Mr. Charles Mabia, Deputy Secretary of the Dept of Higher Education
Mr. John Karani, Executive Manger, Strategic Policy
Mr. Thimon Bune, Executive Manager, Tertiary Admissions & Scholarship
Ms. Patricia Morea, Executive Manager, Corporate Services,
Other Officials from the Dept of Higher Education, Research, Science & Technology
Scholarship Winners and representatives of their families,
Representatives of the returned PNG students from China,
Friends from the media,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning!
I'm very happy to host this farewell reception for you.
First of all, please allow me to extend the warmest congratulations, on behalf of the Chinese Embassy, to you-- the awardees and your families, and
Secondly, I'd take this opportunity to express our sincere thanks to our friends from the Department of Higher Education, Research and Science & Technology for your strong support and wonderful work on the implementation of the Chinese Government Scholarship programs.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The bilateral relations between PNG and China have reached a new level. Last month the Right Hon. Prime Minister Peter O'Neill, made an official visit to China. The Leaders of both countries reached new important consensus on further the exchanges and cooperation in many fields. We are very pleased to see that Prime Minister O'Neill's visit greatly strengthened the friendly relationship between our two countries, and brought our two nations closer than ever before.
Education is one of the important areas of the exchanges and cooperation between China and PNG. The Chinese Government has placed huge weight on the educational exchanges with PNG. Chinese universities started to enrolled PNG students in 1986, but with a slow pace. Up to the year 2003, only a few students had gone to study in China. After 2003, the Chinese government started to recruit PNG students on a regular basis. According to the records provided by the China Scholarship Council, about 300 PNG students have been awarded the Chinese government scholarships in the 13 years since 2003.
This year the Chinese Government offered 35 scholarships, a record high number, to PNG students, including some self-supporting students who are already studying and have been given scholarship in China.
Again congratulations to each and every one of Chinese Scholarship recipients!
After this gathering, the scholarship winners will be heading to start your courses in China. I'd like to take the opportunity to express some "hopes" for you:
Firstly, as the proverb goes, there is no royal road to learning.
In plain words, Learning or studying is no easy job, and studying abroad even harder. For instance, the cultural difference and the language barrier will be challenges to you. So I hope you will get well prepared for the challenges and difficulties you're going to face. But I'm confident you will overcome them like your predecessors.
Meanwhile, you will find interesting and exciting things out of the cultural difference. Like PNG, China has diversified cultures, rich and colorful. So I hope you will make full use of your hard-earned opportunity, not only to acquire professional knowledge, but also to get to know about China and make friends with Chinese people.
The last but not least, I hope you will not forget to demonstrate and share your diversified cultures with Chinese people.
In this way, you will not only be able to serve your country with your professional knowledge after completion of study in China, but will also be envoys of friendship between PNG and China.
I've noticed with great pleasure that the specialties you have chosen are of relevance to the development of PNG. They include engineering, medicine, economics and finance, international trade, international politics and so on.
PNG is on the fast track of social and economic development. China is the second largest economy in the world. China will continue to implement its open door policy and carry out the principle of win-win cooperation with foreign countries. So there are huge potentials for cooperation in various sectors between PNG and China for mutual benefits.
I am sure the new skills and knowledge you learn in China will contribute to the prosperity of your country.They will also prove of lasting value to your future career.
Great prospects lie ahead for you!
At last to those departing for China, I wish you a happy journey to China, great progress in your study in China.
To those who have returned from China, I thank you for your continued friendship, and
To all, may you achieve huge success in your future career!
May you also contribute to promoting the PNG-China friendship!
Thank you very much.