Fifty students and master’s degree aspirants studying at ten Moldovan universities received Merit Scholarships to the value of 12,000 lei. The winners were chosen by an independent commission out of 215 applicants, IPN reports.
The Merit Scholarships Program is at its 22nd edition. Program Coordinator Olga Rusu, of the Educational Advising Center, said that compared with last year, when the students could choose a free topic for the presented essay, this year there were proposed four topics out of which the applicants could select the preferred one. The scholars are the best not only because they have only grades of 10, but also because they show civic involvement, contributing thus to the development of society.
Secretary of State at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Research Angela Kutasevich said the Merit Scholarships are designed to appreciate and encourage intellectual excellence that is obtained by assiduous and constant work, by high academic standing and scientific research.
Attending the award ceremony, head of the Parliament’s commission on culture, education, research, youth and sport Vladimir Hotineanu called on the young people not to leave the country. “Each generation includes very good young people, but you are the best of this generation,” he stated.
Scholar Mihaela Josan, of the State University of Moldova, said she worked hard to obtain results. “Besides the grades of 9 and 10 I got, I also took an active part in scientific student conferences, worked as a volunteer and became involved in different projects,” she stated.
Alexandru Brechko, of the Academy of Economic Studies, said the Merit Scholarships Program promotes high-quality education and motivates the young people to study consciously. Catalina Platon, of the same university, noted this scholarship is an encouragement to remain in the country.
The Merit Scholarships Program was launched in 1996 on the initiative of Soros Foundation Moldova to encourage the academic, scientific and extra-scientific standings of students in Moldova. Since 2003, the contest has been staged by the Educational Advising Center under the aegis of the Council of Rectors of Moldova. The 22 editions of the program involved 5,500 participants, 1,450 of whom received Merit Scholarships.
The program is supported financially by Moldova Agroindbank and Orange Moldova. The partners of the event are the National Association of Young Historians of Moldova and the advertising agency Kim Art, while the media partners are the journal “Saptamana”, the weekly “Timpul”, the paper “Ziarul de Garda” and IPN News Agency.
