Jitka
Grundmanová

My name is Jitka Grundmanová and I come from a family of six from Pilsen. After high school I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in International Studies - Diplomacy at the University of Economics in Prague. The desire to travel and study abroad was the reason why I did not finish my Master's degree at the University of Economics and went to try my luck in the USA. In August 2011, after passing the entrance exams and receiving financial support from the Martina and Tomáš Krsek Foundation, I started my studies at Columbia University in New York. Although I remained committed to international politics at Columbia in the School of International and Public Affairs, my focus is International Finance and Economic Policy and my specialization is Management. I could not have imagined the quality of education at Columbia any better. In my first semester, I took courses taught by some of the most influential experts not only in the U.S., but internationally.

In the Conceptual Foundations of International Affairs course, we had a lecture by Nobel Prize winner Joseph Stiglitz, and the European Union course was taught by former Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai. In the second semester, the lecturer of the Innovative Leadership in Public Policy-making course was none other than Professor Jan Švejnar. Thanks to my excellent performance in the first year, I was selected as a Department Research Assistant in Finance and Accounting for the fall semester of this year and then as a Teaching Assistant in Macroeconomics for the spring semester.

I will also be one of twenty students accepted into the prestigious International Fellows Program, which aims to expose students to American foreign policy and the changing role of the U.S. on the global economic and political stage. I am currently completing an internship at the United Nations in New York City, in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The result of my internship will be a report published on the UN website. Topic: NGO participation in this year's United Nations Economic and Social Council.

How do I get a scholarship to study abroad?

Each year, the Krsek Foundation, will pay the tuition fees of 10 students admitted to master's degrees in engineering, natural sciences, economics, history and political science at one of the top universities listed below.

The scholarship is conditional upon confirmation of admission to a master's degree programme at one of the following schools. The maximum age of the applicant is 25 years.

Only students with Czech citizenship can receive the scholarship.

The application form includes:

• CV of the student in Czech language with information about his/her studies and experience so far
• portrait photograph in print resolution
• information about the school to which the applicant is admitted
• an essay (3,600 characters) in Czech describing why the applicant wants to go to the school, what he/she expects from it and what he/she wants to do after graduation
• proof that the applicant's and his/her family's financial circumstances do not allow them to finance their studies (e.g. copy of tax return)
• confirmation that the student has applied for a scholarship at the school of his/her choice but has not been awarded (or has only been partially awarded)

The Krsek Foundation will select the candidates according to the information provided in the application form and conduct interviews with the finalists (the interview includes a psychological-intelligence test)

Tuition fees will be paid directly to the school account.

The candidate will undertake to fulfil the following conditions:

• To hold at least three lectures for Czech high school and university students about their experiences, opportunities and advantages of studying abroad (the lectures will be organized by the Foundation) during the next 2 years.
• To produce an essay of 5,000 characters each year for five years on a topic assigned by the Foundation.

In general, the scholarship is awarded for the first year of the Master's degree.