NAIROBI, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Friday offered scholarships to 20 Kenyans studying at the University of Nairobi.
Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Liu Xianfa said the beneficiaries are from financially disadvantaged background and hence cannot afford to pay for their fees and upkeep at the tertiary institution.
"The Chinese scholarships are aimed at helping young Kenyans pursue their dreams in order to uplift their lives and that of society," Liu said at the ceremony of awarding Chinese Ambassador Scholarship.
The scholarships program, which began in 2013, has benefited more than 98 students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Liu noted that the scholarships will encourage students to achieve better results in their studies.
The envoy noted that the Chinese embassy in Nairobi will continue to offer strong support to educational institutions of Kenya as part of the Sino-Kenya cooperation.
Liu noted that the University of Nairobi is the pioneer institution of higher education in Kenya and Eastern Africa.
He added that in recent years, the university has made notable progress in academic innovation and international cooperation.
"The university has been in close cooperation with its Chinese partners. The university's Confucius Institute, which was the first one in Africa, was awarded the title of Global Model Confucius Institute for its outstanding contributions to language teaching and cultural exchanges with the support of the University of Nairobi," he said.
Peter Mbithi, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, said Chinese scholarships will help students with limited financial resources complete their studies uninterrupted.
Mbithi noted that the financial aid from China will help his institution achieve its goals of educating more students from needy background.
