The ten students -- three young ladies and seven young men -- who will be pursuing their studies in various Chinese universities are expected to leave Seychelles this weekend for their five-year courses.

In a short ceremony at the National Human Resource Development Council (NHRDC) headquarters at the Le Chantier Mall, the students were presented with their documents by Chinese ambassador Wang Weiguo.

The ceremony was attended by the Minister for Social Development and Culture Bernard Shamlaye, the students’ parents and relatives, among other guests.

Addressing the students, Mr Wang called on them to make the most of this great opportunity and to use the knowledge acquired to serve their country and their people.

Mr Wang said he also wishes they will be good ambassadors for Seychelles.

“I hope you will be good ambassadors for your country and use the opportunity to improve the friendship between our peoples,” said Mr Wang.

The chief executive of the NHRDC, Christian Cafrine, heartily thanked the government of the People’s Republic of China “for this important investment in the Seychellois people”.

“Your Excellency, the award of another 10 scholarships this year shows your strong commitment to the development of the level of education of Seychellois students and your strong belief in our quest to build local capacity in various fields of training. Seychelles is indeed privileged to have a development partner and friend in the likes of the People’s Republic of China,” said Mr Cafrine.

Mr Cafrine also called on the students to make the most of this opportunity and to make themselves and our nation proud by successfully completing their courses and coming back to serve their country.

One of the students, Sandra Victor who will be studying artistic design, thanked the Chinese government for this great opportunity.

“This is testimony of the solid bilateral cooperation between China and Seychelles which has allowed a large number of students to study in China. We welcome the opportunity to discover a country with diverse cultures,” said Ms Victor.

The other students in the group are Rebecca Julienne who will study international politics, Lynn Jabbie (environment engineering), Jean-Claude Thelermont (computer science and technology), Richard Bastille (biomedical engineering), Leroy Morel (architectonics), Cliff Barra (architectural technology), Jude Adrienne (environmental engineering), Reggie Ah-Kong (automation) and Hansel Bonnelame (civil engineering).

Award of scholarships from the Chinese government dates back to the 1980s and the number of these scholarships has increased significantly over the years.

There are currently 43 Seychellois students on training in the People’s Republic of China.

Forrás: www.nation.sc