(UTV|COLOMBO) – The Chinese embassy to Sri Lanka on Tuesday (07) awarded 22 Sri Lankan university students scholarships for higher education in Chinese universities.
The students received the scholarships at the annual Chinese government scholarship award ceremony held here.
The event was organized in collaboration with Sri Lanka’s Higher Education and Cultural Affairs Ministry.
The selected winners will leave for China in September for their bachelor degrees, master degrees and doctoral degrees in different fields such as medicine, art, environmental science, archaeology and museology, Chinese language teaching and international economic and trade.
The students will study in Chinese universities including Peking University, Zhejiang University and Wuhan University.
Secretary of Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Higher Education and Cultural Affairs J.J. Rathnasiri, while thanking China’s contribution to helping Sri Lankan students, said the Chinese higher education scholarships program had benefited a large number of Sri Lankans over a long period of time by providing undergraduate and postgraduate education opportunities in Chinese universities.
“I request all students to get the maximum benefits out of the scholarships and after your return serve the country in your best and help more and more to strengthen China- Sri Lanka relations,” Rathnasiri said.
Charge d’Affairs of the Chinese embassy in Sri Lanka Pang Chunxue, while congratulating the winners, said the students will be the needful talents for the national development of Sri Lanka and will become friendship envoys for both China and Sri Lanka.
The 31-year-old Manoj Maddumarachchi, one of the scholarship winners, told Xinhua that he is delighted to receive an opportunity to pursue his master degree in human geography in China.
“Chinese universities offer more facilities and it is an opportunity I truly value,” he said.
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