China increases education sponsorship for Rwandan students

Nearly 200 Rwandan students offered scholarship to study in different Chinese universities are set to leave Kigali before the end of this month.

The students were selected to pursue various courses at undergraduate and post graduate levels in Civil Engineering, Finance, ICT, Agriculture, Medicine, Communication, International Relations, International Business and Marketing, among others, fully sponsored by the Chinese Government.

The sponsorship program has previously benefited about 150 Rwandan students annually. But this year the number was increased.

Speaking at a farewell dinner organized for the students at the Chinese Embassy in Kigali on Thursday, Counsellor Cao Zhimin congratulated the students for winning the scholarships.

Cao commended the students for having keen interest in China's language, technology, culture, and its people.

"I'm sure you need to spend a lot of time on campus learning your majors. But on the other hand, I encourage you to get into closer contact with the people off campus and learn about Chinese society first hand," he said.

The scholarships underscore China's commitment to supporting Rwanda's education.

Cao reaffirmed China's commitment to enhancing educational cooperation with Rwanda, owing to the significance of education in national and personal development.

"The educational exchange is important in promoting cooperation and understanding between our peoples. That's why the Chinese Government keeps providing more scholarships to Rwandan students to study in China annually," he said.

"All these open up a floodgate of opportunities and forge closer partnership in various fields," Cao said.

On his part, Celestin Ntivuguruzwa, the Permanent Secretary of Rwanda's Ministry of Education advised the students to learn from Chinese culture, study hard and come back to impact the Rwandan communities positively.