During a ceremony conducted on December 9, 2022, at the SVG Community College, His Excellency Peter Shai-Li Lan, Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Hon. Curtis King, Minister of Education, presented 140 Bursary Scholarships to students.
Pupils from SVG Community College’s several departments, as well as students from basic and secondary schools, were among the awardees.
In his inaugural comments, Nigel Scott, Director of the SVGCC, stated that the Community College Campus and the Scholarship Bursary Programme are a “reflection and indicator of what partnership and camaraderie” is all about.
Scott thanked the ROC (Taiwan) for their ongoing support of Vincentians and Students of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. “Our relationship with the Republic of China (Taiwan) remains a bright example of what friendship and collaboration can accomplish,” Scott added.
In his remarks, Ambassador H.E. Peter Shai-Li Lan stated that this is the twenty-fifth event organised to award Bursary Scholarships to beneficiaries in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. “Education cooperation is probably one of the strongest pillars of cooperation between Taiwan and St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” Ambassador Lan said, adding, “I hope everyone here thinks about how to best use this scholarship in supporting your continued effort in the path of pursuing a higher degree.”
Ambassador Lan stated that one of the reasons ROC (Taiwan) established the Bursary Scholarship Program in SVG is to provide opportunities for all Vincentians.
The Hon Curtis King, Minister of Education, stated that the friendship between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and stated that investing in education is crucial and important for national growth, using Taiwan as an example.
Minister King stated that Taiwan has constantly invested in education and training of their people and has reaped the advantages; they have done so well that they are in a position to share their expertise with other nations.
“We in poor nations must mimic countries that invest considerably in education so that we, too, can place ourselves in a position to gain the kind of riches that will eventually allow us to share,” King added. Minister King praised the Republic of China (Taiwan) for their assistance over the previous 25 years through the Bursary Scholarship programme.
A total of 524 Bursary Scholarships were awarded to students for the academic year 2022. The scholarships, worth a total of EC$320,000, will help students with school materials, food, and transportation.
Since its inception in 1998, the Bursary Program has assisted over eleven thousand five hundred (11,500) Vincentian students.
