Hasbro donates $500,000 for URI international programs
Jennifer Scungio
Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: News
04/18/07 - The Pawtucket-based toy company, Hasbro Inc., has donated $500,000 to the University of Rhode Island to support students enrolled in the international engineering and business programs.
The donation will help to establish the Hasbro Scholars Fund, which will benefit students by offering merit-based financial support for undergraduates who plan to study or intern in China as part of their academic program.
"Hasbro is particularly pleased to support students who plan to study and intern in China, whose thriving economy is a driving force behind an increasingly global marketplace," said Hasbro President and CEO Alfred Verrecchia in a press release.
Verrecchia graduated from URI in 1967, received his master's degree in 1972 and an honorary doctorate in 2004.
The gift is part of URI's Making a Difference Campaign, whose goal is to raise $100 million in endowments for the university.
"We are very thrilled," International Engineering Program Executive Director John Grandin said. "This is a huge help at a critical time as we develop our programs with China."
IEP is a five-year program in which students complete a dual major to obtain a bachelor's of science in engineering and a bachelor's of arts in a foreign language.
Grandin said in an IEP student's fourth year, students are required to study and intern abroad with a company specific to their discipline.
The IEP Chinese program is about 1 year old and is just beginning to send students overseas, he added.
"We're sending our first two engineering students to China for the coming academic year to study for one semester and to complete an internship with a company," Grandin said. "At the same time, we are developing our Chinese language program and encouraging students to take advantage of this opportunity."
The university currently does not offer a Chinese major, but does offer course work in the language. Students can take Chinese 101 through 104 for credit.
The donation will help to establish the Hasbro Scholars Fund, which will benefit students by offering merit-based financial support for undergraduates who plan to study or intern in China as part of their academic program.
"Hasbro is particularly pleased to support students who plan to study and intern in China, whose thriving economy is a driving force behind an increasingly global marketplace," said Hasbro President and CEO Alfred Verrecchia in a press release.
Verrecchia graduated from URI in 1967, received his master's degree in 1972 and an honorary doctorate in 2004.
The gift is part of URI's Making a Difference Campaign, whose goal is to raise $100 million in endowments for the university.
"We are very thrilled," International Engineering Program Executive Director John Grandin said. "This is a huge help at a critical time as we develop our programs with China."
IEP is a five-year program in which students complete a dual major to obtain a bachelor's of science in engineering and a bachelor's of arts in a foreign language.
Grandin said in an IEP student's fourth year, students are required to study and intern abroad with a company specific to their discipline.
The IEP Chinese program is about 1 year old and is just beginning to send students overseas, he added.
"We're sending our first two engineering students to China for the coming academic year to study for one semester and to complete an internship with a company," Grandin said. "At the same time, we are developing our Chinese language program and encouraging students to take advantage of this opportunity."
The university currently does not offer a Chinese major, but does offer course work in the language. Students can take Chinese 101 through 104 for credit.
