A Decade of Scholarships: Supporting Czech Talent Abroad

Talented Czech students have the opportunity until 15 April 2019 to start making their dreams come true. For the 10th year in a row, The Bakala Foundation opened its Scholarship program in January. The Foundation grants scholarships to students with excellent academics but challenging financial situations that prevent them from pursuing degrees at their dream university. So far, Michaela and Zdeněk Bakala have provided financial aid exceeding 5 Million Dollars to approximately 150 talented students. The granted scholarship is not just for one semester or even one whole academic year; The Bakala Foundation supports the students for the whole duration of their studies. "A new generation is coming of age in the Czech Republic, a generation with firm values, strength, and courage. Zdeněk and I believe that these talented young people are the hope for our future. If we support them, they will help to spread our country's good reputation around the world. Then, should they decide to return home, they will enrich the Czech society as well." - Michaela Bakala, Chair of Bakala Foundation's Board of Trustees. Many of the successful applicants have chosen a field in either the applied or natural sciences, but social sciences, humanities, and the arts are also popular. In recent years, interest in European universities, such as Cambridge, Oxford, or the technology-focused ETH Zürich, has increased. At present, Bakala Scholars have enrolled in 16 universities in Great Britain, the U.S, France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. The Scholarship program is intended for students from the Czech Republic, 33 years old or younger, seeking to complete their BA or MBA at an elite university abroad. Applicants fill out an online form on the Foundation's website and submit an essay, written in English, on one of three pre-defined topics. The Foundation will then chose the recipients through a two-round evaluation and interview process. Selected applicants will come to Prague for their interview in September of 2019.