Among the thousands of applicants who tried out for the Czech Government Scholarship in the past year, three aspiring young Filipino individuals have been successfully accepted to study in two of the most premier universities in the Czech Republic, with tuition, living costs as well as necessary medical expenses covered by the scholarship.
This September, Myka Mae Duran, Rush Salonga and Jean Ramon Yap will begin their academic journey as future engineers and scientists at the Technical University of Liberec and Charles University.
The Technical University of Liberec is a top-level institution focusing on cutting-edge research in science, for instance, Engineering and Nanotechnologies, as well as, interdisciplinary collaboration.
On the other hand, Charles University in Prague is one of the oldest and largest universities in Europe founded in 1348.
It is known as the first-ever university established in Central Europe and ranks in the upper 1.5 percent of the world’s best universities.
The students were awarded the scholarships by Czech Ambassador Jaroslav Olsa Jr., who congratulated and challenged them to be the hope and future of the Philippines in their respective specializations.
Ambassador Olsa also expressed his hope that “the current boom in academic interest among young Filipinos in the Czech Republic English language studies, especially in modern technologies Engineering, Information Techonology, and as well as various “green” sciences will positively continue.”
“Apart from overseeing many Czech-Philippine university programs throughout the Philippines for over four years, it is great to see a huge leap of academic interests from young and brilliant Filipinos who want to continue their studies in the Czech Republic,” Deputy Head of Mission, Jan Vytopil said.
The rapid rise of Filipino students wanting to study in the Czech Republic – either via privately-paid studies or on scholarships, or with Erasmus is a welcomed development among Czech diplomats in Manila.
The number of bilateral contracts between Czech and Philippine universities has changed from 1 to 16 since the year 2013.
Not only does the Czech Republic have one of the best educational systems in Europe, but it also provides a great quality-price ratio of education and low cost of living.
Furthermore, the Czech Republic has a privileged location in the heart of Europe which makes it very accessible to neighboring countries like Austria, Germany, Poland and Slovakia on the borders, and other nearby European Union countries.
Czech Republic is also Europe’s most industrialized nation with massive car, aviation, defense and medicine industries that has a lot of cooperation with universities and a lot to offer to young Filipinos.
Needless to say, as a centralized location in Europe and its visa-free travel inside the Schengen Area, the Czech Republic can also boast of its cultural richness and diversity having been a country which crosses many cultures of different origins, like historic marks of Slavic, Germanic and Jewish communities, that shaped the creation of Central European lifestyle.
(from Embassy of the Czech Republic)