Manipur girl gets coveted international scholarship in Egypt

Guwahati: In a refreshing breath of good news amidst unceasing conflict besieging Manipur, Aira Thoudam, a brilliant class XI student from Imphal West district, has achieved a remarkable feat by earning a scholarship for the esteemed AFS Global Stem Academy in Egypt.

Currently enrolled at Assam Valley School, Tezpur, Aira, the daughter of renowned Manipuri filmmaker Meena Longjam, stands out among the top 150 scholars globally. This recognition comes from a competitive selection process involving 6,000 applicants from 15 nations for the esteemed "AFS Global STEM 2024 Academy.”

Expressing her joy, Aira shared, "I am extremely excited to be selected for AFS Global STEM Academies 2024. This was my first attempt at such a coveted scholarship and I received the delightful news via email yesterday."

Aira expressed gratitude to her school's mentor, Raya Mukhopadhyay, for invaluable guidance.

“I have been preparing for months for this, though I was a bit nervous during the interview. I would like to thank my school teacher Raya Mukhopadhyay without whose guidance this would not have been possible. I am very proud of my mother who is always very supportive and my inspiration,” Aira added.

During the programme, scholars will actively participate in community service initiatives, exploring innovative sustainability operations, and applying STEM skills to address industry and societal challenges.

The successful participants will be awarded the advanced certificate on global competence for social impact, jointly conferred by AFS and the University of Pennsylvania Centre for Social Impact Strategy.

Aira's achievement adds to her family's success, following her mother Meena's acclaimed film 'Andro Dreams,' which opened the non-feature section at the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa on November 20, 2023.