Pfizer criticised by conservatives for excluding white and Asian applicants from scholarship programme

Company says scheme will boost minority representation

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has drawn criticism on the right for apparently excluding Asian and white Americans from applying to its graduate training programme.

The Breakthrough Fellowship Program, which Pfizer launched this year with the intention of increasing minority representation, is open to students who are US citizens and who represent a range of backgrounds.

Pfizer asks that applicants meet the programme’s “goals of increasing the pipeline for Black/African American, Latino/Hispanic and Native Americans,” among other requirements including a 3.0 grade point average.

While Pfizer has championed the scheme as a means of increasing minority representation at is New York City headquarters, some have called into question the apparent exclusion of Asian and white students – specifically in light of federal laws forbidding discrimination based on race.

Speaking to conservative news site Washington Free Beacon, University of San Diego law professor and member of the US Commission on Civil Rights, Hail Heriot, said the programme has a “clear case of liability” under federal law.

“Major corporations seem to have forgotten that there’s such a thing as law,” Ms Heriot was quoted as saying. “They seem to think that as long as they’re woke, they’re bulletproof.”

Rav Arora, a conservative commentator, meanwhile bemoaned on Twitter: “That’s a shot you don’t want to miss! Black Lives Matter meets Big Pharma corruption. My trust in Pfizer has just risen tenfold.”

Pfizer, which The Independent has approached for comment regarding the criticism, says of its programme: “One of Pfizer’s Bold Moves is to create a workplace for all, and we are committed to increasing diversity by fostering a more inclusive workplace”

The company adds: “The Breakthrough Fellowship Program, first-of-its-kind, works to advance students and early career colleagues of Black/African American, Latino/Hispanic and Native American descent with a goal of developing 100 fellows by 2025”.

It remains unclear what proportion of Pfizer’s employees are of minority backgrounds currently, and why Asian Americans, who represent 6.1 per cent of the population, appear to have been excluded from the Breakthrough Fellowship.