Niagara University and Rich Products are entering a partnership that aims to impact the future of the food industry in Western New York. They announced Tuesday the launch of a scholar program with Foreign Trade University, one of Vietnam’s premier academic institutions.
"Our ultimate goal is to educate leaders in the food industry in general," said Mark Frascatore, Dean of the Holzschuh College of Business Administration at Niagara University. "Western New York is a huge place for the food industry. Rich Products is one of our partners, and one of our biggest. We need to graduate talent into the food industry in Western New York, in particular with Rich Products."
Marie-Claude Laprade, Senior Vice President of Demand Creation and Revenue Growth at Rich Products Corporation, said the strategic partnership will have a local and global impact on the economy.
"Students gain firsthand experience of what it's like to work for a global food company while sharing their curiosity, energy, and unique perspective," she said. "That's the power of education and business working together. When we collaborate, we create experiences that prepare students, not just for jobs, but for real-world impact in a global economy, here in Western New York, where Rich's proudly calls home."
The partnership is designed to promote cross-cultural experience and to develop global business skills while creating a pipeline of talented graduates to work in the food industry.
The application process is a mix of meeting Rich Products' needs while catering to the targeted major of the students.
"We have students apply for the program, we review the applications, and then we consult with Rich Products to see what they’re looking for," Frascatore said. "Then we accept students into the program, we educate them according to the major that they choose within business, they can choose any major in business or our new food management major, and then they will be ready for the real world.”
Each school year, two students from NU and two from FTU will be selected into the program. They will earn a $5,000 scholarship each year and are eligible for four years of undergraduate studies and one year of graduate school, totaling $25,000. Accepted students will also be matched with a mentor from Rich Products who meets with them once a month as they journey through college life and into their professional careers.
Vietnamese students will receive trade and visa funds along with room and board to live in Western New York for a summer internship.
