A total of 158 students from various departments at the University of Sargodha (UoS) received scholarships worth PKR 1.784 million under the Chinese Ambassador Scholarship Programme.

The scholarship award ceremony was organised by the Pakistan Institute of China Studies (PICS) at UoS, in collaboration with the Student Financial Aid Office, the Directorate of Academics and the Confucius Institute (CI) Gwadar Pro reported on Tuesday.

The awards were distributed on the basis of merit and financial need, reflecting the programme’s commitment to promoting academic excellence and access to education.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Qaisar Abbas said the scholarship programme demonstrated the shared commitment of Pakistan and China to “promoting academic excellence, educational equity, and youth empowerment”.

“Education serves as a powerful bridge between nations and plays a vital role in fostering mutual understanding, innovation, and sustainable development,” he said.

Prof. Dr. Tahir Mumtaz Awan, Director of PICS and Host Director of the Confucius Institute at the university, highlighted the role of educational cooperation in strengthening Pakistan-China relations.

“These efforts have significantly contributed to fostering greater mutual understanding and strengthening institutional as well as people-to-people linkages between the two countries,” Dr. Awan said.

Awan announced that approximately PKR 7 million in funding had already been secured from the Chinese Embassy and the Consulate General of China in Lahore for the next scholarship cohort.

Students who received scholarship certificates and awards welcomed the financial assistance, saying the programme would help ease educational expenses and motivate them to continue striving for academic excellence.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China