ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday gave scholarships to 31 Ethiopians, which will allow them to pursue higher education in China.
Speaking on the certificate handing over ceremony on the premises of the Chinese embassy, Ethiopia's State Minister of Science and Higher Education, Samuel Kifle, said that Ethiopia and China have longstanding and historical relations.
"Indeed this relation is being manifested in different forms of cooperation and now at its highest level ever. And this has gained the highest momentum since the recent reforms that our country is embarking on," the state minister has said.
"China has really been a wonderful and helpful bilateral cooperation partner for us, especially in the field of human capacity development. China has been supporting our human resource development efforts by providing short and long term training opportunities for the past many years," he said.
The state minister also said that about 600 Ethiopians are pursuing their higher studies, at masters and PhD levels in China.
Samuel reiterated that the scholarship offered by the Chinese government plays an important role in further strengthening Ethio-China bilateral relations and boosting ties between the peoples of the two countries.
Handing over the scholarship certificates to the recipients, Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia, Tan Jian, expressed China's commitment to continue supporting Ethiopia's endeavor in human capital development.
"To me the bond between our two peoples is the very base of our relations...more and more Chinese know about Ethiopia and likewise more and more Ethiopians know about China," the ambassador said.
Worku Belayneh is one of the scholarship recipients. He comes from Wollo University, and will go to the Northeast Forestry University in China, to pursue PhD studies in forestry.
Speaking to Xinhua on the occasion, Worku said that the scholarship opportunity in forestry will help him acquire the knowledge and share China's rich experience in the area.
"The Chinese government has a better experience in this aspect, forestry, particularly in building green cities, and it is very important to adapt to climate change and mitigate climate change. The Chinese government has a better experience in bamboo.
"So, it is very important to get this experience and to practice it in Ethiopia. It is very important to contribute to the current efforts of increasing forest coverage in Ethiopia and to the country's development as well," he said.
