Athens, Ga. -The University of Georgia is the recipient of five scholarship awards for study in China.Two full-academic year scholarships have been awarded to UGA by the Chinese Consulate General in Houston and the Chinese Ministry of Education, and three scholarships for summer study at Fudan University have been awarded to the UGA Carl Vinson Institute for Government.
This is the second year that UGA has received awards from the consulate and the ministry of education. “The scholarships are the most prestigious awards offered to U.S. institutions by the Chinese Scholarship Council and are designed to promote study of Chinese language and culture, as well as to strengthen educational exchange and cooperation between the U.S. and China,” said Wei Liqing, consul for education of the Chinese Consulate.
The three scholarships for the CVIOG, came as a result of the institute’s partnership with the Shanghai Administrative Institute and Fudan University.
“It is especially fitting for the Vinson Institute to support three scholarships in the Shanghai Municipal Scholarship Summer School, Fudan Program,” said Steve Wrigley, UGA interim vice president for public service and outreach and vice president for government relations.”Over the last eleven years, our partnership has resulted in training for hundreds of Shanghai officials, academic opportunities for Fudan students and faculty, and cultural exchanges for UGA faculty and Georgia public officials. These scholarships build on that partnership and contribute to a greater global understanding among all those involved.”
Since its beginnings in 1999 through a partnership with Shanghai Administrative Institute and, subsequently, Fudan University, the CVIOG’s China Public Management Training Program has helped more than 1,200 municipal and provincial officials from seven provinces obtain the public administration knowledge and skills needed to build governments that are more efficient and responsive to citizens.
Kavita Pandit, associate provost for international education, noted that these awards to UGA students are particularly significant in the context of President Obama’s “100,000 Strong” initiative to dramatically increase the number and diversity of students studying in China.
“These scholarships will help increase our already strong engagement in China in terms of study abroad, research, and public service and outreach collaborations,” said Pandit.”We are pleased that this has been recognized by the Chinese Consulate in Houston and the Shanghai Administrative Institute and grateful for their support.”
Guidelines for applying for these scholarships are available on the Office of International Education website at http://www.uga.edu/oie/sa_scholarship_china.htm.