Doctoral and postdoctoral students from Ukraine will be scholarship holders at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Warsaw from October. This is the result of a collaboration between officials in Taipei and Warsaw, which will provide $3.5 million in scholarships for future students.
Director of the Taipei Office in Poland Bob L. J. Chen, and the Secretary General of the Copernican Academy Prof. Dr. Krzysztof Górski signed an agreement whereby the Copernican Academy received a $3.5 million donation to fund doctoral and post-doctoral scholarships for Ukrainian citizens living and studying in Poland.
The event was attended by the Director of the Copernicus Academy office, Dr Witold Mazurek, representatives of the National Agency for Academic Exchange (NAWY), the Łukasiewicz Research Network and Polish Radio.
Building Ukraine’s future elites
Under an agreement between the Taiwanese and Polish authorities, the funds provided to the Copernicus Academy will be paid to Ukrainian students wishing to obtain a doctorate or habilitation at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in legal sciences, economic sciences and management.
Taiwan and the Copernicus Academy thus wish to contribute to the process of rebuilding Ukraine, which will begin after the end of the armed conflict caused by Russia. The aim of the initiative is to educate the new elites of the Ukrainian state at the highest level, but also to strengthen relations between Warsaw and Taipei.
Rzymkowski: This agreement is an expression of solidarity with Ukraine
– This is an important event demonstrating the great friendship between two great nations – the Chinese and the Polish. Two countries and nations that have experienced totalitarianism and understand what war is,” stressed Dr Tomasz Rzymkowski, Deputy Minister for Education and Science, during the signing ceremony.
During the ceremony, the deputy minister also pointed out that the agreement is an expression of solidarity with struggling Ukraine, which is facing Russian aggression and brutality.
– This agreement will allow the academic and professional skills of Ukrainian citizens to be enhanced so that they can rebuild a free and sovereign Ukraine after the end of the conflict, the deputy minister added.
Strengthening cooperation between Taiwan and Poland
The representative of the Polish government also thanked Taiwan for supporting the initiative and strengthening cooperation on the Taipei-Warsaw line, which was also mentioned by the representative and head of the Taipei Representative Office in Warsaw.
– It is a great honour for me to sign an agreement that will enable Ukrainian citizens to obtain doctorates and post-doctorates, at a time when Ukraine is struggling with war and its consequences,’ explained Mr Chen. – ‘Poland and Taiwan are natural companions because of our shared values of freedom, democracy and concern for human rights,’ the ambassador added.
The Director of the Taipei Office in Poland also expressed his gratitude to representatives of the Polish government, above all Deputy Minister Tomasz Rzymowski, and the Secretary General of the Copernicus Academy, Professor Krzysztof Górski, for supporting the initiative. – I personally believe that this agreement will bring many significant benefits,” emphasised the diplomat, pointing out among othersHe pointed to the strengthening of bilateral Polish-Taiwanese relations in the field of education. Mr Chen also expressed the hope that the signing of the agreement would allow for the development of cooperation in the future, so that students from Taiwan and Poland could benefit from it more widely.
As L.J.Chen emphasised, the signing of the agreement is also a unique way to celebrate the 550th anniversary of the birth of Nicolaus Copernicus.