SAP Supports Business and IT Education at U.S. Universities

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa., Jan. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SAP America Inc., a subsidiary of SAP AG , today announced the recipients of its second-annual scholarship program, which helps discover and empower talented undergraduates who exhibit the capabilities of future business leaders. In conjunction with the SAP(R) University Alliances program and SAP's corporate citizenship program, the highly competitive scholarship encourages students to think innovatively and apply business technology concepts to solve industry challenges through research. By partnering with member universities, the SAP University Alliances program exposes students to a variety of higher-learning opportunities and encourages them to apply their knowledge of business technology to real-life scenarios.

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Designed for undergraduate students studying business, computer science, mathematics or engineering, the scholarship program from SAP evaluates applicants based on their familiarity with and understanding of business technology. The application process is rigorous, with a personal research paper being the main component and highest weighted of the selection criteria. The paper must identify a current problem or issue relevant to enterprise resource planning (ERP) or other state-of-the-art business technology, and thoroughly examine both the issue and its consequences, as well as propose practical recommendations to solve it.

Ten outstanding students were awarded scholarships valued at $10,000 each to help cover education costs. Their paper topics ranged from greenhouse emissions tracking, radio frequency identification (RFID), inventory management and Internet application security to privacy and workplace ethics.

The following students received scholarships through the program: Nicole Smith, Ball State University; Greg Turcotte, California State University, Chico; Lora Atanasova, Drexel University; Matthews McGarity, Penn State University; Scott Pudlewski, Rochester Institute of Technology; Arthur Cardillo, Villanova University; Kyle Raschen, Villanova University; Marie Chapman, Western Michigan University; Richard Pode, Western Michigan University; and Noah Pascarell, Widener University.

"The SAP University Alliances program has helped our students learn how information technology is used to manage business processes in real-life scenarios," said Dr. Bret Wagner, professor and Integrated Supply Management program director, Western Michigan University. "Their experience with SAP ERP software in the classroom has been valued by many of our corporate partners who use SAP solutions. Our students also value the strategic impact of the technology and the program on their future careers."

Commitment to IT Innovation and Education

As a global leader in business and IT innovation, SAP is already taking public leadership in numerous corporate social responsibility initiatives. With the SAP University Alliances program, SAP is demonstrating its commitment to higher education through investments in education that foster IT innovation and help equip tomorrow's entrepreneurs and managers with essential business know-how. For universities participating in the program, SAP provides free-of-charge licenses for current software releases and offers ongoing support and educational opportunities tailored to the specific needs of faculty members. User group meetings and curriculum congresses held in the EMEA, Americas and Asia-Pacific Japan regions share best practices and present new and innovative curricula.

"Through this scholarship program, SAP is helping students synthesize their understanding of business and IT to make a social and economic impact in their career path of choice," said Richard Knowles, senior vice president, Operations and Communications, and executive lead for SAP's corporate citizenship program, SAP America Inc. "The scholarships provide practical incentives for students to obtain the skills and hands-on experience necessary to launch their careers and positively contribute to the 21st century, global workforce."

The SAP University Alliances program was established in Germany in 1988. Today, the global program has nearly 800 universities participating worldwide. Annually, more than 150,000 students worldwide are enrolled in courses supported by SAP software.

About SAP

SAP is the world's leading provider of business software*. Today, more than 43,400 customers in more than 120 countries run SAP(R) applications-from distinct solutions addressing the needs of small businesses and midsize companies to suite offerings for global organizations. Powered by the SAP NetWeaver(R) technology platform to drive innovation and enable business change, SAP software helps enterprises of all sizes around the world improve customer relationships, enhance partner collaboration and create efficiencies across their supply chains and business operations. SAP solution portfolios support the unique business processes of more than 25 industries, including high tech, retail, financial services, healthcare and the public sector. With subsidiaries in more than 50 countries, the company is listed on several exchanges, including the Frankfurt stock exchange and NYSE under the symbol "SAP." (Additional information at http://www.sap.com/)

(*) SAP defines business software as comprising enterprise resource planning and related applications such as supply chain management, customer relationship management, product life-cycle management and supplier relationship management.

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