Fifty students received 2009 Merit Awards at a ceremony organized by the University Information Center, Info-Prim Neo reports. It was the 14th Merit Awards Contest aimed at supporting the students. 176 students from 19 Moldovan universities took part in the contest held under the aegis of the Council of Rectors of Moldova, with financial support from Soros-Moldova Foundation, BC Moldova Agroindbank SA and Orange Moldova. There were given yearly awards of the third degree of 4,000 lei, awards of the second degree of 7,000 lei and awards of the first degree of 10,000 lei. The 50 winners were selected by a commission of independent experts who represented the academic community. Minister of Education Leonid Bujor thanked the economic entities, businessman and the NGOs that support the young people in their studies, including financially. “I’m glad that our society understands that the investments made in education are investments made in economy,” he said. With the help of the sponsors, the University Information Center offered 29 awards of the third degree, 16 awards of the second degree and five awards of the first degree. Besides money, the winners received cards from BC Moldova Agorindbank and books from Soros-Moldova. The students who got awards of the first degree received by a laptop from Orange. The Center’s director Angela Muset congratulated the 50 winners and thanked the partners for their contribution. She assured that the Merit Awards Contest will be continued in 2010. The award ceremony took place at the National Theater “Mihai Eminescu”. The event was followed by the play “Take, Ianke and Cadar” staged by actors of the theater. The contest enjoyed the media support of PRO TV Chisinau, Saptamana, Komsomoliskaya Pravda v Moldove, Jurnal de Chisinau, Info-Prim Neo and the advertising agency Echim Art.