Over 300 Ethiopian students win Chinese government scholarships, vowing to advance bilateral relationship

ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- More than 300 Ethiopian university students have won scholarships provided by the Chinese government to help them pursue graduate and post-graduate studies across different academic fields in major Chinese universities.

A special farewell and training event was held Thursday at the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia for Ethiopian students in the presence of Ethiopian government officials, Chinese diplomats in Ethiopia, and the families of scholarship recipients.

This year, more than 300 Ethiopian students were admitted into universities across China through the Chinese Government Scholarship scheme and the MOFCOM Scholarship scheme. The students are expected to depart for China late this month, according to the Chinese embassy.

Idossa Terfassa, head of the Scholarship and Internationalization Desk of the Ethiopian Ministry of Education, underscored the crucial importance of the growing scholarships provided by China as part of the two countries' broader partnership in capacity building.

"With the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation serving as a setting for engagement in areas related to economic, diplomatic, and social agendas, supporting Ethiopia's human resource development through experience sharing and short and long-term training is one focus area in the bilateral agreement of the two countries," he said.

Terfassa noted that Chinese scholarships are playing a vital role as a critical enabler in driving socioeconomic development and advancing technology in the East African country. He urged the students to serve as ambassadors of their country, to be open to adapting to the Chinese culture, and to contribute to strengthening the Sino-Ethiopian bilateral ties.

"You carry with you a responsibility to uphold the values of excellence, integrity, and service to others. Use your education not only to better your own life but also to contribute positively to your community and the society at large," he told the students.

Shen Qinmin, minister counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia, called on the departing Ethiopian students to excel in their education and make meaningful contributions to their country's future development endeavors. He encouraged them to apply their full potential and the knowledge they will garner from their studies in China to positively contribute to expanding the direct Sino-Ethiopian people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Gedifew Sewenet, one of this year's scholarship recipients, pledged the strong commitment of the new batch of scholarship winners to strive for more knowledge and skills during their academic stay in China.

"As prospective students, this scholarship is a great and prestigious award for us in order to pursue our dream of advanced higher education and, thereby, changing our country, Ethiopia," Sewenet said.

Melak Mesfin, a former Chinese government scholarship recipient, commended the Chinese government for the continuous scholarship opportunities benefiting aspiring Ethiopian students, eventually enabling them to contribute to their country's development aspirations.

"There are ample opportunities (in China). We need to learn there and bring results to our country for future development. We should also be a part of the connecting bridge in culture, language, and different aspects," Mesfin told the departing Ethiopian students.