20 set for Malaysia

 A GROUP of 20 students from Central have been offered scholarships to study at the Seri Stamford College in Malaysia.

They were picked for the Ilimo Township Development Scholarship programme jointly funded by Governor Kila Haoda through the provincial government and Malaysian companies Iris Niugini and Jayacorp Ltd.

The companies have interest in the development of Ilimo township outside the National Capital District.

The 20 were chosen from more than 500 applicants, according to Central provincial administrator Gei Guni Raga. Raga said the programme was an investment by the provincial government to develop human resources.

He urged the students to make good use of the opportunity and to return with degrees.

Haoda urged them to be good ambassadors and not be like some students who spoiled PNG’s name when sent for overseas studies.

Haoda said it was a 10-year initiative under an agreement signed with the developers of the Ilimo satellite township. 

Twenty students from Central will be sent every year in the next 10 years to Malaysia to study in return for the leasing of a certain portion of Ilimo farm, situated outside Port Moresby, to be developed into a satellite town.

Dato Vincent Leong from Seri Stamford College where the students will be studying said the college was affiliated with universities in the United Kingdom, USA and Australia.

Courses offered range from information technology to business, allowing students to receive degrees.