Yale University's Young Global Scholars Program and Qooco Leverage Mobile Technology to Reach Underserved High School Students in Asia Through Scholarship Fund

Qooco to offer financial aid scholarships worth USD$150,000 to help high school students in Asia who have the talent but not the means to attend the Yale Young Global Scholars Program

Use of online and mobile technology to allow the scholarship to reach, test and vet more applicants in more countries

Cirrus Education Inc. ("Qooco"), the provider of Qooco mobile language learning solutions, announces the launch of the Yale Young Global Scholars - Qooco Scholarship, a US$150,000 annual fund that will allow students in Asia to attend the prestigious Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) Program. The scholarship will provide financial help to high school level students who would otherwise lack the financial means to attend the program, covering tuition fees and transportation costs. Additionally, Qooco has offered to provide mobile spoken English language pre-test preparation.

The Yale Young Global Scholars - Qooco Scholarship will provide up to 28 scholarships worth US$150,000 in total per year, to qualified students who attend high school in eight Asian countries: China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Myanmar. The scholarship will allow them to attend the Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS) Program, a highly selective, annual summer program offered in partnership with three world-class institutions: Yale Center Beijing, China; Yale-NUS College, Singapore; and Yale University, United States. YYGS aims to expose students to global challenges at the forefront of science, technology, and international affairs, through rigorous academic learning from Yale professors, alumni, and undergraduate and graduate student mentors. Applicants must be high school sophomores (US Grade 10) or juniors (US Grade 11), or the international equivalent, and demonstrate a need for financial assistance.

"Education is a great leveller, and can transform the fortunes of individuals and families with even the poorest of backgrounds" says David Topolewski, CEO of Qooco, adding "while Asia has seen massive economic growth over the past decade, inequality is also rising in many Asian societies and poor access to education plays a large role in causing this. Talent is spread widely across Asia, with children in villages in China to cities in Thailand and rural areas in Indonesia who are highly capable, but simply lack access to education that would unlock their potential. As such, we aim to provide as many people with the opportunity to apply for the Yale Young Global Scholars - Qooco Scholarship as possible."

"This is a wonderful gift to the Yale Young Global Scholars Program, and Qooco is such a generous, visionary partner," said YYGS Executive Director Ted Wittenstein. "Yale University has deep and historic ties to Asia that span more than 170 years and cover nearly every conceivable field of endeavor. YYGS extends that interaction to outstanding high school students from across Asia and around the world. The Yale Young Global Scholars - Qooco Scholarship is a fantastic opportunity for the best and brightest young people to be introduced to stellar Yale professors and to further improve their analytical thinking, intellectual creativity, and written and oral communication in preparation for applying to college-irrespective of their ability to pay."

Qualified students are urged to apply online at https://yygsbeijing.yale.edu, https://globalscholars.yale.edu/apply, and https://yygssingapore.yale.edu/ where more information about the program is also available.

A high level of English language proficiency is vital for YYGS, as students must be able to articulate their thoughts coherently and accurately, as they are expected to conduct sustained, difficult academic work. Qooco's mobile language learning solutions will be provided to enhance the applicants' opportunity to develop and demonstrate their English language proficiency.

The Yale Young Global Scholars - Qooco Scholarship is a seven-year partnership sponsored by Cirrus Education Inc. and its group companies operating under the Qooco brand, and shall begin awarding recipients from 2017 onwards. The scholarship shall award financial aid up to 28 students who attend high school in eight Asian countries, with a view to expanding this number over the coming years. Admissions and selection processes will be conducted and administered independently by the Yale Young Global Scholars Program, while Qooco will provide English language proficiency preparation and assessment.