A dedicated Rotarian who 20 years ago was promoting literacy and numeracy around the world to help young people lift themselves out of poverty is the honorary namesake of a new scholarship for undergraduates at the USC Moreton Bay campus.

USC on Friday formally accepted a $50,000 donation from the Rotary Club of Aspley to establish the Glen Kinross Rotary Scholarship in celebration of the club’s 50th anniversary.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Helen Bartlett said Mr Kinross, who attended the event with district and club Rotarians, had been a passionate and community-minded advocate of higher education for decades, including as Rotary International president in the late 1990s.

Mr Kinross, of Brisbane, is a former president of the Rotary Club of Hamilton and a district governor. He has given 60 years of service to Rotary.

Professor Bartlett said the $12,000 scholarships – the first of which would be available in Semester 1, 2021 – would be wonderful support for new USC students at the University’s fast-growing campus at Petrie.

“Through the scholarship fund, the Rotary Club of Aspley will be supporting the education of USC students who demonstrate academic potential but face financial and other barriers to completing an undergraduate degree,” she said.

“It aims to offset living and study-related costs, giving the recipient the freedom to focus on their education without having to work excessive hours.”

Rotary Club of Aspley president Louise Syme said the club was excited to initiate the scholarship with Australia’s newest university.

“The state-of-the-art campus created at Petrie offers a long-awaited opportunity for students in the Moreton Bay area to pursue their tertiary education goals locally,” she said.

“This scholarship will help support young people to remain in our local community and become future leaders.”

Applications are now open for Semester 1, 2021. Selections will be held in early 2021. It is expected that one new scholarship will be awarded every second year.