The recipients of the Chinese scholarships pose for a photo with Bahamian and Chinese officials following an award ceremony held at the Harry C. Moore Library Auditorium on Monday, August 19. Pictured in the front row left to right: Dr. Earla Carey-Baines, (Executive V.P. of Academic Affairs, COB); Mrs. Marjorie Brookes-Jones, (Professor, COB); His Excellency Hu Shan (Chinese Ambassador to The Bahamas); Hon. Frederick Mitchell (Minister of Foreign Affairs);Dr. Betsy-Vogel-Boz (President, COB); Professor Zhang Lijuan and Professor Zhou Youhua (Confucius Institute. Pictured left to right in the second row: Mr. Haldane Chase (Director, Confucius Institute, COB); and students: Zahnae Brown, Dwayne Pearce, Courtney Miller, Maxine Forbes, Alistair Stevenson, Kuran Hanna, Janice Taylor, Sasha Farah, Siddina Henfield and Marissa Russell. (BIS Photo/Kristaan Ingraham).

Nassau, The Bahamas – The Government of the People’s Republic of China has awarded 13 Bahamians with scholarships to pursue higher education. Eight of those persons will travel to China this fall to pursue Bachelor and Master’s degrees in a cross-section of disciplines including Accounting, Engineering, Economics and Ceramic Art. The remaining five students will pursue studies in the Mandarin language at the Confucius Institute at the College of The Bahamas.

During the award ceremony, which was held at the Harry C. Moore Library Auditorium on Monday, August 19, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Frederick A. Mitchell, said that he was pleased that these scholarships had been awarded to deserving Bahamians.

“It is my pleasure to join you this morning in recognising 13 young Bahamians who have been awarded scholarships by the Government of the People’s Republic of China to pursue various programmes of study in China,” said Mr. Mitchell. “These people are trailblazers, choosing as they have, a path less followed, but one that nonetheless demands recognition and praise as they venture into a land and a language vastly different from their own.”

Chinese Ambassador to The Bahamas, His Excellency Hu Shan encouraged the students to take full advantage of this opportunity. “ I wish you to take advantage of your experience in China and upon successful completion, you can also serve as cultural ambassadors for China to further foster friendship and mutual understanding between these two countries.”

The students who will study in China will travel to China in a few weeks to commence their studies and those studying at the Confucius Institute will commence their programme during the fall semester at the College of The Bahamas.