In 2011 Rio Tinto established a scholarship program at Tohoku University together with Komatsu Co. Ltd. to support students, who were impacted by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. The decade-long program will come to a close at March this year. (Photo is the campus of Tohoku University)

The Komatsu-Rio Tinto Scholarship program has successfully supported a total of 333 students, who went through major changes in their lives due to the unprecedented disaster. Rio Tinto has interacted with the scholarship recipients throughout the program, receiving messages such as "I’m grateful to have enough time to study, without having to juggle part-time jobs" and "My parents are relieved that I have been able to continue my post-graduate studies".

Rio Tinto Japan Representative Director and President Bill Horie said, "Rio Tinto has a long-standing relationship with Japan. We created this scholarship in partnership with Komatsu out of our desire to support young people in the Tohoku region. We are humbled and honoured that the scholarship has supported many students and their aspirations for the future. We hope to see them aspire in their respective fields and contribute to their homeland and the world at large". Rio Tinto will continue to support various initiatives that create the future.

(Runiverse)