Ferrero Fellowships awarded to five students

Five students were officially awarded the Ferrero Fellowship on 1 March, receiving a scholarship and internship opportunities through a partnership between the University of Luxembourg and Ferrero Luxembourg.

The Ferrero Fellowship is aimed specifically at first-year Master students in accounting and audit, economics and finance, entrepreneurship and innovation, and law. It consists of two parts – on the one hand a scholarship covering student accommodation costs in order to financially support the recipients; on the other hand the opportunity to complete an internship at Ferrero to build practical skills and provide work experience.

Students were chosen based on their application file and an interview. “The Ferrero Fellowship aims to foster young talent,” explained the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance. “The five candidates chosen were selected for academic excellence, their motivation and drive, their engagement and dedication to their studies and extracurricular activities.”

The successful candidates – Lorena Alizoti, Jason Cranfield, Philipp Dahlem, Liang Shihui and Roman Ursu – were officially awarded their fellowship certificates at a special event hosted by Ferrero at their headquarters in Findel.

‘The Ferrero extended family’

They were welcomed by Mr Bruno Conti, HR Director at the Luxembourg headquarters. Working with the University to support bright young minds is “close to our history and our DNA,” he said. “We will be following your progress closely,” he told the students. “Our expectation from you is commitment, good academic results and personal integrity.”

Following a tour of the HQ including the Kinder Surprise Showroom, a well-kept secret and archive of the company’s most iconic Kinder Surprise toys, Mr Conti encouraged the students to remember “two simple principles: never be afraid to make mistakes and never stop chasing your dreams.”

“You are now part of the Ferrero extended family,” he concluded.

Prof. Eric Tschirhart of the University’s Technology Transfer and Fundraising Unit, who was instrumental in setting up the partnership, thanked all colleagues involved for filling the partnership with life. “This cooperation began when Ferrero hosted a most extraordinary stand at the UniCareers fair, demonstrating their interest in our students. It has grown into something much larger, a new partnership model.”

The event was also attended by members of Ferrero’s senior leadership team, Mr Giuseppe Addezio (Chief Human Resources and Organisation Officer), Mr Jorge De Moragas (Chief Financial Officer) and Mr Fabrizio Minneci (Chief Legal Officer).

The University of Luxembourg and Ferrero on 18 July 2017 signed a Memorandum of Understanding laying the foundations for the Fellowship programme and providing a framework for internships, PhD research and teaching activities.