rural depopulation by facilitating entrepreneurial development in targeted communities. Daniel is now a medical student in the MBBS programme.
"Taylor’s Talent Scholarship welcomes candidates who demonstrate excellence in their studies and contribute real and meaningful change to society."
The institution has officially amended the term from ‘social influencer’ to ‘social advocate’ on their website to avoid confusion
