Danish IT and business consultancy company Netcompany has awarded a scholarship worth £10,000 to Westminster student Marta Unterschute to undertake Software Engineering (Conversion) MSc course as part of its aim to support women in the field of software engineering.
Netcompany is an IT service company that delivers business-critical strategic IT projects which accelerate customers’ digital transformation through digital platforms, core systems and infrastructure services. Their scholarship is awarded to one female scholar each year to support their work elevating women in software engineering.
The scholarship offers £10,000 for the 2023/24 academic year to a Software Engineering (Conversion) MSc student, with the funding covering a cost-of-living scholarship grant of £5,000 and a part fee-waiver of another £5,000. Westminster received several applications and after a round of impressive interviews one scholar was chosen.
This year’s recipient, Marta Unterschute, currently holds a BA in Psychology and an MSc in Sociology, but despite her love for these disciplines, she became aware of systemic issues within social science research which motivated her to look at other career paths. This shift led her to a role as a product consultant at a web development firm, where she was captivated by project creation and programming.
About the scholarship she said: "I am honoured to be selected as the Netcompany Postgraduate Scholar. This opportunity will be a catalyst for my academic and professional growth. With the financial support of Netcompany, I can now reduce my working hours which will allow me to delve deeper into my studies to fulfil my full potential as a software engineer. This benefit will also grant me the time to collaborate with my fellow students and participate in mentorship and employability events, thus elevating my professional future."
Deepa Nair, Talent Acquisition Manager at Netcompany, said: “Netcompany is very happy to collaborate with the University of Westminster to offer a scholarship to one of the postgraduate students. We always want to promote young talent in the field of technology, and we aim to strengthen this partnership by offering mentoring and placement opportunities to more students in the future. We were very impressed by the selection process and the staff at Westminster always have the best interest of the students in mind.”
Brett Fegan, Prospect Research and Donor Relations Manager at Westminster, added: “Thanks to Netcompany’s generosity, we are thrilled at Westminster to be able to support another dedicated student on their educational and employment journey. Netcompany’s progressive stance is highlighted by their identification of a lack of diversity in the software engineering sector, and their provision of this scholarship to rectify the imbalance. We look forward to seeing how Marta will break boundaries and make a positive change in her field.”
To find out how you can support PhD opportunities at Westminster, please contact the University's Development team.
Find out more about the School of Computer Science and Engineering.