APIA: 25 Jan 2010: The New Zealand High Commissioner, Her Excellency Caroline Bilkey, hosted an afternoon tea last week to farewell 15 Samoan students who have been awarded New Zealand Development Scholarships to study at universities in New Zealand.
The successful students will undertake courses varying from 3 to 5 years in duration at Waikato, Victoria, Otago and Canterbury Universities.
Every year the New Zealand Government through the NZAID programme offers 15 New Zealand Development Scholarships for undergraduate study in New Zealand to the National University of Samoa Foundation Programme.
This is in addition to the 10 scholarships offered in the open category and the 20 offered for study in the Region
(at the University of the South Pacific, and other regional training institutions).
This year, the New Zealand Government has awarded 5 scholarships to students from the Faculty of Science, 4
to the Faculty of Commerce, and 6 scholarships to the Faculty of Arts. The scholarship awardees are:
Science Faculty: Rowena Peters; Nixon Pupi; Diandra Tauauvea; Meatusi Maria Leung Wai; Mosiah
Marumatakimanu. Commerce Faculty: Athena Matalavea; James Neemia; Olive Leilua; Marilyn Bourne
Arts Faculty: Tuitapuono Samantha Milford; Marissa Toomata; Dominic Sofe; Leslie Lagi Tuaniu; Maxine Hunter; Leata Faitua
Her Excellency congratulated the recipients for their hard work in achieving the high marks necessary to be
awarded the scholarships to New Zealand. She also reiterated to the students that “The purpose of these
scholarships is to provide you with the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge so that you can contribute
to Samoa’s development on your return” She encouraged the students to work hard, to be a credit to their
families and wished them all the best for their studies in New Zealand.