13 Mar 2016

The Ambassador of Japan to Botswana, Mr Masahiro Onishi has urged three Batswana students who are destined to study in Japan to use the opportunity for the benefit of Botswana .

Speaking at a dinner for the Friends of Japan at the ambassador’s residence, Mr  Onishi noted that this year marks the 50th anniversary  of Botswana as well as that of diplomatic relations between Botswana and Japan.

He added that the dinner came at an opportune time when Botswana was celebrating her 50th anniversary and during the commemorative year of the two countries’ bilateral relationships.

He urged the three students to take their studies seriously as that will pave way for more Batswana students to net such scholarships.

For his part, the acting deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, Mr Labane Mokgosi thanked the Japanese government for its generous gesture.

One of the former Batswana students in Japan, Dr Gabriel Malebang, who is a lecturer at the University of Botswana, encouraged the students to study hard and to come back and help in the development of the country. The students will be leaving in April.

He said during the course of his research, he discovered that Japan was the most attractive destination for studying, as it has a developed economy with advancements in technology, innovation and education.

He also said he learnt that there were more than 700 universities and close to 300 specialist schools in Japan. ENDS