UWC Belarus

The UWC Belarus National Committee is responsible for selecting Belarusian students for entry to United World Colleges (UWC). UWC is a global network of 18 high schools with the shared mission of "making education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future". The UWC Belarus National Committee was founded in 1994 shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union. At that time, Belarus was at the start of asserting itself as a separate and independent state. It is for this reason one of the priorities of the Belarusian National Committee was to look for students who would be good representatives of their home country abroad. From the start, UWC Belarus was determined to select students who, in addition to the excellent general and academic knowledge, exhibited good knowledge of the history and culture of Belarus and demonstrated an eagerness to communicate in the Belarusian language regardless of the proficiency level. Not only was this an important prerequisite for a proper presentation of Belarus, but also encouraged the interest of the Belarusian youth in their own national identity. Twenty-seven years later, this criterion remains an important part of the student evaluation. UWC Belarus selects students who exhibit political and social awareness and show active commitment and initiative-taking. Additionally, in our selection process, we employ five core UWC criteria that guide us in selecting resilient, intellectually curious, motivated and socially competent candidates. Since 1994, UWC Belarus selected nearly 100 students who attended 15 United World Colleges out of 18 existing. Our alumni have studied in the world’s top universities and pursued careers as architects, data analysts, musicians, ecologists, scientists, businessmen, sculptors, and educators.