Eight students receive travel documents to study in China |27 August 2015

Eight Seychellois professionals will be leaving the country on September 1 to pursue their studies at different universities in China.

The students who form part of a group of 10 who have received Chinese government scholarships this year (two others have already left the country) will be studying psychology, public administration, accounting, computer science and technology, fine art, diplomacy and international relations.

Nine of them will be studying for a Bachelor’s degree while one will be studying for a Master’s.

The Chinese ambassador to Seychelles Yin Lixian presented the students with their travel documents yesterday in a short ceremony at the head office of the Agency for National Human Resource Development (ANHRD) which was attended by the students’ parents and other guests.

Addressing the students and everyone present ambassador Yin commended the long history of deep friendship that Seychelles and China enjoy and highlighted the vast exchanges in various fields noting that education is one of them.

“Up until this year China has provided about 130 scholarships to Seychelles and I am satisfied to see that many of the students who studied in China have come back and are playing great roles in various fields in the development of Seychelles,” Ambassador Yin said.

She urged the students to make full use of the next few years of their studies.

“Learn, meet more people and experience the Chinese culture,” she told the students, reminding them to put to good use the knowledge and expertise they will acquire.

“But I also hope that while you concentrate on your studies please turn your eyes to the relations between China and Seychelles and act as ambassadors of China-Seychelles friendship,” Ambassador Yin told the students.

The ANHRD’s chief executive Roseline Houareau echoed Ambassador Yin’s words when she addressed the students.

“It is through hard work and dedication that you are the recipients of the Chinese government’s scholarships so I urge you to seize this great opportunity that has been given to you. Pursue your studies most diligently so as to make not only yourselves but your families and the government of Seychelles proud,” Ms Houareau stressed.

On behalf of her colleagues Nathanielle Morel thanked Ambassador Yin and the Chinese government for such generosity.

She also thanked the government of Seychelles and the ANHRD as well as their parents for their support and encouragement.

The eight students are Annabelle Port-Louis, Annif Benstrong, Nathanielle Morel,   Graem Pool, David Bonnelame, Cyril Maimee, Mickaela Ernesta and Emma Ah-Shung. Liu Chang and Juliette Zelime have already left.