Aden Grandcourt and Keith Mondon awarded CBS’ Guy Morel High Achievement Scholarship for 2024 |04 March 2024
The two award recipients in a souvenir photograph with Governor Abel and other CBS staff
The Central Bank of Seychelles (CBS) has awarded scholarships for the sixth edition of its Guy Morel High Achievement Scholarship Programme.
Aden Grandcourt and Keith Mondon are the recipients of the undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships for 2024, respectively.
They received their award certificates from the Governor, Caroline Abel, in a short ceremony held on Friday at the CBS Building in Victoria.
Aden recently completed Advanced Level studies at the International School Seychelles, obtaining 3 A* in Economics, Chemistry and Maths and an A in History. He aspires to pursue his undergraduate studies in Economics, a field he is passionate about due to its profound impact on people’s lives.
“I aspire to not only leverage economics to elevate the standard of living but also educate the public on its crucial role in their daily lives. Economics is a social science. It is founded on the principles of choice and human rationale. Greater public understanding of economics has the potential to drive more effective economic policy and foster a financially educated society, ultimately contributing to our nation’s growth and development,” said Aden.
Keith, who works for a Securities Dealer, will be pursuing a Master’s Degree in Data Analytics. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Finance. Keith, who completed CBS’ inaugural Financial Education Youth Ambassador’s Programme last year, describes his chosen field as pivotal to the evolution of financial services.
“It has been argued that ‘data is the new oil. It’s valuable, but if unrefined it cannot really be used’. The award will provide me with the opportunity to learn the techniques and tools to refine data in order to communicate and make impactful business insights. I am acutely aware of the responsibilities that accompany this honour. With dedication and perseverance, I pledge to maximise this opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the financial sector,” said Keith.
Aden will pursue his course at the London School of Economics and Political Science, while Keith is currently exploring university options. They will both embark on their study journey on campus later this year.
In congratulating the two awardees, Governor Abel commended them for their academic journeys thus far and for seizing the opportunity to be empowered to contribute towards the development of the country’s financial sector.
She noted that ongoing economic developments present ample opportunities for professionals and the need to build competencies, adding that CBS is pleased to see the growing interest in the scholarship and the outstanding results successful recipients have obtained thus far.
“As an institution that values diversity and believes in providing opportunities for all to contribute and develop their full potential, it is even more encouraging to see an almost equal proportion of female and male talents having successfully obtained a scholarship under the programme – with five female awardees and four male awardees to date. It is hoped that this will inspire others who may be considering applying for this opportunity in the future. The Central Bank will continue to identify new areas of expertise that need to be nurtured and support the development of talents,” said Ms Abel.
The call for applications for the 2024 edition of the Guy Morel High Achievement Scholarship opened on October 18, 2023, closing on January 31, 2024, with some new subjects on offer highlighting CBS’ ongoing commitment to identifying and assisting in closing the skills gap in the sector.
Aside from Economics, Accounting, Finance, Law and Banking for undergraduate studies, other areas on offer were Computer Programming, Information Technology and Statistics. At the postgraduate level, Risk Management was a new field on offer alongside Financial Technology, Cybersecurity, Financial Journalism, Financial Law, Taxation & Customs Management, Public Finance Management, Anti-Money Laundering & Compliance, Sustainable Finance and Data Analytics.
The chairperson of the Scholarship Committee, CBS’ second deputy Governor, Jenifer Sullivan, highlighted the thirst for knowledge observed and the high calibre of individuals with diverse interests who participated in the highly competitive selection process this year.
“Each year, the scholarship programme continues to attract increasing interest, a testament to its growing popularity and recognition as an essential pathway for nurturing local talents. This trend holds true this year; we received a remarkable total of 27 applications, almost doubling the 14 received in 2023. Notably, five applications were for undergraduate studies, while 22 were for postgraduate pursuits. Impressively, 78% of the applicants – two for undergraduate studies and 19 aspirants of a postgraduate scholarship – were shortlisted and subsequently interviewed,” said Ms Sullivan, who echoed the Governor’s congratulations to the two awardees.
Four scholars – one for undergraduate and three for postgraduate – have completed their studies with outstanding results and are already contributing their acquired skills to the economy since the scholarship programme was launched in 2018. Aden and Keith join three others still pursuing their respective degree programmes.
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