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‘When I received the email about my scholarship and admission, I cried for ten minutes. Then I called my mother and we cried for ten more.’ Stefan Vukojevic (22) from Serbia, received an Utrecht Excellence Scholarship last August to study Multidisciplinary Economics (a research Master’s programme) at Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ.

‘I am the black sheep of the family’, Stefan jokes, because he is the first in his family to obtain a bachelor’s degree. ‘My parents always worked very hard and struggled to provide for us. They stimulated us to do well in school and I think they did a perfect job. But unfortunately, there was no money for my brother and I to go to university. To give you an idea: the minimum wage in Serbia is only two hundred euros a month.’

But Stefan did not let finances get in the way of his dream to go to university. At school he worked hard and made sure that he was always among the top students of his class. ‘The faculty in Serbia took care of the tuition fees for my first bachelor year because I performed so well in high school. And then because I was among the top five students in the first year, I got a scholarship for the second year and the same again for the third year.’

‘I had to pinch myself sometimes’

More Dutch than Serbian

Stefan always knew he didn’t want to stay in Serbia. ‘I never felt that I fitted in with the culture. In a way I was always more Dutch than Serbian. More efficient, if you like. This is why I didn’t feel stressed about moving away. Also, there was no time for me to worry, because on the eighteenth of August I defended my Bachelor’s thesis in Serbia and six days later I arrived in Utrecht.’

‘For me this opportunity is truly life changing. It is a dream come true, because I could never have done a Master’s programme without the scholarship. Initially I had to pinch myself sometimes to be sure that this was really happening, but now I am starting to get used to it.’

Of course, moving to another country also means getting used to other things. For instance, Stefan misses his friends and his mother’s cooking. And he is still trying to get his head around why the Dutch have their lunch (‘broodje kaas’) and dinner so ridiculously early. On the other hand, he loves the fact that everyone in the Netherlands travels by bike. He soon realised he would be lost without one himself, so the day after his arrival he bought a bicycle. ‘I bought a book to learn Dutch as well. Hopefully it won’t be too difficult for me because I already know German, English and Latin.’

A feeling of pressure

‘I think one of the reasons I got this scholarship is because of all my extracurricular activities. Amongst other things I was president of the Serbian debating network, Open Communication, and board member of the Red Cross New Belgrade. At the moment I don’t have time to do additional work, because the research Master in Utrecht has proven to be very demanding so far.’

Although Stefan is doing well, he explains how a scholarship doesn’t come without a feeling of pressure. ‘When an exam didn’t go as well as I had hoped, I am always worried that I will have to take the course again the next year, which would automatically mean losing the scholarship. So it can be rather stressful. But it is something I sort of got accustomed to, because I have always had to perform extremely well to get through. It can be motivating, but I think it is a challenge for my mental health as well.’

What are Stefan’s plans for the future? Going back to Serbia (permanently) is certainly not at the top of his wish list. ‘Although living in Serbia with a Dutch salary, would be pretty nice’, he says laughing. ‘I tend not to look any further than five years ahead. After finishing my research Master programme I would like to do a PhD, preferably here in Utrecht. And after that who knows where life will take me.’