UNIZIK Students get Scholarship Awards

UNIZIK students (NAU, Awka), 48 of them, have benefited from scholarship awards for different courses on the bill of the Peoples Republic of China.

The scholarship awards have become a yearly gesture by China. They were handed over to the UNIZIK students by the Chinese ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Zhou Pingjian at the auditorium of the University in a colourful ceremony on Wednesday.

Speaking at the occasion, Pingjian said education remained the bedrock of China’s development. He felt that extending a helping hand to indigent students will go a long way to assist them actualize their dreams.

According to him, China budgets four percent of its Gross Domestic Product to education. It has made the literacy level of that country to jump from 80 percent at its formation in 1949 to three per cent presently.

Pingjian said: “Education is the key element in China’s development. In 1949 illiteracy level was 80%. Now, it is under three per cent. This is because we give priority to education. We respect teachers and value education”.

He added that the scholarship awards is part of commemoration of October which is a special month for both China and Nigeria which began their life that month and also the month of the birth of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Joseph Eberendu Ahaneku.

He described UNIZIK students as African champion when it comes to learning of Chinese language and culture through the Confucius Institute.

In his speech, Ahaneku said the Chinese ambassador gave scholarship awards to demonstrate that money cannot be a barrier to students acquiring education.

He commended the ambassador who he said is dear not just to Nigeria and Africa but to UNIZIK students. He recalled that last year, China rewarded a total of 47 UNIZIK students with scholarship awards and this year 48 students are beneficiaries.

Ahaneku noted that the scheme as a reminder of China’s relationship with UNIZIK. According to him, the population of Confucius Institute has grown so much that now a lot of UNIZIK students are trying to excel in the study of Chinese language and culture.

Posted: March 21, 2019, | Category: Local News
Source: Theindependentng