The UG celebrates 25 years of supporting students from low-income countries

The Eric Bleumink Fellowship (EBF) celebrates its 25th anniversary. Since its launch in 2000, the fellowship has offered master’s scholarships to talented students from countries with limited resources, enabling them to study at the University of Groningen (UG). Over the past quarter of a century, more than one hundred students from thirty countries have completed a master’s degree in Groningen with support from an EBF scholarship.

This anniversary year carries added significance, as Eric Bleumink (1935–2025) (after whom the fellowship is named) passed away earlier this year. His commitment to international academic opportunity continues to shape the fellowship.

Scholarship student Irona Mostafa (Bangladesh): ‘The EBF-scholarship was, quite simply, the key that unlocked the door to my academic aspirations. Without its financial support, studying at a world-renowned institution like the University of Groningen would have remained an impossible dream.’

Anniversary campaign launched

To mark the 25th anniversary, the Ubbo Emmius Fund has launched a campaign that brings together the stories of EBF scholarship holders. Their experiences show what an EBF scholarship offers in practice: the opportunity to study in Groningen, broaden their academic and personal horizons and explore new possibilities. Some scholarship holders return to their home countries after graduation, while others continue their careers elsewhere. The campaign highlights these diverse paths and reflects the global reach of the fellowship.

The campaign was launched on 8 December 2024, together with an interactive world map developed by the Geodienst. The map shows the scholarship holders’ countries of origin and their individual stories. It can be accessed through the campaign page.

Support from the university community

The EBF is made possible through contributions from UG alumni and staff. Rector Magnificus Jacquelien Scherpen, who also serves as Chair of the EBF Board, emphasizes the importance of this support: ‘The scholarship holders we support through the EBF are all talented students. They have the ambition, but not the means, to study in Groningen. That is precisely why an EBF scholarship makes a real difference to them.

Members of the university community who wish to support the fellowship can make a contribution through the campaign page. Every donation helps create opportunities for future scholarship holders and enables the fellowship to continue its mission.

More information and the option to donate can be found at this website.