One hundred students receive a fellowship from the ”la Caixa” Foundation to study for a postgraduate degree abroad

His Majesty the King of Spain has presided over the 43rd edition of the fellowship award ceremony for postgraduate studies abroad, granted by the ”la Caixa” Foundation. The 100 university students who received the fellowships were selected from among 1,045 candidates for their excellence and have been admitted to some of the world’s top universities. 

Also attending the event, held at CaixaForum Madrid, were the Minister for Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and the 2030 Agenda, Pablo Bustinduy, and the chairman of the ”la Caixa” Foundation, Isidro Fainé. “The fellowship programme for postgraduate studies abroad dates back to 1982 and now has a community of over 6,000 people. In this edition, only one in ten candidates was ultimately awarded a fellowship. These 100 fellowship holders are therefore the best of the best: a source of inspiration for those around them and a benchmark we can all aspire to in order to improve ourselves each day and offer the world our best. Only in this way – by each of us contributing every day with the best of ourselves – can we truly build a better society”, explained Isidro Fainé. 

Almudena Sevilla, an economist and researcher who has dedicated her career to analysing the intrinsic link between gender equality and economic and social progress, addressed the attendees on behalf of the community of ”la Caixa” Foundation fellows. Sevilla, who is a professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), was recently appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in recognition of her research work and contributions to improving society, an accolade that rewards a commitment which began in the United States, where she pursued further studies thanks to a postgraduate fellowship from the ”la Caixa” Foundation.

Statistical data on the new fellows

The 100 fellowships awarded are distributed across three continents: 71 are for studying in Europe, 27 in the United States and two in Japan.

The countries attracting the most fellows are the United Kingdom (42) and the United States (27).

The 100 fellowship recipients of the 2024 cohort come from 27 Spanish provinces, two Portuguese districts and four other countries (Andorra, Brazil, the United States and the United Kingdom). The provinces with the highest number of fellows are Barcelona (31), Madrid (23), A Coruña (4), Valencia (3) and Castellón (3).

The average age of the fellows is 24 years (at the time of receiving the fellowship). 

Bright young talents across multiple disciplines

In this edition of the ”la Caixa” Foundation fellowships for postgraduate studies abroad, 1,045 eligible applications were submitted for one of the 100 fellowships offered through a competitive selection process. The applications must first pass an initial evaluation phase using a peer review system (assessment carried out by experts with similar competencies), and the highest-rated candidates are invited to a personal interview. The selection process involves university professors with international experience in this type of evaluation.

Both the number of applications received and the rigour and level of demand in the selection processes ensure that the chosen candidates demonstrate outstanding levels of excellence. The effectiveness of this system is subsequently reflected in the success of the ”la Caixa” Foundation fellows in gaining admission to the best universities in the world.

The universities hosting the highest number of fellows are the University of Cambridge (12), the University of Oxford (9), the London School of Economics and Political Science (6), Columbia University (6) and ETH Zurich (5). 

The most represented disciplines are engineering and technology (16), cellular and molecular biology (12), mathematics (11), law (8), economics and business studies (7), and political and administrative sciences (6).

More than four decades committed to the future of new generations

The ”la Caixa” Foundation’s postgraduate fellowships abroad programme is a benchmark within the university community. Several aspects make it particularly valuable: 

Since the launch of the postgraduate fellowships abroad programme in 1982, up to the 2024 call for applications, the ”la Caixa” Foundation has invested a total of over 219 million euros in supporting the overseas training of 3,977 students.

The Foundation’s investment in the 2024 call amounts to 10 million euros. The average cost of the fellowships awarded for postgraduate studies abroad is 100,000 euros.