Minister Gordan Jandroković hands scholarship contracts to students of one-year postgraduate European studies abroad

Conducting a series of reforms crucial for a successful meeting of all EU membership criteria, with the aim of creating a well-organised, efficient, and technology- and knowledge-based public administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration has been running since 1998 the Croatian Government’s scholarship program for one-year postgraduate European studies abroad. During the last 10 years, more than 220 scholarships have been awarded for European studies in the EU and the US.

Minister Jandroković handed today 22 scholarships for the 2008/2009 studies at one of the nine different university. Eleven of the scholarships students will attend postgraduate European studies in Great Britain, 6 in Belgium, 2 in Germany, and 1 in France, Ireland, and the Netherlands respectively. The studies cover the European law, EU economy, and multidisciplinary European studies.

Since meeting the Madrid Criterion is one of the preconditions for a full EU membership, state administration employees had an advantage at this year’s scholarship contest. Nine of the 22 scholarship awardees are already employed in the state administration bodies, while all of them are obliged to work in the state administration for a minimum of three years after the completion of their studies.

Great Britain and Ireland co-finance the scholarship program. Thanks to the tripartite agreement between the British Government, University of Sussex, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, scholarship winners have been attending for 11 years in a row the multidisciplinary European studies in Brighton, at the University of Sussex. Also, thanks to the Irish Government’s co-finances, through the scholarship program for civil servants of new EU members and candidates, for the past 4 years one scholarship winner has also been attending studies at the Dublin European Institute.

Minister Jandroković thanked the governments of Ireland and the UK for recognising the importance of the program, as well as for their continuous support in the education and improvement of the Croatian state administration.

Pointing out that the 10th generation of scholarship students is just returning to Croatia to begin working in the Croatian state administration bodies, and to contribute with their newly-acquired knowledge and skills to a swift and successful process of Croatia’s EU accession, Minister Jandroković wished this year’s scholarship winners a successful study.