A total of 20 students from Samoa were awarded scholarship opportunities to study in China commencing in September 2011. 13 of these students received awards under the Chinese scholarship scheme which is administered on an annual basis through the joint efforts of the Scholarships, Training and Bilateral Division at MFAT and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Samoa which falls under the bilateral assistance provided by the Chinese Government to developing countries such as Samoa. An additional 7 Samoan students were successful recipients for Chinese scholarships under the China/PIF regional awards.
A pre-departure briefing for all twenty students was conducted on the 18th August 2011 at the MFAT Conference room with the focus on travel arrangements, relevant scholarship policies and preparations for life and study in China. This was followed by a reception hosted by the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Samoa at the Chinese Embassy in Vailima. It was an evening full of appreciation for the Chinese culture, language, educational institutions and delicious Chinese cuisine. Both gatherings were attended by parents and scholarship awardees. Additionally, as part of the organizers‟ efforts to ensure that students were well equipped to tackle any obstacles or problems they may encounter while in China, graduates from similar Chinese scholarship awards and a few ongoing students were also invited to share their experiences and to provide important success hints and words of encouragement to the new students.

The Meeting is chaired by Hon. Le Mamea Ropati, Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries of Samoa taking over the chairmanship from Papua New Guinea.