Santo Domingo.— President Luis Abinader awarded 1,500 international scholarships this Thursday to young Dominicans from across the national territory, through the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MESCyT), to pursue specialization programs, master’s degrees, and doctorates at universities abroad, with the goal of expanding their academic training opportunities and contributing to the country’s development.
During the event, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MESCyT), Rafael Santos Badía, announced the launch of the Excellence Without Barriers program, through which 5,000 national undergraduate scholarships will be awarded to students with outstanding academic performance.
During an event held at the Aula Magna of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), President Abinader urged young Dominicans to take advantage of these opportunities to train and contribute to the country’s development
The ruler highlighted that education is a fundamental tool to transform lives, families, and the country, while affirming that these scholarships represent an investment by the Dominican people in the talent and future of the nation.
“Today we do not come simply to deliver documents or a certificate; we come to accompany 1,500 young Dominicans at the beginning of a new stage in their lives. Today we open 1,500 doors to knowledge, we boost 1,500 personal projects and we sow 1,500 new opportunities for the future of the Dominican Republic,” the president expressed.
The head of state announced that the Government changed the scholarship selection system to ensure a process based on academic merit, through an independent commission removed from political criteria. Likewise, he informed that students will be able to apply using the grades from the penultimate year of high school, preventing them from losing a year before starting their higher education.
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President Abinader also announced that no student from public or private schools with an average of 95 points or more in the four main subjects will be left out of university due to a lack of resources, through the Excellence Without Barriers program, which will grant 5,000 undergraduate scholarships to students with outstanding academic performance.
Transparency and academic merit
At the event, the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MESCyT), Rafael Santos Badía, also spoke, highlighting that the international scholarship selection process was carried out under criteria of transparency and academic merit, with the purpose of ensuring that the opportunities reached talented young people who truly needed this support.
Santos Badía explained that the commission in charge of evaluating the applications filtered the list to avoid injustices, prevent people with financial means from occupying spaces intended for students without resources, and guarantee a process free of privileges. In addition, he reported that a waiting list was created with young people who qualified, but who could not be included in this first delivery, for future calls.
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The official announced that, in addition to the 1,500 international scholarships, the Government will grant another 5,000 undergraduate scholarships to pursue degrees at Dominican universities, for a total of 6,500 higher education opportunities.
He indicated that the young people who will travel abroad will receive accompaniment and follow-up through the Dominican consulates, with the aim of supporting them during their adaptation process and guaranteeing better conditions for the development of their studies.
Santos Badía highlighted that the Government is promoting a transformation of Dominican education focused on quality and relevance, while working to strengthen national universities and turn the Dominican Republic into a regional academic destination.
A commitment to Dominican talent and equal opportunities
The rector of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), Jorge Asjana David, highlighted that the delivery of the 1,500 international scholarships and the launch of the Excellence Without Barriers program constitute a commitment to Dominican talent and equal opportunities, by expanding youth access to excellent academic training.
Likewise, he stated that the UASD is honored to be the setting for this initiative and reiterated the academy’s commitment to continue supporting the training of human capital that drives the sustainable development of the Dominican Republic, while exhorting the scholarship recipients to put their knowledge at the service of the country.
Highlights President Abinader’s support for the scholarship program to expand opportunities for youth
Also, the director of International Scholarships of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (MESCyT), Staling Cordero, highlighted the permanent support of President Luis Abinader for the scholarship and study abroad program, assuring that the president has promoted this initiative as a priority to expand training opportunities for Dominican youth.
Likewise, Cordero acknowledged the leadership of Minister Rafael Santos Badía and the joint work of the technical and administrative teams of MESCyT, noting that the coordinated effort between the different institutions has made it possible to turn the delivery of the 1,500 international scholarships into a reality.
Present were the directors of the Government Office for Information and Communication Technologies (Ogtic), Edgar Batista; of Ethics and Government Integrity (DIGEIG), Dr. Milagros Ortiz Bosch; of the National Institute for Technical and Vocational Training (Infotep), Maira Morla, among other personalities.
