Education and sustenance costs during studies will be covered by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. "We want to offer solid support to students from Ukraine. These scholarships are funded by the government, and in addition to places at universities, students will receive adequate financial backing. They can start learning right after the winter holidays" - Kolarska-Bobińska told PAP.

She explained that the scholarships would be available to people expelled from the university or having significant political problems as a result of involvement in the pro-EU protests in Ukraine. "We remember the importance of scholarships for the Polish people during the communist period, when we were harassed at universities and polytechnics" - emphasized Minister of Science.

I is still unclear which Polish universities would accept Ukrainian students. "It is too early to talk about it, because we still do not know whether such expulsions will take place " - noted Kolarska-Bobińska.

During the Minister’s meeting with President of the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland, Prof. Wiesław Banyś, the issues discussed in addition to scholarships for Ukrainian students also included the importance of cooperation between Polish and Ukrainian universities. According to Kolarska-Bobińska, it is important to sign partnership agreements between both Polish and Ukrainian universities, as well as the conferences of rectors of both countries. "Today, after talks with the Conference of Rectors of Academic Schools in Poland, we decided that the process must be accelerated" - added the Minister.

Students from Ukraine are the largest group of foreign students in Poland. In the academic year 2012/2013, among more than 29 thousand foreign students, nearly 10 thousand were Ukrainians. Many of them are of Polish origin or hold the Pole’s Card.

PAP - Science and Scholarship in Poland

ekr/ agt/ mrt/ jbr/

tr. RL