CHINESE universities are increasingly well respected and they rank favourably among the world’s best universities as the knowledge and experience gained in China is an increasingly valuable asset for employers.

This is according to Deputy Chief of the Embassy of China, Chen Xilai, during his remarks at a farewell for outgoing and returning Guyanese students who received scholarships to study in China.

The event was held at the Chinese Embassy, Mandela Avenue, Georgetown.
According to Chen Xilai, China is an increasingly popular destination for students from around the world, with the number of international students in China doubling in the past 10 years.

He explained that China is striving to build more world-class universities, and investing heavily in higher education.

Aside from China’s unique Chinese language, he said calligraphy, martial arts and other cultural subjects, Chinese degree programmes in majors such as engineering, science, medicine, economics and trade, MBA as well as finance are highly regarded.

As for those who do not know any Chinese, the Deputy Chief of the Embassy noted that many universities offer degree programmes taught in English so that persons can earn their degree in the language they are familiar with.

Permanent Secretary of the Department of Public Service, Karen Vansluytman-Corbin said China and Guyana have shared mutually beneficial and friendly relations which have grown over the years.

“Human capital can be increased by education and the Department of Public Service remains grateful for the training and development opportunities provided by the Chinese,” the permanent secretary said.

She continued: “We believe that training is the essence of transformation and is essential for the development of Guyana’s human capital… public servants are required to serve professionally at all levels, hence, training continues to be pivotal and necessary in order for [the]public to attain developmental objectives.”

Director of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Forbes July, said Guyana and China cooperation provides a broad scope for all aspects of development.

He advised the outgoing scholarship awardees to strive for excellence in their respective areas of study.

“At all-time be conscious of your role as ambassadors of Guyana,” he said while noting that the experiences and lessons learned will be useful in their personal and professional development.

He also urged the returning graduates to use their skills to develop Guyana.