No State Support, Yet Bound for Oxford. For 16 Years, the Scholarship Program Has Been Helping Talented Czechs Break Through the System

“If we’re serious about innovation, prosperity, and competing on a global level, we need to support our most promising students on their journey abroad. Public investment in their education is not a cost – it’s a long-term gain. These are the future leaders of science, business, and public life,” says Zdeněk Bakala, founder of the Bakala Foundation and a graduate of the Tuck School of Business in the U.S.

While countries like Germany (via DAAD) or the UK (through the Chevening program) have long supported their students abroad, Czech students are still largely on their own. According to the European Commission’s Education and Training Monitor 2023, financial assistance is a major factor determining access to international education.

“Studying at prestigious international universities is a valuable experience for students — and an even more valuable investment for our country. Like any investment, this one comes with its risks. Setting out on a long journey in pursuit of high-quality education means being willing to make sacrifices, bear the costs, and face competition from individuals who may be even more talented. Those who do not shy away from such challenges and remain open to ever-growing opportunities and new impulses in a rapidly changing world will gain knowledge, experience, friendships — and with them, future possibilities. As we often hear from foreign universities, our scholarship recipients possess not only courage and ambition, but also humility and diligence. That is why they contribute meaningfully to the world they are entering and represent us there with distinction,” says Michaela Bakala, co-founder and the Chairwoman of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

This year, 20 talented students made it through a three-round selection process to reach the final interviews. Of those, 10 were ultimately awarded a scholarship. More than half will pursue their studies in the UK — primarily at the University of Cambridge, but also at Oxford. Others are heading to Germany, specifically to universities in Münster and Munich, while two students will continue their education in the United States. The group includes four undergraduate and six master’s degree candidates. They will focus on a wide range of fields — from quantum science, artificial intelligence, and computer science to cognitive neuroscience, biological research, architecture, and painting.

The Scholarship Program is now in its 16th year and has supported more 216 students since its launch. The Foundation also works to create better conditions for these scholars to return and contribute to the Czech Republic. In 2024, it signed a memorandum of understanding with Charles University, aimed at easing the recognition of foreign degrees and encouraging graduates to bring their expertise back home.

“Our goal isn’t just to get students into Oxford or Columbia University,” adds Václav Pecha, Director of the Bakala Foundation. “We want them to come back and help shape the future of the Czech Republic. That’s why we support them individually – and why we advocate for the systemic changes needed to make their return meaningful.”