BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – The Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. the Honorable Timothy Harris, has extended his best wishes to the seventeen (17) nationals who were on Wednesday, September 29 awarded scholarships to pursue tertiary level education at universities in the Republic of China (Taiwan).
The seventeen recipients – eleven of whom were awarded the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) scholarship and six receiving the International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) scholarships – were presented with their awards during a brief ceremony held at Marshall’s Restaurant in Frigate Bay.
In commending the recipients, Prime Minister Harris expressed his hope that more students from St. Kitts and Nevis will see the value in higher education and seize similar opportunities in the future.
“Last year we were here, this year we are here again and next year hopefully God’s willing we will be here again indicating that more and more of our people are wanting to do what they must to upgrade themselves, learn more and want a quality education. I could think of no country better able to provide a quality education for you of the type that you will receive in the Republic of China (Taiwan),” the prime minister said.
Prime Minister Harris then told the scholarship awardees that they have been presented with a unique opportunity to advance themselves. He therefore urged them to do their very best in their future studies so that they can return and add to the overall development of St. Kitts and Nevis.
PM Timothy Harris and a scholarship recipient.
“Ask yourselves why you going off to study? What it is you want to do with this education? What it is you have determined that you will travel thousands of miles to Taiwan to pursue a particular degree? I believe that if you start with an honest interrogation of self to find the answer to that, at the end of it you will come back to be much more productive and better suited to advance the national development,” Dr. Harris said.
Of the 17 students, fifteen will be pursuing their bachelor’s degree while two of them will be going for their Doctorate degree in various fields of study including Electrical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, International Health, Global Health and Health Security, Life Science, International Business, Mass Communication, Hospitality and Film studies.
Wednesday’s ceremony was attended by a number of dignitaries including Minister of Education, the Honorable Jonel Powell; Cabinet Secretary, Mrs. Josephine Huggins; His Excellency Michael Lin, Resident Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis; Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Kaye Bass, senior education officials and parents and guardians of the successful recipients.
