Feature: China-sponsored scholarships benefit Afghan college students

KABUL, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Feeling happy and dreaming of becoming a mathematician in the future, Mohammad Sabir Hakimi thanked China for awarding scholarships to him and his fellows and believed that the award could raise them up.

"I am happy and excited about receiving the scholarship from China. The award definitely boosts the students' morale to study hard and become talents in the future," Hakimi told Xinhua recently after receiving the "Chinese Ambassador Scholarship" at an awarding ceremony held at Kabul University in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.

Hakimi said China's support to the education field in Afghanistan would further boost Sino-Afghan friendly relations.

"Of course, 100 percent, providing scholarships to the students of Kabul University would further get closer relations between Afghanistan and China," Hakimi asserted.

During the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Zhao Xing awarded scholarships to 60 students of Kabul University, paving the way for the students to continue higher education in different universities in China.

The ambassador said in a speech that China attaches great importance to China-Afghanistan cooperation in education and is committed to promoting continuous development of people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Another student who received the scholarship also opined that China's cooperation with Afghanistan in the educational sphere would enhance friendly relations between the two neighboring nations.

Such a program is vital and could further enhance Afghanistan-China relations, Edris Shah told Xinhua.

"No doubt, having scholarships would encourage us to study hard," Shah said.

Shah, who graduated from the graphic design department of Kabul University, added that awarding scholarships to Afghan students and facilitating them to study in China could also strengthen people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

"I am excited and thanking China and the Chinese people for extending cooperation to the people of Afghanistan in different sectors," Shah said.

Appreciating China for providing scholarships to Afghan students, Chancellor of Kabul University Usama Aziz said the assistance in the education field was very important in rebuilding the war-torn country.

"The cooperation of China in the field of education to boost higher education is significant and we appreciate it, particularly with Kabul University," Aziz said at the awarding ceremony.

Currently, more than 1,000 Afghan students are studying in China, and nearly 200 Afghan students are studying at the Confucius Institute at Kabul University.