Two students from the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona, Western Jamaica campus, in Montego Bay, are to receive the inaugural Emile Martin Scholarship during an awards ceremony at the Doctor's Cave Bathing Club on December 14.

Each scholarship is valued at $1.035 million and covers the full tuition for a bachelor of arts student pursuing, in the first instance, at least a minor in cultural studies or entertainment and cultural enterprise management. The Emile Martin scholarship is tenable for three years (four years if the student does not have the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations passes or an associate degree) with a total of 90 credits.

The scholarship commemorates the life of Emile Martin, who is considered one of the cornerstones of Jamaica's tourism product. He served as chairman of the Doctor's Cave Bathing Club for many years and once served as manager of the now-defunct Martins Travel and Tours. He was also a magazine publisher.

The criteria for applicants are in keeping with Martin's lifetime involvement in the tourism and travel industry and his contribution to the expansion of culture in western Jamaica.

This will be the first scholarship awarded as part of an agreement between the Doctor's Cave Bathing Club and the UWI Mona, Western Jamaica campus. Each succeeding year, a student pursuing at least the minor in entertainment and cultural enterprise management or cultural studies offered by the Institute of Caribbean Studies will be awarded a scholarship, which covers the duration of his programme.

This year's applicants went through a rigorous selection process, which considered their performance in the entertainment and cultural enterprise management programme, which provides the opportunity for students to contribute to Jamaica's increasing cultural enterprise through examining the cultural and creative industries, entrepreneurship, event planning and management, and building the Jamaican brand.