French Ambassador to Seoul Philippe Thiebaud (right) presented the Blaise Pascal Scholarship to Lee Ji-Yeon at the French Embassy on July 9, 2008.

The fourth Blaise Pascal Scholarship conferment ceremony was held at the French Embassy in Hap-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul on July 9, 2008. This year, the Blaise Pascal Scholarship is sponsored by France's representative enterprise, Lafarge.

The Blaise Pascal Scholarship is a French governmental scholarship which is devoted to promoting Korea-France relations by introducing Korea's best students to France's prominent universities and Grandes Ecoles master and PhD courses.

The Blaise Pascal Scholarship laureates will be supported with the total amount of school expenses as well as a Korea-France round-trip airplane ticket. Also, the Blaise Pascal Scholarship provides all students' resident expenses in France during their study.

French Ambassador to Seoul Philippe Thiebaud presented the Blaise Pascal Scholarship to 13 superior Korean students with a large number of engineering major students. Six students are from prestigious technical colleges.

Also, keeping on with the last year, the student from the Korea National Police University was selected who will soon study PhD courses in France.

13 Korean Students received the Blaise Pascal Scholarship at the French Embassy on July 9, 2008.

"I think my thesis for a master and work experience helped me to put together a solid application to receive the scholarship," Seoul National University graduate, Hwang Yong-Yun said. Hwang will be going to Ecole Polytechnique for a PhD in Mechanics Hydrodynamics Lab.

Since 2005, 31 excellent Korean students were able to study in the best elite schools in France including HEC, ESSE, Polytechnique, Mines Paris, Centrale Paris, IFP, ENA, SupAero Paris VI, Paris I Sourbonne, Scienes Po, Paris II, Paris VI, Paris VII, Paris X, Paris Xi, INP Grenoble, EDHEC, ENSM St. Etiennes, and more.

Nine students in 2005, nine students in 2006, and 13 students in 2007 were awarded with the Blaise Pascal Scholarship under a strict screening system. The judging committee is comprised of French educators and entrepreneurs.

The Blaise Pascal Scholarship was named after French religious philosopher, physicist ,and mathematician Blaise Pascal. Pascal's contributions to mathematics and the physical sciences are known as "Pascal's triangle" and his inventions including the hydraulic press and syringe.