I am pleased to be here this evening for the Raffles Scholarships Award Ceremony. The award ceremony tonight is an excellent gesture of goodwill by our friends from Britain. We are also here to recognise the scholars for their academic achievements, and our sponsors for their vision and wisdom and their commitment to education, even during these tough economic times.

Over the past seventeen years, 200 from among our most able students have been given the opportunity to pursue their postgraduate studies in some of Britain�s most distinguished universities. These scholarships were funded through generous contributions from British and local companies, as well as with the support of statutory boards. Through their generosity, scholars have been able to select their own areas of study from a wide array of subjects, ranging from Business Administration to Molecular Biology. I am sure that many of the returned scholars in our midst tonight can testify to the benefits that they have gained from these scholarships.

Singapore is a young, migrant society. Our people are of migrant stock who came here to build a better life. We are a melting pot of varied talents. Foreign talent has helped to mould our nation in the past. They will continue to play a vital role in giving Singapore the competitive edge to surge forward to realise our goals. Education is an important part of our strategy.

We seek to establish our universities as world class institutions for higher learning � magnets for able Singaporeans as well as foreign students. But even as we do so, we continue to encourage our students to further their studies abroad. We believe that the invaluable knowledge and experience gained through this exposure will stand them in good stead. The high standards and good values that are imbued in them could also be infused into our society. Such opportunities will enable them to look beyond our shores and cultivate a global perspective, a trait that is important if we want to build our nation into a knowledge-based, world class centre of excellence.

I would like to thank the British Government for its initiative to award the Raffles Scholarships. I would also like to thank the donor companies and organisations for their generous donations. Your willingness to support this programme underscores the friendship and understanding between our countries, in particular our long and fruitful educational links.

Our eight scholars this year come from different backgrounds. But they share a common goal in their pursuit of knowledge. They will be attending courses that cover areas as varied as Business Administration, War Studies, Media and Communications. I congratulate you and wish each one of you success in your studies. Be good ambassadors for Singapore and the Raffles Scholarship programme.

Thank you.