UTFacultiesETNewsFestive welcome for scholarship students

Festive welcome for scholarship students

The 90 Master’s students on a scholarship from the University of Twente received a warm welcome on Thursday when they received their scholarship certificate during a ceremony at the Grolsch Veste stadium. 

The University of Twente is proud of this international group of Master’s students from 35 different countries, and hopes that they will become ambassadors for the university in the years to come. The students were chosen by various faculty selection committees to receive a full or partial scholarship based on their personal achievements. 

Different type of scholarships

In total, four different types of scholarships were awarded: the University of Twente Scholarship, the Orange Tulip Scholarship, the ITC Scholarship and the Holland Scholarship. The first three scholarships are fully paid by the University of Twente, while the Holland Scholarship is funded by the University of Twente and the Dutch Government. The amount of each scholarship depends on funding that the Master’s student receives from other sources such as the government and/or businesses in their home country.

Thom Palstra, UT’s new Rector, expressed his pride in this group of students during the ceremony: “These scholarships help bring outstanding international talent to the region and to the Netherlands.”

Unique opportunity

The students received their scholarship certificates, signed by the President of the Executive Board, from the deans of the various faculties. Ezgi İspiroğulları (25 years old) is one of the scholarship students. She comes from Turkey and is studying Chemical Engineering. She received a University of Twente Scholarship, and recently started writing her Master’s thesis. Previously, she had been an Erasmus exchange student.

She shared her experiences in Twente during her inspiring speech. “The scholarship has given me the unique opportunity to indulge my passions,” says Ezgi. “I can get the best out of myself in an academic sense, while also enjoying the social side of student life. One minute I’ll be experimenting in the clean room at the NanoLab or I’ll be working on innovations in the field of renewable energy. The next minute I’ll be attending a board meeting for my study association or I’ll be on the volleyball courts with my Harambee teammates.”

As a Bachelor’s student, Ezgi already knew that she wanted to do her Master’s in Twente. “UT has a large international community that can really flourish in the open, easy-going environment. Research and teaching are top-notch, and students receive lots of individual attention. Studying at UT gives me the opportunity to build a worldwide network that includes major companies. The choice was easy!”

University of Brilliant Minds

After the certificates were presented, everyone took the opportunity to get to know each other a little better. Naturally, there were lots of group selfies with the illuminated FC Twente pitch in the background. The students received a hoodie (hooded sweatshirt) as a gift to commemorate the occasion, with the words ‘University of Brilliant Minds’ printed on it.

Would you like to know more about the scholarship opportunities at the University of Twente? Check out our website.

Photo album with the event photos

Click here (more pictures will follow)