4 more Guyanese students awarded petroleum science scholarships to study in China

Four Guyanese students have been awarded full scholarships to pursue studies in Petroleum Sciences at universities in China, as part of an ongoing initiative by CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited (CPGL) in collaboration with the Natural Resources Ministry. The 2025 scholarship recipients were Una Herman, Anna Jeffers, Rondel Rutherford, and Tamika Sam. They will depart for China next month, joining eight other Guyanese students who are already in the programme, now in its third year. A release from CNOOC on Monday stated that the awards were formally presented during a ceremony held at CPGL’s Headquarters at High Street, Kingston., Georgetown. The event was attended by Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat, and China’s Ambassador to Guyana, Yang Yang.

Bharrat lauded the initiative as a model of meaningful partnership, noting its alignment with the Government’s local content policy and drive for capacity building in the oil and gas sector. “Guyana has one of the best managed Oil and Gas sectors among new producers,” he said. “We are building this sector to last, with strong emphasis on ensuring our people are trained and equipped to lead it.”
Ambassador Yang Yang underscored the longstanding friendship and cooperation between Guyana and China. She applauded CPGL’s continued investment in local development and noted ongoing training initiatives in a range of sectors, including agriculture, health, engineering and artificial intelligence (AI). She highlighted that Chinese companies are playing a key role in Guyana’s growth, particularly in infrastructure, IT, and natural resource development.
The students were selected through a competitive process overseen by a joint panel of experts from the Ministry and CPGL. CPGL President, Lian Jihong, congratulated the awardees and encouraged them to take full advantage of the opportunity. “This scholarship will not only transform your individual lives, but will also positively impact your families and communities,” he said. Mr Lian reaffirmed the company’s long-term commitment to supporting education as a pillar of its operations in all host countries. “In Guyana, we aim to create a lasting social impact, and this initiative is part of that mission.”
This marks the third cohort of Guyanese students benefiting from the programme, aimed at ensuring that the development of the country’s oil resources is supported by a skilled and knowledgeable local workforce.