Five students from the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance’s Master programmes were awarded the 2018-2019 Ferrero Fellowship at a reception in their honour hosted on 28 March.
The Fellowship was created in 2017 at the initiative of Ferrero as a way to support promising young talent as they embark on their Master studies at the University of Luxembourg. The scholarship is paid over two years and students are offered the opportunity to complete an internship at the company headquarters in Luxembourg.
Based on their application file and an interview, five students were selected for the Fellowship:
- Robin Fricke and Maxime Vidal-Martin (Master in Entrepreneurship and Innovation)
- Irisa Pjollaj (Master in European Law)
- Lukas Schmitz-Esser and Kostadin Zarev (Master in Economics and Finance)
“We are very happy about this ongoing partnership with Ferrero,” commented the Vice-Dean for Academic Affairs, Prof. Isabelle Riassetto. “The Fellowship rewards academic excellence, but it also aims to foster a spirit of leadership and drive among our students.”
Thus, for example, students were selected not only based on their academic record but also their social engagement and extracurriculars. The scholarship meanwhile is paid in instalments upon successful completion of each semester of study.
During the event, the Fellowship laureates were given a tour of the company HQ, including the Kinder Surprise Showroom, an archive of Ferrero’s most iconic Kinder Surprise toys. They were also introduced to Ferrero’s history, mission and values.
“Ferrero Group has strong ambitions in the years to come and our partnership with the University of Luxembourg is a key strategic asset in fostering young talents,” said Mr Bruno Conti, HR Director at the Luxembourg headquarters. “We are delighted to welcome five new bright young minds in the Ferrero ‘extended family’ and we are looking forward to closely follow their progress!”
During the event, one of the inaugural Fellowship recipients, Jason Cranfield, also addressed the students: “This is a unique and special privilege that you have received. Congratulations to all of you for making it, and we hope that you will enjoy it as much as we do.” Mr Cranfield and other 2017-2018 Fellowship recipients are currently completing their internships at Ferrero.
The event also brought together members of the Uni.lu academic community with Ferrero’s senior leadership team, Mr. Jorge de Moragas, Chief Financial Officer, and Mr. Fabrizio Minneci, Chief Legal Officer, for further exchange.
