Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces 172 Asia scholarship winners

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announces 172 Asia scholarship winners
Photo credit: Newshub.

The Prime Minister today announced the 172 recipients of the Prime Minister's Scholarships for Asia (PMSA).

The awards help to fund trips to Asia for recent graduates or people in tertiary study to research, study and conduct internships.

Previous recipients of the scholarships have travelled to destinations such as China, India, Vietnam and Japan.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern made the announcement in Singapore, where she met with current PMSA students.

She said the scholarships helped to strengthen ties between New Zealand and Asia.

"On-going relationships and new business opportunities are two things we are seeing result from the programme," she said.

49 individuals and 17 groups won this year, their plans for the money vast and varied.

One recipient plans to study a Masters in Management at the National University of Singapore, one will complete six-months of Mandarin Chinese study in Taiwan, and one of the groups will study sustainable and ethical fashion design in India.

Ms Ardern said the government prioritises equipping "young New Zealanders with the skills to be global citizens, including language skills and cultural competence".

Almost $1.5 million was awarded in this round of scholarships.

Newshub.