ISLAMABAD: Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan, Sun Weidong here on Thursday inaugurated the Chinese Ambassador Scholarship program for undergraduate and MPhil students at the School of Politics and International Relations (SPIR), Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU).

In this connection, an agreement was signed by the ambassador Sun and QAU Vice Chancellor Dr Javed Ashraf. The ambassador also handed over a cheque of dollar 29,500 to the University for implementing the program.

Speaking on the occasion, the Ambassador said the scholarship was the "first of its kind" offered by the Chinese Embassy to students of a public sector University in Pakistan. In an academic year, each of the ten selected students enrolled in the under-graduate and MPhil degree programs will receive an amount of Rs 150,000 on need and merit basis.

The Scholarship was established with the aim to help the University's students overcoming their financial difficulties to undertake their future study and promote academic activity under the Pakistan-China friendship program. It also meant to encourage talented students, enabling them to play their role in the country's socio-economic development.

Eulogizing the growing Sino-Pak socio-economic partnership, the Chinese ambassador said that the two countries are like iron brothers, who always trusted and supported each other. This friendship is deeply rooted in the hearts of their people.

Referring to China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said, it elevated their friendship to a new height. "This friendship has entered into a new stage of ground development in the form of CPEC under which 17 major projects have been started across the country.

These projects would bring a major change in socio economic development of Pakistan, offering enormous employment opportunities, fulfilling the dreams of the skilled youth," he added.

Dr Ashraf thanked the ambassador for selecting Quaid-i-Azam University, initiating the ambassador scholarship program. Dean Faculty of Social Sciences.-INP