Victor Pinchuk Foundation announces the winners of the first “WorldWideStudies” competitive selection on 22 June

On Tuesday, 22 June 2010, the Victor Pinchuk Foundation will announce the names of 17 winners of the first competitive selection process under the World Wide Studies program and hold a ceremony of signing the declaration on mutual intentions and commitments aimed at fostering a new generation of Ukrainian professional elites. The project finalists will receive grants to pursue a Master’s Degree in the world’s top 200 Universities, as ranked by QS - Times Higher Education. The first students will commence their education in autumn 2010.

The event will be joined by the founder of the World Wide Studies program Victor Pinchuk, diplomats, public and business figures.

The project participants have been selected through a public, open, nationwide competition during the year. To receive a grant, potential candidates had to choose independently the Master’s Degree program, successfully pass admission examinations, take University’s preliminary course and pass language tests. Following this, the candidates were invited to interviewі to explain to the World Wide Studies Selection panel how he/she plans to apply the knowledge acquired upon return to Ukraine.

Together with the Foundation representatives, this year’s World Wide Studies Selection panel features Natalia Yaresko, co-founder of Horizon Capital; Andriy Huta, member of Board of Mriya Group; Mykhailo Kharenko, partner of Sayenko&Kharenko Law Firm; Andriy Konechenkov, Deputy Director of Concord Group; Tomas Fiala, Managing Director of Dragon Capital; Sergiy Onishchenko, International partner at Chadbourne & Parke LLP; Ella Libanova, Director of Institute for Demography and Social Studies of Ukraine; Victoria Mikhailenko, Director of Education USA Advising Centre; Dmytro Derkach, Communications Officer at World Bank Ukraine; Olga Rudneva, Executive Director of Olena Franchuk’s ANTIAIDS Foundation; Thomas Weihe, Deputy Head of the Board on International Affairs at the Victor Pinchuk Foundation and other.

The grant amount is specified for each individual case based on the student’s needs and merit. Most grants cover up to 60% of the total amount required but not more than USD 50.000 for the overall period of study. The grants will be used primarily to cover tuition fees, books and medical insurance.

The Victor Pinchuk Foundation will expect students to give an undertaking to return to Ukraine and work in the chosen field of study for at least 5 years.