CIMB ASEAN Scholarship helps ASEAN’s brightest embrace sustainability Reaffirms CIMB’s commitment to responsible banking by equipping its scholars with sustainability mindset

          Eighteen CIMB Scholarship recipients from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam were introduced to the CIMB Group's ("CIMB" or "the Group") sustainability philosophy recently when their scholarship awards were officially presented at Urban Hijau, a social enterprise that promotes urban permaculture and sustainable living at its one-acre plot in Kuala Lumpur. The theme of the scholarship award ceremony was "Planting a Sustainable Future".
          The bright CIMB scholars are headed for top-ranked, prestigious universities including Oxford, Cambridge, the London School of Economics, University of Warwick, University of Bristol, and 
          University of Pennsylvania to pursue their degrees in various disciplines such as Computer Science, Actuarial Science, Law, Civil Engineering, and Communications.
          Now in its third edition, CIMB's 2018 ASEAN Scholarship programme aims to not only equip the scholars academically but also instill the sustainability mindset for them to become well-rounded and highly aware individuals. The scholarship programme also reaffirms CIMB's commitment towards supporting talent growth in the region by continuously investing in the next generation. 
          The scholarships were presented by Tengku Dato' Sri Zafrul Aziz, Group CEO, CIMB Group, who said, "Congratulations to all 18 deserving scholars who represent ASEAN's bright future. As a leading ASEAN universal bank, CIMB's strong regional footprint represents not just our strength, but also our responsibility to help shape the next generation through education and improvements in communities where we operate. As such, fusioning our scholarship award with the theme "Planting a Sustainable Future" is apt given CIMB's ongoing initiative to embed sustainability into all aspects of our operations Group-wide, which will be a key focus area in our next mid-term growth plan." 
          On 26 August 2018, CIMB Group announced its official membership of the United Nations' (UN) Environment Programme Finance Initiative Principles for Responsible Banking (UNEP-FI), making it the only banking group in Malaysia and ASEAN to be a founding member of the sustainable initiative, together with 26 other leading banks to champion responsible banking globally.
          The scholarships were presented to the students within Urban Hijau's unique Kuala Lumpur-based 1-acre urban farm. Urban Hijau is a planned sustainable social enterprise, using permaculture as a means to unite people, generate profit and guide people on conserving the planet. The scholars were also given insights into the different types of crops that can be grown in urban areas, and on Permaculture Design and Sustainable Consumption by the experts of Urban Hijau.
          The CIMB ASEAN Scholarship offers a secured career upon graduation, under CIMB's The Compete Banker Programme. The Complete Banker is a two-year management training programme, offering a comprehensive perspective of the banking industry, as well as cross-industry opportunities at startups or fintech companies to build a strong foundation in corporate leadership.
          The scholars also benefit from a unique buddy programme, supported by The Complete Banker alumni; and a mentor programme, supported by key senior management staff, to guide the students and expose them to CIMB's operations and culture.

          About CIMB Group
          CIMB Group is one of ASEAN's leading universal banking groups and is Malaysia's second largest financial services provider, by assets. It offers consumer banking, commercial banking, investment banking, Islamic banking, asset management and insurance products and services. Headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, the Group is now present in nine out of 10 ASEAN nations (Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Brunei, Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos). Beyond ASEAN, the Group has market presence in China, Hong Kong, India, Sri Lanka, Korea, the US and UK. 
          CIMB Group has the most extensive retail branch network in ASEAN of around 830 branches as at 30 June 2018. CIMB Group's investment banking arm is also one of the largest Asia Pacific-based investment banks, offering amongst the most comprehensive research coverage of around 700 stocks in the region. 
          CIMB Group operates its business through three main brand entities, CIMB Bank, CIMB Investment Bank and CIMB Islamic. CIMB Group is also the 92.5% shareholder of Bank CIMB Niaga in Indonesia, and 94.1% shareholder of CIMB Thai in Thailand. 

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          CIMB Group is listed on Bursa Malaysia via CIMB Group Holdings Berhad. It had a market capitalisation of approximately RM 51 billion as at 30 June 2018. The Group has over 36,000 employees located in 15 countries.