Kota Kinabalu: Twenty students from Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) received the China Ambassador Scholarship 2026 during the 6th Chinese Bridge and China Ambassador Scholarship Award Ceremony held recently.
The scholarships were presented by Zhao Changtao on behalf of the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Malaysia, Ouyang Yujing.
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The scholarship serves as a recognition of the students’ academic excellence, leadership qualities and potential in strengthening the friendship between Malaysia and China.
According to Ouyang, the establishment of the China Ambassador Scholarship at UMS reflects the growing educational cooperation between the two countries while serving as an important platform to expand cultural exchanges and people-to-people relations.
“The scholarship aims to encourage outstanding Malaysian students to continue excelling academically and in character development, while nurturing professional competencies and a global vision.
“The Chinese Bridge programme also plays an important role in strengthening understanding between the younger generations of Malaysia and China through language mastery and cultural exchange,” he said.
His speech text was delivered by Zhao during the ceremony held at the Council Gallery, Chancellery Building, UMS.
Meanwhile, UMS Vice-Chancellor Professor Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor said the ceremony was not only a celebration of academic excellence, but also symbolised the strong bilateral ties between Malaysia and the People’s Republic of China.
“Collaboration between UMS and the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia continues to open wider opportunities for students in academic development, internationalisation and cross-cultural engagement.
“The success of these scholarship recipients demonstrates their commitment and dedication towards achieving excellence, while positioning them as a generation capable of strengthening Malaysia-China relations in the future,” he said.
His speech text was delivered by Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International), Professor Datuk Dr Rossita Shapawi.
Among the scholarship recipients were Gayvin Rodell Lawkan and Tasha Latabu from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities; Lim Yong Tuck and Phang Xin Yen from the Faculty of Science and Technology; as well as Vanessa Eve Balton from the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Also receiving the scholarship were Sia Hoe Jia, Mohd Hafiz Aftab Jimmy, Irene Caroline Ipal and Salina Ibrahim from the Faculty of Business, Economics and Accountancy.
Marlene Lai Meijyn, Teoh Kai En, Liana Syafiera Lai Chiu Hiung and Maniemalar Moneyual from the Faculty of Computing and Informatics were also among the recipients.
The Labuan Faculty of International Finance contributed five recipients, namely Putri Noratiqah Syakirah Awang Said, Samantha Sia Wan Ling, Thanusha Ganesh, Tamilarasi Selvaraju and Amira Nurfarzanah Mohd Firdaus Hafiz Chan.
The remaining two recipients were Dwell Thomes and Rayner Chia Sin Rong from the Faculty of Engineering.
The ceremony was further enlivened by the 6th Chinese Bridge Competition, which gathered talented participants in Mandarin language proficiency and Chinese cultural understanding, further strengthening educational ties and cultural exchanges between Malaysia and China.
