Speaking at the Press Conference held on 30 January 2014 to announce
the launch of the 2014 scholarships, Ambassador Ollestad remarked that
AIT is a “highly respected and well-known learning institution in the
region.” Norway has been a strong supporter of AIT for almost four
decades and has invested considerable funds and technical assistance in
this proud institution, she said.
Ambassador Ollestad added that AIT has produced thousands of Master
and PhD graduates, many of who have assumed influential positions in
the public and private sectors in both international organizations as
well as in institutions of higher learning in their respective
countries.
The Ambassador remarked that she was hopeful and confident that the
students who are awarded scholarships through this program will return
to Myanmar after their studies.
She underlined the importance of access to education, stating that
access to education should not be biased towards urban centers, ethnic
populations or gender. “I know that equity in terms of age, ethnicity,
location and gender is taken into account by AIT while selecting
candidates for the scholarship program,” the Ambassador added.