28 scholarship awards for Tongans to study in China [1]
Thursday, August 11, 2016 - 18:02
Twenty-eight scholarships for Tongan students to study at universities in China were awarded by the Chinese ambassador to Tonga, HE Mr Huang Huaguang at the Kahana Resort yesterday evening, 10 August.
The scholarship students will be majoring in a wide range of subjects from environment studies, animal husbandry, gardening, maritime science, tourism management, architecture, medical, accounting and others.
The students this year include four government officials from the Ministry of Public Enterprises, and the Ministry of Revenue and Customs who will carry out postgraduate studies.
China began offering scholarships for Tongan students in China in 1999, and according to Mr Huang Huaguang, as of today, 179 Tongan students have had university education in China. Among the successful Tongan students who returned and hold prominent positions in government are Ms Kilisitina Puleiku, Tonga’s first PhD graduate from China, and Curtis Tu’ihalangingie, who graduated with a Master of International Relations from Peking University.
The Prime Minister and Tonga’s Minister of Education, Hon. ‘Akilisi Pohiva, expressed his sincere thanks to China for their generosity in offering university studies opportunities for Tongan students. He admitted that Tonga just can’t finance Tongan students to carry out further studies overseas. He said that even with the University of the South Pacific Tongan can only provide about 10% of Tonga’s needs for university education.