In her speech at the ceremony, Novák noted that one of the goals she had set for her term in office was to support talented young people. This was why, she said, the Stipendium Peregrinum is set to become a presidential programme in the future.

Novák called the Stipendium Peregrinum “the scholarship of young people who open doors”. She said that while Hungary did not have an abundance of natural resources, it was rich in human resources, which included the country’s talented youth.

The president asked the scholarship recipients to repatriate the knowledge, skills and experience they acquire and gain abroad.

Novák also noted Hungary’s ongoing university development scheme aimed at making Hungarian higher-education institutions more competitive. She called the scholarship a “globally unique” scheme that contributed to covering the finances of students studying at the world’s top universities.

“I’m convinced that the financial support allocated towards Stipendium isn’t an expenditure but an investment,” she told the scholarship recipients. “It’s an investment in the Hungarian future which I’m sure will pay dividends, but this depends only on you.”

A total of 58 Hungarian students will continue or begin their university studies in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States this coming autumn,

Novák said.