Record 88,795 foreign students apply for Romania's 245 scholarships

Romania's government scholarship program has seen an unprecedented surge in interest, with a record 88,795 young people from more than 150 countries applying for just 245 available study places. This marks a nearly 19-fold increase in applications compared to four years ago, highlighting the program's growing international appeal.

Interim Foreign Affairs Minister Oana Țoiu announced the record numbers on her Facebook page, noting that the applications came from five continents. The data reveals that the highest number of applications originated from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. These nations, facing significant competition for higher education and well-paying jobs, view a Romanian scholarship as a gateway to a European diploma and enhanced career prospects within the European Union.

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A record: over 88,000 young people from over 150 countries applied this year for a study scholarship in Romania, one of the MAE's educational diplomacy instruments. It's a number I honestly looked at twice. 88,795 candidacies, from five continents. Young people from distant places chose to submit their applications to study here, with us. Four years ago, there were more than 19 times fewer.

For many applicants, studying in Romania offers not only access to a quality education but also the chance to gain international experience and opportunities that may be less accessible in their home countries. The significant development gap between Romania and some of these nations makes the program particularly attractive. Minister Țoiu expressed her surprise at the overwhelming response, emphasizing that these young individuals see Romania as a country worth discovering and a place to build a future.

She further noted that former Romanian scholarship students are now prominent in professional and political elites worldwide, serving as valuable promoters of Romania. The selected 245 students will study across various Romanian universities, and many are expected to return to their home countries with Romanian degrees and lasting connections to Romania, potentially becoming lifelong ambassadors for the nation.

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What do these young people see in Romania? Beyond a country worth getting to know, they see universities that train engineers, doctors, lawyers, IT professionals, artists, and a chance to build a future starting from here. They most likely also see our progress in the last 30 years and, certainly, our membership in the European Union and something we have already gotten used to, the opportunities you have here and starting from here.