UTAR was proud to welcome the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Malaysia His Excellency (H.E) Ambassador Ouyang Yujing, his wife Madam Song Xiaomei and distinguished guests from the Embassy of China to Malaysia to UTAR Kampar Campus for the China Ambassador Scholarship Award Presentation Ceremony on 17 February 2023.

The China Ambassador Scholarship recipients were 55 UTAR Foundation and undergraduate students consisting of Malays, Chinese, Indians and other races. A total of RM195,860 was disbursed by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Malaysia (Embassy of China to Malaysia) to the student recipients in recognition of their efforts and achievements in their studies.

Among the esteemed guests from the Embassy of China to Malaysia were Chinese Consul General in Penang Mr Zhou Youbin, Minister-Counselor Mr Lin Shiguang, Minister-Counselor Madam Ma Cuihong, First Secretary Mr Li Jie, First Secretary Mr Kang Kai, First Secretary Mr Zang Wenbo, First Secretary Mr Wang Jun, Third Secretary Mr Wang Yu, Attache Ms Zhang Tian and Attache Mr Guo Lei.

The esteemed guests were cordially welcomed by UTAR President Ir Prof Dato’ Dr Ewe Hong Tat and UTAR Education Foundation Board of Trustees Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Sak Cheng Lum. Also present were UTAR Hospital Board Chairman and UTAR Council Member Ir Academician Emeritus Prof Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Chuah Hean Teik, UTAR Hospital Board Member Dr Hew Fen Lee; UTAR Education Foundation Board of Trustees Members Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Lee Oi Hian, Datuk Lee Leck Cheng; UTAR Council Members Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Ong Ka Chuan, Datuk Lim Si Cheng, Mr Hew Fen Yee; UTAR Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong, Registrar Ms Loh Siaw Yien, UTAR Hospital T&CM Centre Director Assoc Prof Dr Te Kian Keong, parents, UTAR deans, UTAR faculty staff and students.

Visiting UTAR Kampar Campus for the first time, H.E Ambassador Ouyang Yujing said, “I am deeply impressed by UTAR’s natural beauty, the harmonious fusion of traditional and contemporary designs, and the diligent morale of the students. UTAR is an outstanding university in Malaysia, which has brought about tons of talented young professionals since getting established 20 years ago. UTAR has played a key role in promoting Chinese culture and Chinese language education. Moreover, UTAR has made remarkable achievements in strengthening educational cooperation and exchanges between China and Malaysia, contributing much to enhance cross-cultural learning between youths of both countries.”

He added, “The Chinese Ambassador Scholarship was first set up in 2016, and I am glad to see that it has benefited 259 UTAR students, to date. Education keeps up with the trend. More efforts have been made to enhance closer interactions and exchanges between young people of both countries. We will do our best to help young people enhance mutual understanding, develop a global perspective, aspire for creativity and innovation, and be committed to contributing wisdom and strength to the development of both their motherlands and mankind. And this is also the main purpose for the Chinese Embassy to establish the Chinese Ambassador Scholarship. I hope the scholarship recipients will study hard and make great achievements in their careers, and carry on and add to the centuries-long China-Malaysia friendship.”

Delighted and grateful for the great support from the Embassy of China to Malaysia, Prof Dato’ Ewe said, “My sincere gratitude to the Embassy of China to Malaysia for providing the China Ambassador Scholarship to UTAR students. Most importantly, we are honoured to have His Excellency Ambassador Ouyang Yujing today to personally meet the recipients and award them with the certificate. Since 2016, over 200 UTAR students have benefited from the scholarships provided by the Embassy, which amounted to RM750,615. And today, we have another 55 students receiving the scholarship. Congratulations to all the recipients.”

He encouraged the recipients and said, “There is a saying that goes, ‘Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow, belongs to those who prepare for it today.’ Having a tertiary education will open doors to many more opportunities. Therefore, I hope that by receiving this scholarship, you can stay focused on getting good grades and doing your best in your tertiary studies. I hope you will have more motivation to perform better and continue to be diligent and hardworking in your studies, and also contribute to the society and nation in the future.”

Besides that, Prof Dato’ Ewe also shared a brief introduction about UTAR; the international collaborations of UTAR, student exchange programmes between UTAR and institutions from China, and research and initiatives related to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Traditional Chinese Medicine. He mentioned, “With the pandemic situation becoming better, I would like to encourage all the students, who are here today, to take your time to join our student exchange programmes or study tours to China to broaden your horizons. At the same time, we also welcome China students to UTAR.” Next, he shared about the UTAR Hospital as well as the operation of the T&CM Centre.

Bachelor of Accounting (Honours) student Kelly Lim said, “As one of the recipients, I am very honoured and grateful to receive the scholarship awarded by the Embassy of China. The scholarship will not only help subsidise my daily expenses, but also reduce my ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) examination fees. Therefore, it can effectively relieve me from my financial pressure and allow me to focus on my studies. For me, the scholarship is not purely a monetary and material reward, but also an affirmation and recognition of my effort on the path of learning. The scholarship gives me significant mental support as well as confidence and compels me to have higher expectations of myself. I will work hard to live up to your expectations.”

Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Environmental Engineering student A. Shadish Bhandari said, “I would like to express my utmost gratitude to His Excellency Ambassador Ouyang Yujing and the China Embassy in Malaysia for awarding me this scholarship. These are challenging times for students and I am appreciative of the assistance that has been given to us. Moving forward we will carry the spirit of cooperation between China and Malaysia in our hearts and work to promote mutual understanding and friendship between the two countries.”

Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Graphic Design and Multimedia student Raja Nurdeanna Shah binti Raja Rezman Shah said, “It is such a great honour to be chosen as the recipient of the China Ambassador Scholarship 2023. I believe the scholarship will help fund my education, lighten my financial burden and allow me to concentrate more on my studies. I am thrilled and grateful for being selected to receive this scholarship from the Embassy of China. I am currently in my final year with 13 credit hours left. I can now pursue my goals and make UTAR proud of my achievements. Thank you for believing in my aspirations. I am truly grateful for this wonderful support.”

The distinguished guests visited several places of attraction in Kampar Campus, such as Dewan Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and the Bronze Sculptures. They also visited the UTAR T&CM Centre at UTAR Hospital.