Iranian Scholar Awarded IYT Scholarship for Fully Funded Master’s in Data Science at Sapienza University of Rome

My name is Negin Amini, and I am originally from Iran. I currently live in the Netherlands and work as a data scientist. I earned my master’s degree in data science from Sapienza University of Rome and graduated three years ago. My academic background is in Industrial Engineering, and during the final year of my bachelor’s, I became interested in data mining and data science. I did an internship where I had the opportunity to perform data analysis in an industrial setting and support business decision-making using data. I was very passionate about it, and I believe that was the moment I knew I wanted to pursue further studies in this field. Then I started looking for university courses and scholarships to cover the tuition and costs.

How I Found and Applied to my Master's Program

After discovering where my passion lies and which degree I wanted to pursue, I began researching universities that offered this program. Back in 2019, there were not many options in Iran for a Master’s in Data Science specifically, and my dream was to study abroad. So, I started doing research and making notes of universities worldwide that offered such programs. I didn’t have a specific country in mind yet, but I was evaluating different courses at various universities, along with other factors such as language requirements, cost of living, scholarship opportunities, and more. After considering all these factors, I chose to apply for the Data Science program at Sapienza University of Rome. As part of the application requirements, I needed to take the TOEFL exam, which I prepared for using online resources.

Getting the Scholarship and Preparing for It 

After applying for the program, I started looking into scholarships to support my tuition and living costs during my studies. I came across the IYT scholarship while searching online and on the university's website. IYT, or Invest Your Talent in Italy, is a scholarship designed to attract international students to pursue a master's degree in Italy. It is available for specific fields such as engineering, architecture, and economics, taught in English. Recipients receive a full tuition waiver and a monthly stipend of €1,000 (net) for 9 months. To familiarize students with the Italian job market, a 3-month mandatory internship is also part of the program. The scholarship can be extended to the second year if more than 30 credits are passed and if the recipient has attended the Italian language course offered by the host university, as well as completed the internship.

To apply for the scholarship, you need to provide your transcripts along with a 1-minute video explaining your motivation and why the technical committee should choose you.

I believe what made my application stand out was being a top student with a high GPA from a prestigious university in Iran. Additionally, I researched the goals of the scholarship and aligned my motivations and study plans with those goals, which I made sure to highlight in the video. Of course, adding some personal touches to the video also helps make your application more memorable.

Advice for Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship

• Don’t be afraid to take the step and apply—don’t let self-doubt stop you from trying.
• Keep track of the deadlines and application timelines to ensure you have enough time to prepare.
• Do your research in advance and take your time crafting a thoughtful and well-prepared video.