BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THREE of the nation’s top scholars began their pursuit of university education yesterday (Aug. 13) thanks to major scholarship funding by the Republic of China on Taiwan.
Under the patronage of the Embassy’s resident Ambassador, His Excellency Rong Chuan Wu, the three scholarship recipients and their families were treated with an Asian luncheon at Formosa Garden Restaurant. The students received the opportunity to engage Ambassador Wu and former scholarship recipients as they prepared for departure at the end of this week.
This year, the International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) Scholarship went to Kishma Cranstoun of St. Kitts, who will study Healthcare Administration at Taipei Medical University.
From Nevis, Keever Challenger received the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Scholarship to pursue an undergraduate degree at Ming Chuan University in the field of International Trade and Management, and Rhonda Thompson was granted the ICDF Scholarship to go to Cheng Chi University for her undergraduate studies in Business Administration.
During the lunch meeting, the three students were presented with their official certificates, the final piece of documentation that would prepare them for their leave.
Speaking to SKNVibes, Ambassador Wu openly expressed his pleasure with his Embassy being able to assist the nation’s youth in attaining a tertiary-level education. He said that this year the Embassy selected fields that are “tremendously important” to the country and would therefore allow the recipients to contribute meaningfully to national development.
“We wanted to introduce our education system to the youth of St. Kitts-Nevis so that when they come back, they can contribute to their communities. This is strengthening the bond between our two countries because we believe that although this bond is intangible, it is very important that we connect our countries through scholarships and training,” Wu stressed.
The Ambassador noted that while the Embassy has been, in recent times, focussing on studies in agriculture, there is a need to widen the scope of degree opportunities available.
