7 July 2000

SPEECH BY MR PETER CHEN, SENIOR MINISTER OF STATE FOR EDUCATION, AT THE JAPAN AIRLINES PRESENTATION OF SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS FOR THE 2000 SUMMER COURSE SCHOLARSHIP IN JAPAN FOR ASIAN STUDIES
ON FRIDAY, 7TH JULY 2000 AT 7.30 P.M.
AT THE EAST INDIA ROOM, RAFFLES HOTEL

Mr K Oda, JAL Vice-President & Regional Manager

Members of the JAL Scholarships Organising Committee

Ladies and Gentlemen

It gives me great pleasure to be here this evening to congratulate Singapore's two scholarship winners who have been selected for the JAL Summer Scholarship Programme. This year's competition has been very keen. Out of 33 candidates, only two very outstanding ones have been selected. The occasion is particularly significant as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of this programme.

Since its launch in 1975, more than 1,057 tertiary students representing 11 countries in the Asia and Oceanic region have benefited from the programme. Among them are 118 from Singapore and some of you are here tonight. A former scholar, Nominated Member of Parliament Zulkifli Bin Baharudin, of the1982 batch, will join the two new scholars this year to represent Singapore at the Special Asia Forum in Tokyo. This is part of the special 25th anniversary celebrations, where former JAL scholars from participating countries who have become leaders in their fields will be invited back to take part in an exchange of experiences and knowledge across generations.

Another special programme will be the Asia & International Relations (AIR) FESTA 2000 in Hiroshima where JAL scholars can interact with Japanese university students through various educational and cultural activities.

The scholars will also have time for the usual course work, field trips, visits, sight-seeing and home stays with Japanese families. They will have the distinct pleasure of learning about each other's cultures and interests beyond territorial boundaries. They are indeed lucky to be in this batch of participants who represent a new generation of youth in this new world order - cosmopolitan and global in outlook, and filled with dynamism and a thirst for life-long learning.

We live in a rapidly changing world. We are now part of the Global Village. As we move into the new millennium, we are all the more aware of the importance of international understanding. We should recognise the interdependence between people and be committed to global co-operation.

I am therefore appreciative of the programme's continued efforts to nurture the mutual understanding among young people and to facilitate dialogue and co-operation in important issues.

The theme of this year's symposium, "Becoming a Global Citizen: Experience, Learning and Dialogue" will be a valuable contribution to the education of the global citizens of the future.

My sincere congratulations to all who have been responsible for the success of the programme. My special thanks also to Japan Air Lines for its support of the programme for the last 25 years.