To mark United Overseas Bank ’s (UOB) 90th anniversary, UOB announced today that it will commit $30 million to education programmes for disadvantaged children and students across Southeast Asia.
Four chosen programmes will benefit more than 120,000 children and students from less-privileged backgrounds, says the bank on March 3.
First, UOB will partner a leading education technology (edtech) platform based in Indonesia to provide 90,000 children from underprivileged families across 60 cities in Southeast Asia with a headstart at school.
Through the edtech platform, children mainly from Indonesia and Vietnam can gain easy access to quality educational resources in areas such as coding, computational training and digital literacy over the next three years, says UOB.
Second, as part of the UOB My Digital Space Programme, about 20,000 children from disadvantaged backgrounds across Southeast Asia will receive digital learning tools and skills this year.
Launched in 2020, the UOB My Digital Space Programme is a multi-year programme that aims to bridge the digital gap for children from disadvantaged backgrounds across the region and to connect them to digital learning opportunities. Since its launch, the programme has benefitted about 38,000 students across the region, says the bank.
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Third, about 11,000 students from low-income families will receive 90 days of pocket money through The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund in Singapore.
The students can use this money for school-related expenses such as buying meals, paying for transport or other schooling activities, says UOB.
Finally, UOB will provide pre-tertiary scholarships to 90 students from the region over the next few years for them to study in Singapore. The scholarships will cover their education fees and living costs, says UOB.
Wee Ee Cheong, deputy chairman and CEO of UOB, says: “As we celebrate and reflect on the past 90 years, we know we could only achieve what we have because of the loyal and continuous support of all stakeholders, including the community. We believe strongly in supporting education as this is an investment in our collective future across the Asean region.”
UOB Gallery
The bank also announced the opening of the UOB Gallery at its main branch in Raffles Place. Titled “Right By You: The UOB Story”, the gallery commemorates the bank’s history and milestones from its founding in 1935.
The gallery also explores the life and achievements of the late Wee Cho Yaw, chairman emeritus and honorary adviser to the UOB Group, who passed away in February 2024.
Admission to the UOB Gallery is free and its opening hours follow that of the bank branch.
Over the course of the year, UOB will announce a series of UOB90 initiatives and programmes to celebrate its journey, while “giving back to the communities” it operates in, says the bank.
As at 2.45pm, shares in UOB are trading 13 cents higher, or 0.34% up, at $38.33.
