OSCE Announces Winners of EIA Scholarship for Young Entrepreneurs from Western Balkans

TIRANA, June 19

Young Developers and Entrepreneurs to Advance Start-ups (YDEAS) in the Western Balkans project kicked off on Monday in Albania following the selection of 18 winners of the OSCE Scholarship program launched in early May. 11 females and seven males from the Western Balkans to attend the European Innovation Academy (EIA), one of the world’s leading summer entrepreneurship programs in Turin, Italy.
From 8 to 27 July in Turin, the selected finalists will be immersed in a multicultural ecosystem with professionals and mentors from the world’s top institutions, including business leaders from America, Europe, and Asia, to help talents emerge and make a difference in society.
Anni Sinijarv, CEO of the European Innovation Academy, said that the selection process was a hard one. “The videos we received were full of motivation, good ideas, and hope for the future. We chose those whose motivation was the best fit for the EIA. We will do our best to empower the participants and leverage their potential to be ambassadors of positive change in their own societies.”
In the meantime, Duro Blanusa, Secretary General of the Regional Youth Cooperation Office (RYCO), said that his office believes the youth of the Western Balkans should be active contributors to social and economic prosperity, democratic development, and European integration in an increasingly open region. “We are honored that we had a chance to contribute to the EIA scholarship program and we wish the winners a great and productive learning time in Turin.”

News Source: OSCE

Photo Credit: Italy in Albania