New Zealand Scholarships Awardees Graduate from their English Language Training
By I’mACE Team

Congratulations to the ten New Zealand Scholarships awardees on completing their nine month New Zealand in-country English language training course at the Australian Centre for Education (ACE). New Zealand Scholarships are funded through the New Zealand Aid Program and administered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). The New Zealand in-country English language training course aims to prepare awardees for postgraduate study at a New Zealand institution. Certificates were presented by Ashley Irving and Dr Alastair Ker, both of whom also gave speeches, some excerpts from which are below. The certificates are recognised by MFAT, Accent Learning and ACE.

“Congratulations! What you have achieved so far is quite extraordinary. The moment you applied to go to New Zealand and undertake the pre-departure course represents the start of your journey to New Zealand. There will be a different culture and temperature, and you’ll be spending time with some of the warmest people in the world. Upon their return from New Zealand, awardees are very well-rounded, not just academically but as people. They are smarter, more confident and more mature. In terms of the workplace, they are infinitely more capable than when they leave Cambodia. The differences are quite remarkable. They leave as young people and come back as adults.”

- Ashley Irving, ACE Principal

“Today is a day of individual achievement, but in fact, each of you has a team of up to 100 people who have helped you get to where you are today. Isn’t that right? I guess it starts with your families and friends, but also your teachers and classmates. There are also people who you don’t know, people working behind the scenes both here and in New Zealand. MFAT has a scholarships team and they are all working together to make it possible for you to study in New Zealand.

The challenges that you face to get to New Zealand are considerable. You have been prepared really well by dedicated teachers, and you should be confident in facing these challenges, because you have the skills you need to be successful. You have the skills you need, but you are going to be applying them to new situations. Try to look ahead, try to anticipate. Do your homework before the due date, but also keep asking questions and asking for help when you need it. Don’t think of yourself as an isolated individual who is trying to achieve this on your own. New Zealanders are going to help and support you and wish you well.

Finally, you are going to come back from New Zealand to your own country, where your experience of working together and supporting each other is really going to come into play. You’ll come back as citizens of Cambodia, but also of the world. MFAT has identified you as people prepared and dedicated to work for the betterment of your country, and that, of course, can only happen collaboratively.

As you would have noticed, this world desperately needs people like you who work together across countries, across borders, to help get the world back on track environmentally, politically and in many other ways. We face a lot of issues as a global population, now more than at any other time in our history. You will be uniquely placed to play that role.”

- Dr Alastair Ker, ASEAN Programs Academic Director, Accent Learning

The ceremony ended with a group photo session and one last friendly chat.

To learn more about New Zealand Scholarships go to: https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/aid-and-development/new-zealand-government-scholarships/

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