The Victor Pinchuk Foundation awarded grants to 19 young Ukrainians for studying in the world’s top universities

On Wednesday, 29 June 2011, the Victor Pinchuk Foundation announced the names of 19 winners of the second competitive selection process under the World Wide Studies program. The young scholars will receive grants to pursue a Master’s Degree in the world’s top Universities, as ranked by QS and The Times Higher Education. The finalists were selected on the basis of a competition among more than 100 applicants. The entire grants provided by the Foundation for the World Wide Studies in 2011 totaled in UAH 4 383 970.

This year the Victor Pinchuk Foundation grants are awarded to: Maksym Buhai (Bila Tserkva, Kyiv Region), Diana Goldstein (Kyiv), Andriy Kril (Ugryniv, Ivano-Frankivsk Region), Maryna Kuzmenko (Kyiv), Yuriy Lotonenko (Kyiv), Oleksandr Luhovskyi (Yalta, Crimea), Bohdan Nyschiy (Kyiv), Maria Parubets (Kyiv), Kateryna Perepechai (Berezne, Rivne Region), Uliana Poltavets (Kyiv), Anastasia Prymovych (Lviv), Olena Ptashenchuk (Odesa), Oleksiy Ryzhkov (Kaniv, Cherkasy Region), Ivan Romaschenko (Kyiv), Alina Sviderska (Kyiv), Olga Sinkevych (Lutsk), Maria Trylis (Kyiv), Aliona Shkrum (Kyiv) and Natalia Scherbynska (Kyiv).

On the occasion of completion of the second World Wide Studies competition, the Foundation held a formal ceremony where Victor Pinchuk and the project grantees signed the declaration on mutual intentions and commitments aimed at fostering a new generation of Ukrainian professional elites. Additionally, the finalist had a chance to communicate with ambassadors of the USA and leading European countries, successful diplomats, business leaders, and representatives from government and public organizations.

Addressing the project participants, Victor Pinchuk stated: “You will study together with people from different countries. But an opportunity to modernize a country, creating it from scratch in some aspects, won’t be available to each of them by far. But the task will fall on you. So, do remember how badly you are needed here.”

He also added: “Right now our hope for national success is you. It is up to you as a community of scholarship holders and the new modernly educated generation in general to achieve this success in the coming years.”

Finalist of the second competition will commence their education in autumn 2011 at the Universities of Great Britain (7 students), Denmark (2 students), Malta (1 student), the Netherlands (4 students), the USA (3 students), France (1 student) and Sweden (1 student) in the fields of environment and ecology (2 students), agriculture (2 students), law (11 students) and public administration (4 students).

Over 100 applications from all regions of Ukraine were submitted for consideration during the open nationwide competition. Following the preliminary selection, 50 candidates were invited to an interview to present their vision on how the acquired knowledge will be applied upon return to Ukraine. On the basis of the interview, International Selection Panel decided on 19 finalist of the project.

This year the World Wide Studies Jury, apart from the Victor Pinchuk Foundation representatives, also included: President of the Ukrainian Club of Agrarian Business Alex Lissitsa, Executive Director of European Business Association Anna Derevianko, Director of the Institute for Demography and Social Studies of Ukraine Ella Libanova, Country Director of the American Councils Christina Pendzola-Vitovych, Director of Counseling Center of the EducationUSA Viktoria Mikhailenko, Head of external relations division of the World Bank in Ukraine Dmytro Derkach, partners and advisors of the top law firms in Ukraine: Mykhailo Kharenko, Timur Bondarev, Vadym Belianevych, Volodymyr Monastyrsky, and others.

Background:

WorldWideStudies (WWS) is an educational Project of the Victor Pinchuk Foundation aimed at fostering a new generation of Ukrainian professional elite.

The Project offers support to Ukrainian citizens aged 35 or under to pursue a Master’s Degree in one of the world’s best Universities in the fields selected by the Foundation as the top priority for the future development of Ukraine. For 2010-2012, they are: Agriculture, Environment and Ecology, Law and Public Administration.

WWS official website: www.worldwidestudies.org

Potential Project participants - grantees:

• must be citizens of Ukraine and under 35 on the date of enrolment in the University;
• must have a Bachelor’s or higher Degree in the field required by the chosen foreign University and the Master’s program;
• will be admitted to the Master’s program of the University outside of Ukraine and will start their education in the autumn of 2011;
• must have a clear plan for applying in Ukraine the knowledge and skills acquired;
• must be committed to work in Ukraine for at least five years after finishing their studies.

The candidates will be shortlisted based on an open, nationwide competition and after having successfully applied to their chosen university. Then, they have an interview with the independent WorldWideStudies Selection panel on their study plans and on how they plan to apply the knowledge acquired upon return to Ukraine. Based on these interviews the selection panel selects the winners.

The grants will be used primarily to cover university tuition fees, books and medical insurance. The grant size is determined for each individual case based on needs and merit. The majority of the grants shall cover up to 60% of the total amount required (maximum of USD 50.000 for the overall period). Students are expected to cover the rest of the expenses by either contributing personal funds or finding matching funding. The Victor Pinchuk Foundation expects students to give return to Ukraine and work in their chosen field of study for at least 5 years. 

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