I Lesatele
Financial assistance from the Chinese Ambassador Scholarship provided relief to some of the students struggling to pay fees at the National University of Samoa NUS.
Twenty NUS students were awarded the Chinese Ambassador Scholarship which was officially set up this year. As awardees, they had their fees paid in the first semester under the scheme.
Last week the students were congratulated and their achievements celebrated in a special ceremony hosted by China’s Ambassador to Samoa His Excellency Chao Xiaoliang at the National University of Samoa Campus Le Papaigalagala.
“ It’s my great pleasure to join you today for the celebration of the first Chinese Ambassador Scholarship award ceremony.
First of all, let me express my heartiest congratulations to all the 20 recipients who become the first round of scholarship winners among this year’s intense competition.
You should applaud for your remarkable achievements and for being proud of your family and the NUS,” remarked His Excellency.
“ The Chinese Ambassador Scholarship has been officially set up this year with an aim to award students with best performance in academy or extracurricular activities, and to financial support students with merits.”
The students were grateful for the assistance they received.
Twenty year old Margaret Su’a who is enrolled in the Bachelor of Samoan Studies told Newsline that the award was a real blessing for her for it helped her immensely to meeting her fees.
“ These are difficult times and with only one parent working to support seven children this help is a blessing. My father’s wages is spent mostly on food with little left for other things. This assistance is real help to my family. I’m so blessed and I am so thankful for this programme.”
Su’a added that the financial assistance has greatly encouraged her to continue her studies and to achieve her goal of being a teacher in the future.
She would be re-applying for further funding to pay her second semester fees.
The same sentiment was echoed by Ms Fa’afofoga Auva’a who is studying for her Master Degree in Development Studies.
Auva’a said that the programme offered her some financial relief in paying the expensive fees in the Master Programme.
She is thankful for the financial assistance and she too would be reapplying for help in the second semester.
The Ambassador Scholarship “marks a key step forward of China Samoa cultural exchange,” HE Xiaoliang remarked.
“ With long standing traditions of people to people interactions, our two countries focus on education cooperation and have launched Chinese Government scholarship since 1982.
Even the pandemic couldn’t cease our pace. I’m happy to say the awardees of the Chinese government scholarship program will travel to China for their studies later this year.
The Confucius Institute at NUS witnesses growing popularity of Chinese culture within Samoan communities. By now the Institute has cultivated 600 plus graduates.
Those “ civil ambassadors of Chinese culture” together with brilliant students present tonight has flared up the amity between our two peoples.” The event last week was attended by China’s Ambassador, members of the staff of the Chinese Embassy, the NUS Vice Chancellor, staff of NUS, recipients