NZ Ambassador to Thailand launches new scholarship programme
For nearly 15 years New Zealand has been the key donor at the Mekong Institute, based at Thailand’s Khon Kaen University. The Institute provides advanced training to students from the greater Mekong sub-region.
Now New Zealand’s strong support for the Mekong Institute has been supplemented with 12 new Mekong Institute–New Zealand Ambassador’s scholarships for students from Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia and Myanmar. The Instititute's new programme is designed to support students undertaking Masters degrees by developing their research skills through structured courses.
Earlier this month New Zealand’s Ambassador to Thailand, Bede Corry, hosted the inaugural 12 scholarship-holders at the New Zealand Embassy in Bangkok. There the students enjoyed afternoon tea, received their letters of congratulations, and posed for a commemorative photo.
Each student talked about their proposed research and the diverse range of topics discussed resonated with key themes of relevance to their regions, for example, economic integration, community access to resources, and tourism management.
Ambassador Corry, who spent the afternoon with the new scholarship students at the Embassy, said, “We were humbled by the students’ gratitude and the evident seriousness with which they are approaching their studies”.
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