These four young scientists are the new scholarship holders of the prestigious program “For Women in Science”

The national scholarship program “For Women in Science” in Croatia has, for the tenth consecutive year, modeled after the international program, awarded outstanding young Croatian female scientists under the age of 35 who are in the final stages of writing their doctoral dissertations in natural sciences and interdisciplinary fields.

Mateja Dumbović (Faculty of Geodesy in Zagreb), Dunja Margeta (Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology in Zagreb), Marija Marguš (Ruđer Bošković Institute), and Andreja Vukasović (Medical School in Zagreb) are the new scholarship holders of the jubilee, tenth L’Oreal-UNESCO National Scholarship Program „For Women in Science“.

The ceremonial award of scholarships was held on Friday in the Preporodna Hall of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts in Zagreb. The President of the Republic of Croatia Kolinda Grabar Kitarović, Minister Dubravka Jurlina Alibegović, and the Mayor of Zagreb Milan Bandić supported this celebration of Croatian science and women scientists by their presence.

With the help of the Selection Committee composed of leading Croatian scientists who select the best among the best, the partners of the L’Oreal ADRIA program and the Croatian Commission for UNESCO at the Ministry of Culture have, over the past ten years, awarded as many as 38 young female scientists in the field of natural sciences through this national scholarship program, granting them a one-time individual scholarship amounting to as much as 5,000 euros in kuna equivalent.

Which of the many applicants will become recipients of valuable scholarships in the amount of 5,000 euros each year is decided by the Selection Committee composed of top Croatian scientists led by the President of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Academician Zvonko Kusić, and renowned members of the Croatian academic community, Academician Sibila Jelaska, Academician Vida Demarin, Prof. Dr. Helena Jasna Mencer, Prof. Dr. Katica Biljaković, Academician Krešimir Nemec, Academician Vladimir Paar, and Prof. Dr. Ivan Vicković.

– This award is much more than just a financial scholarship; it is a recognition from the profession that confirms and acknowledges my work so far. Every recognition means a lot to a young scientist, and receiving the scholarship “For Women in Science” represents a particularly great honor because it comes from the hands of the greatest names in the Croatian scientific community, said Andreja Vukasović from the Medical School in Zagreb.

According to last year’s research by the French institute OpinionWay conducted in Europe, as many as 89% of Europeans believe that women have more affinity for any other activity than for science, and this belief is shared equally by both men and women. Additionally, it is extremely disappointing that in 1990, the entire research scientific community consisted of 26% women, and that twenty years later, in 2010, this percentage is only 29% women, showing an extremely modest growth of 3%. Such results clearly demonstrate how important it is to continue with strong public awareness of the role, contribution, and extraordinary capabilities of female scientists at both national and global levels, which is why the project “For Women in Science” gains strength due to its responsible task of changing the current social reality.