Talented young Kiwis awarded PM’s Scholarships to Asia and Latin America

  • Hon Chris Hipkins
Education

More than 250 young New Zealanders will add international experience to their education, thanks to the latest Prime Minister's Scholarships for Asia(PMSA) and Latin America (PMSLA), Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced today.

This round of scholarships supports 252 recent graduates or current students to undertake study, research or internships at institutions in Latin America and Asia, including Brazil, Mexico, China, India and Japan.

Awardees are in a range of fields including languages, law, business, health, sustainability and the arts. They will attend for periods ranging from four weeks to one year.

The scholarships enable a wide range of educational experiences, including: a cultural exchange and internship programme for Māori and Pasifika graduates in Vietnam; a global business and innovation programme at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in Shenzhen, China, for a group of undergraduate business students; an internship with an Indian charity supporting street children and another with the United Nations Office for Sustainable Development in Korea. 

‘’These scholarships enable talented young New Zealanders to enrich their education offshore, adding international experience and global perspectives to their qualifications,’’ Chris Hipkins said.

“The quality of the awardees, from all over New Zealand and from a wide range of tertiary institutions, is impressive. I am sure they will serve as excellent ambassadors for our country.

‘’Longer term, the international networks and cross-cultural skills that they bring back home will enhance and strengthen our future workforce. Their experiences benefit New Zealand at a national level and improve our ability to engage and connect with Asia and Latin America.

‘’The Prime Minister’s Scholarships support the Government’s goal of a thriving and globally connected New Zealand through world-class international education,” Chris Hipkins said.

Of the successful applicants in this round, 114 will travel on an individual scholarship and 138 will travel as part of a group. They come from a range of tertiary institutions nationwide, including the University of Auckland (69 awardees); Victoria University of Wellington (41); Massey University (40); Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design (16) and the Southern Institute of Technology (nine). There are also 10 recipients from the education NGO, TupuToa.

Here is the full list of PMSA and PMSLA recipients from this round (2019-2020 Round One).

The total value of the scholarships offered in this round is $1.9m. Information on past PMSA and PMSLA recipients can be found here.