Trio get scholarships to study as interns in Japan

By JOY OLALI
THREE final-year computer science students from the University of Technology (Unitech) have been awarded scholarships to do an international exchange internship programme in Japan.
Christopher Antipas and Adrianna Marpena will be studying at the Nara Institute of Science and Technology in Japan for a month and Paul Paten will remain in Unitech to do his internship online.
Math and computer science department lecturer Sankwi Abuzo said this internship is a first-of-its-kind programme that the Nara Institute of Science and Technology in Japan is offering.
“For this programme our students will do practical and theoretical research work and at the same time demonstrate work ethics,” Abuzo said.
“We encouraged students to apply for it and the three students who did, got accepted.”
The internship programme is under the Japan Student Services Organisation (Jasso) which provides scholarships to overseas students and implements international exchange programmes.
Abuzo said the Jasso scholarship will cover fees for two of their students while the university and the math and computer science department also committed K25,000 for travel arrangements to and from Japan for the two students and tuition for the third student.
Student intern Christopher Antipas said there has not been enough opportunities for international exchange programmes for students in the Pacific.
“It is a privilege to be a recipient of this internship program and to be the first three students to represent Papua New Guinea,” Antipas said.
Student intern Adrianna Marpena said the programme is from June 8 to July 15.