The 20-year programme will create a comprehensive pathway for female students, beginning in Year 7 and continuing through university scholarships.
The STEM support programme aims to address the persistent underrepresentation of women in STEM fields by providing targeted support from high school outreach up to undergraduate scholarships.
Subscribe today for free
The initiative, launching in 2027 with six initial schools, will ultimately reach 40,000 students and aims to graduate over 300 women in STEM fields.
Khuda, who recently saw AirTrunk sold to Blackstone, said the programme addresses a critical need he observed while building his data centre business: the difficulty of finding women for technical and senior management roles.
“The recent acquisition of AirTrunk is the outcome of many years of hard work and dedication, now I want to give back and make a long-term positive societal impact because of my belief in the importance of diversity in STEM,” Khuda said. “ My vision, shared with the University of Sydney, is that this program that we’ve created will become a game-changing template that others can leverage and scale in the future.”
University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott described the donation as a “life-changing” opportunity that will create generational change in STEM diversity.
“Khuda came to the University with a challenge he knew we cared deeply about: the lack of gender diversity in STEM and of opportunities and support for students to pursue their interest in STEM studies and careers,” Scott said. “We’ve worked together in close collaboration to create this program and forge this partnership.”
RELATED STORIES
Blackstone buys AirTrunk in a deal valued at over A$24bn
Stack Infrastructure launches university programme for female students
