PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Monday gave away admission letters to about 200 young professionals who would be leaving this month for China on a Chinese language learning scholarship programme.

“I hope you learn Chinese language and get good job opportunities in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor,” he said while speaking to the youth at a gathering here. Mr Khattak asked the youth to represent their country well in China.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa higher education department and Frontier Education Foundation are sponsoring the scholarship programme while Chinese universities are also facilitating the youth going to study Chinese language in Shanghai, Shandong and Harbin universities.

On the occasion, special secretary higher education Abdul Ghafoor said the scholarship programme was an outcome of one of the MoUs signed by the chief minister with the Chinese universities during the KP government’s road show in China a few months back.

About 100 youth would go to Shandong University, 60 to Harbin University and 40 would be learning Chinese in Shanghai University, he said, adding they would be leaving for China at the end of current month.

Mr Ghafoor said there were more programmes planned for the professionals. Those who would perform better during the course would be given an extension for about a year, he added.

Other MoUs also include programmes for the PhDs and research projects, he said, adding those who could not go abroad would be able to learn Chinese at various Chinese language learning centres being set up in Peshawar, Abbottabad and Swat. He said a Confucius Centre was also being set up in Peshawar to understand and learn about Chinese culture. The centre would be funded by the Chinese government, the official said.

Talking to Dawn, the youth selected for the scholarship programme, said Chinese language learning would give them an edge over others to get job opportunities in the Chinese firms working on various projects under the CPEC.

Mohammad Sadique, an engineer from Dir, said a Chinese company was working in his area and a local knowing Chinese was earning Rs70,000 per month in his own village.

Sohail Afazal, a telecom engineer, said he belonged to backward Lakki Marwat district, and had high hopes that learning Chinese would just be a means to get a good job opportunity in CPEC projects.

Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2017