New Zealand inviting Cebuano scholars

CEBU, Philippines - The New Zealand government is inviting Cebuanos to apply for a scholarship to New Zealand next year.

During a press conference at Marriott Hotel yesterday, Reina Lino, New Zealand-ASEAN Scholars (NZAS) awards-Philippines administrations, said their group came here to specifically invite interested Cebuanos as they have no scholar from Cebu this year.

Started in 2004, NZAS is a post-graduate scholarship program funded by the New Zealand government through the New Zealand Aid Program. Under the NZAS awards, 18 eligible Filipinos will be picked as scholars who can then pursue post-graduate development-related degrees like public sector management, trade, development, disaster risk management and climate change adaptation.

In a press statement, Reuben Levermore, New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines, said that NZAS is an opportunity for his country to share their expertise with Filipinos.

“Through our scholarships program, we seek to match these areas of expertise with the development needs of the Philippines. New Zealand, while a small country, is globally recognized in areas such as agriculture, tourism, governance and renewable energy. We hope that Filipino scholarship winners will expand their knowledge and skills in a way which can be applied in the Philippines,” he said.

Lino said most of their alumni went back to the Philippines after finishing their studies to further their respective careers, only less than 10 percent of them stay in New Zealand to work.

Among other requirements, applicants must be a Filipino citizen and not be more than 40 years old at the scholarship start date.

The scholarships are open to eligible candidates from the public, private, and civil society sectors.  Lino said interested individuals may contact her at [email protected] for further details.  Deadline for applications is on July 15, 2013.   (FREEMAN)