On 5 December 2022, three students from the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance were presented with the prestigious Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship during a ceremony and networking cocktail at the University of Luxembourg’s Weicker Building. The Scholarship was awarded by representatives of the international service club Zonta.
Skerdilajda Zanaj, Professor within the Department of Economics and Management (DEM) and Gender Equality Officer at the University of Luxembourg, welcomed all participants. During her speech, Prof. Zanaj commended the Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance for their role as a leader in gender equality among professorial positions. However, she pointed out that at an international level, women need continued support in fields such as economics, finance, and management, as they are still a minority in professorial positions.
During the ceremony, Mme. Claire Van der Ent Braat, an Area Zonta director, presented the organisation’s support for the Ukraine, and Mme. Shabnam Ahani-Kamangar, an FDEF Alumni of the Master in Law and winner of the Zonta Young Women in Public Affairs prize from 2012, explained how relevant it is to engage for gender equality. Additionally, Mme. Carole Chaine, Director of the Lycée Alyne Mayrich and Zonta Club Multiculturel founder, underlined the role of ZONTA in Luxembourg, an association which has existed in the Grand Duchy for over 20 years.
The Zonta vision operates under two pillars: giving direct support to women in need through fundraising and volunteering initiatives and promoting the education of women and girls through scholarship and fellowship opportunities. Zonta offers four separate programmes including the Amelia Earhart Fellowship for women pursuing Ph.D/doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering and space sciences, the Women in technology Scholarship for women pursuing higher education in IT, the Young Women in Public Affairs award, rewarding leadership skills and commitment to public service and civic causes for young women aged 16-19 and finally, the Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship.
The Jane M. Klausman Women in Business Scholarship “helps women pursue undergraduate and master’s degrees in business management and overcome gender barriers from the classroom to the boardroom.” Since the programme’s inception, Zonta has awarded over 640 scholarships, totaling more than US$1.5 million, to more than 492 women representing 58 countries (source: zonta.org).
The three FDEF students to receive the prize are, Luziminda Julesz, Alina Frkatovic and Yevheniia Klymenko.
Luziminda Julesz, who is pursuing a Master in Wealth Management has now won the prize two times in a row. During the award ceremony she said that she wants to break biases and become a successful CEO of a large multinational company
In her remarks, Alina Frkatovic, a student of the Master of Science in Finance and Economics, drew attention to the fact that gender inequality is a real problem in the business world and needs to be tackled.
Yevheniia Kylmenko, another student within the Master of Science in Finance and Economics, originally from Ukraine, mentioned the important solidarity between Ukraine and Luxembourg. This prize is a confirmation that she is on the right track, she said.
Johanna Sorrentino, a business administration student at the Sacred Heart University was the fourth laureate.
For more information about Zonta International, please visit their website www.zonta.org.
