Richardson foundation establishes new scholarship at George Washington University

West Midlands businessman Carl Richardson and his family have created an endowed scholarship at George Washington University’s Elliott School in Washington DC, through the Richardson Brothers Foundation.

 The Richardson Family Scholarship will offer scholarships to UK citizens - or citizens of countries in the British Commonwealth - seeking to study in America at the Elliott School.

The scholarship is a charitable milestone for the Foundation, marking its first major gift to a US university.

Carl Richardson, an Elliott School alumnus (MA ’99), said: “My graduate studies at the Elliott School provided me with an important perspective on international business and global geopolitics. 

“As our business continues to expand our investment activity in America this is a perspective that my family and I would now like to share with future generations of UK students seeking to study in the US.”

Dr. Aliyssa Ayres, Dean of the Elliott School, added: “We deeply appreciate the outstanding generosity of Carl Richardson and his brothers in establishing the new Richardson Family Scholarship at our school. Education is one of the most powerful ways to change the world for the better, and scholarships are so important in our times.” 

Located in the heart of Washington DC, The Elliott School of International Affairs prepares more than 2,500 students each year for meaningful careers in international affairs, developing the next generation of leaders, conducting research and contributing to the public debate on global issues in order to advance understanding and to help foster solutions.

Foreign Policy magazine ranked the Elliott School as one of the Top Ten educational institutions in the world for graduate programmes, alongside the likes of Harvard, Princeton and Columbia Universities.

At the Elliott School, Carl Richardson currently co-chairs the Executive Circle of the university’s Institute for International Economic Policy (IIEP) alongside Lisa Schroter, the global director of Trade & Investment Policy at Dow.

This is an alumni leadership group comprising senior global executives which advises the Dean and institute academic leaders on current and emerging trends in the field, supports students engaged with the IIEP and the study of international economic issues, and helps advance the IIEP’s work to respond to challenges facing the global economy.

 Since 2022 the Richardson business has also hosted the Elliott School’s global thought leadership event for the London-based University community, part of the school’s Dean’s Global Perspectives Series. 

This year’s event, held on 11 September, took place at the House of Lords in the Palace of Westminster.

Pictured: Dr Aliyssa Ayres and Carl Richardson