News  

04/02/2010

Scholarship recipients visit "la Caixa" Foundation

In the 2009-10 academic year, 14 Barcelona GSE international students in the School's six master programs in economics and finance are receiving full financial support for their studies thanks to scholarships sponsored by the "la Caixa" Foundation.

Among the group are top students from 12 developing or emerging countries. The award covers master program tuition, medical insurance, round-trip airfare from the student's country of residence, and a monthly stipend for expenses during the student's stay in Barcelona. The objective of many of the students is to apply the economic training they receive at the Barcelona GSE in the public and private sectors of their home countries.

The "la Caixa" Foundation scholarship program is already well-known in Spain, where it has a reputation for its strict selection process. The Foundation also selects its partner institutions with a critical eye. Ms. Rosa M. Molins, Director of Scholarships, Universities and Social Studies at the "la Caixa" Foundation, gave students a warm welcome during a private reception in their honor at the CaixaForum last week. She explained why 

"The “la Caixa” Foundation Scholarships make it possible for superb foreign students to study at outstanding centers of research – centers of excellence such as the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics – where they can find the best conditions to study and do research," Ms. Molins said.

The GSE is currently the only institution in Barcelona that the "la Caixa" Foundation chooses to include in its scholarship program for foreign students. 

At the reception students had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Matthias Bulach, Director of the Office of Economic Analysis at "la Caixa" Savings Bank. Mr. Bulach presented a brief overview of the Spanish banking system as well as a few reflections on his role as an advisor to the bank's chairman. At the conclusion of the visit students took a guided tour of the CaixaForum's current photo exhibition.

Barcelona GSE scholarship opportunities for 2010-11

In addition to "la Caixa" Foundation scholarships, top admitted students for the 2010-11 academic year will receive financial support from other companies and institutions that partner with the Barcelona GSE as scholarship sponsors. All applicants to the master programs are automatically considered for these grants once they complete the online master program application.

Two programs of note:

	BBVA Foundation - Barcelona GSE Scholarships for Latin American students
5 fully-funded scholarships for Latin American students with outstanding academic backgrounds applying to any master program. Two of the awards are especially for Mexican candidates and the other three are open to candidates from the rest of Latin America. The award covers master program tuition, medical insurance, round-trip airfare from the student's country of residence, and a monthly stipend for expenses during the student's stay in Barcelona.
	The Societat Econòmica Barcelonesa d’Amics del País (SEBAP) and the Barcelona GSE offer one fully-funded scholarship to a student who is a citizen of Catalonia who satisfies the admission requirements and meets the selection criteria of both institutions.

Prospective students and applicants can also follow the Barcelona GSE Admissions Blog for announcements about new scholarship opportunities that may arise in the future.