16 Fijian students for studies in China
Ministry acknowledges China for their efforts to equip Fijians with knowledge.
The Government of the People’s Republic of China has awarded 16 Fijian students with a chance to study in top universities in China.
Out of the 16 recipients, eight have received scholarships for Masters Degree programmes and two for PhD studies. The remaining six students are undergraduates. Speaking at the award ceremony, China’s Ambassador to Fiji Zhang Ping said the scholarships embodied the strong bilateral relationship that China and Fiji shared.
“In recent years China and Fiji relations have seen continuous development with bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields,” Mr Ping said.
“Since 1984, more than 150 Fijians have won Chinese Government scholarships. Their majors included economics, finance, law, medical science, aviation, biological engineering, information technology and more.”
He said the scholarships presented a chance for aspiring students to enhance their careers in a country that is considered the number one destination for international students. The Deputy Permanent Secretary for Primary and Secondary Education, Timoci Bure, expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government for “offering opportunities of learning and exposure for our Fijian students.”
He said: “The Ministry of Education Fiji acknowledges the assistance of the Chinese Government in empowering and equipping these individuals whom we believe will become agents of change, peace and progress here in Fiji.”
China saw an enrollment of more than 440,000 international students last year – an 11.4 per cent increase from the previous year, according to the International College of Economics.
“The Prime Minister has said we need to build a better and smarter Fiji and what better way to do this than to have an educated population,” said chairman of the Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Board, Dixon Seeto.
Meanwhile, Lionel Rakai, a recipient of one of the PhD scholarships, has spent three months learning the Chinese culture in the lead up to his journey. He is grateful to the Chinese government for awarding him the scholarship.