the new school's parsons school of design announces creation of scholarship fund from burberry

September 24, 2020, New York - The New School’s Parsons School of Design today announced the Burberry Creative Arts Scholarship, a five-year scholarship funded by Burberry, one of the world’s leading global luxury brands, for students from historically under-represented communities in art and design. The scholarship fund will support graduate students enrolled in Parsons’ acclaimed Architectural Design, Interior Design, Fashion Marketing and Communication, and Strategic Design and Management programs.

“We simply cannot achieve our mission if we are not educating a student body that reflects the society in which we live, work, and create. A diverse student body brings unique and robust experiences, perspectives, and skills to our educational community, laying the foundation for new and exciting approaches to collaboration, innovation, and creativity,” said Rachel Schreiber, Executive Dean of Parsons School of Design. “Parsons is deeply grateful to Burberry for establishing the Burberry Creative Arts Scholarship, a generous and transformational gift that will support, sustain and engage diverse designers, artists, and strategists throughout their time at Parsons.”

Erica Bourne, Chief People Officer, Burberry said: “In order to truly diversify the talent we bring into this industry, we have to meaningfully commit to diversifying our talent pipeline. This starts before the workplace, in education. We are delighted to be working with such an impressive array of creative institutions, all of which are equally dedicated to ensuring better representation within their programmes. It is an honour that we, as a company, can support the recognition and celebration of diverse creatives as a part of their journey. I look forward to seeing how these promising, talented individuals develop into the next generation of creative leaders, bringing their uniqueness to the industry.”

The first round of scholarships will be awarded to students during the 2020-2021 academic year, with funds going towards tuition and related costs. Students who receive a scholarship will be focused on preparing to enter the job market or seeking full-time employment opportunities. Drawing on their rigorous Parsons education, these future industry leaders from diverse backgrounds will influence the systems and decision-making processes across a wide range of art and design sectors, including architecture, interior design, fashion marketing, advertising, communications, and business development, among many other fields.

These are part of the creative arts scholarships programme expansion globally by Burberry to support the next generation of creative leaders from underrepresented communities. The scholarships will provide more equal access to creative arts programmes at some of the world’s most esteemed creative institutions, including The New School’s Parsons School of Design in New York City, Institut Français de la Mode in Paris and Central Saint Martins in London.