This year, Alina Kononchuk was awarded the Otto von Guericke Scholarship as a student at the University of Magdeburg. She is studying “International Business and Economics” in her 5th semester. “The scholarship is a great honor for me. It means that I am going in a good direction and it is a strong motivation to continue with my projects,” says the student.

Alina was born in Ukraine and initially studied in Kyiv, but had to interrupt her studies due to the Russian war of aggression on her home country and then came to Magdeburg. Alina decided to stay there and continued her studies at the University of Magdeburg. First as part of the ERASMUS+ program, then as a full-time student at the Faculty of Economics.

“I chose to study economics because I am convinced that this subject is present in all areas of life. It is an essential subject for our daily lives. I am particularly fascinated by marketing, as it offers a wonderful combination of creativity and analytical thinking.” What Alina particularly likes about her degree course are the different subject areas, such as marketing, management and econometrics. Students can develop their skills in these areas and gain a lot of fundamental knowledge in the fields of economics and business.

In addition to her work as a student assistant at the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Alina is involved in various student initiatives. For example, she runs the “International Club”, where international students can network with each other, and organizes various events such as exhibitions and country evenings. “I volunteer because I like it. I'm always happy when I can do something good for the community.”

Alina will complete her Bachelor's degree in 2025. This will be followed by a Master's degree at the University of Magdeburg. Alina also has a wish for her future career: “I would like to find a job in a marketing company where I can ideally also do something good for society,” concludes the Ukrainian.

About the scholarship

The Otto von Guericke Scholarship is awarded every year at the University of Magdeburg and Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences. With this scholarship, the state capital of Magdeburg honors international students who achieve outstanding results in their studies and are particularly committed to society.