Manila, Philippines - New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines Reuben Levermore says agriculture is a major focus for the New Zealand aid program in the Philippines, and for the next round of the New Zealand-ASEAN Scholars (NZAS) awards.
“My country’s economy, much like the Philippines’, is heavily focused on agriculture,” states Levermore. “We have educational institutions that reflect this strength and want to make sure that Filipinos can take advantage of that.”
The Philippines is one of New Zealand’s largest markets for dairy products, and the Philippines is a major exporter of tropical fruit to New Zealand.
NZAS is a post-graduate scholarship program funded by the New Zealand government through the New Zealand aid program. Under the NZAS awards, eligible Filipino scholars can pursue post-graduate development-related degrees in areas where New Zealand has globally recognized expertise.
Aside from agriculture, other eligible fields of study include tourism, governance, public sector management, trade, development, disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and renewable energy.
The awards are open to eligible candidates from the public, private, and civil society sectors. An indicative allocation of 18 scholarships is made available to Filipinos who wish to study in New Zealand for the 2013 academic year.
Applications for the 2013 scholarships close on Aug.10, 2012. Further information, including eligibiity criteria and application forms, can be found at the New Zealand embassy website (www.nzembassy.com/philippines).
Interested applicants may also contact Reina P. Lino, NZAS program administrator of Bato Balani Foundation Inc., at e-mail address: bbfi@diwamail.com or at tel. no. (632) 8925462.