EU scholarships to Turkish Cypriots

European Commission has decided to award 122 scholarships to undergraduate Turkish Cypriot students, recent graduates and Turkish Cypriot teachers within the framework of the EU scholarship Programme.
The grantees will start their programmes in September 2008 and will spend a maximum of one year in another member state of the European Union.
The aim of this Scholarship programme is to give Turkish Cypriot students and teachers additional educational opportunities that will increase their knowledge in their own technical field while giving them the experience of studying and living in another EU Member State. The main objective is to bring the Turkish Cypriots closer to the EU and Europe closer to the Turkish Cypriot community, according to an official announcement.
The EU scholarship programme is in its second year. Last year grants were awarded to 30 students and teachers. The grants are financed from the European Union Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community. The EU Scholarship programme will run for three consecutive academic years, 2007/2008, 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 and its total value amounts to EUR5 million.