THE 46 Ni-Vanuatu students touched down at the Honiara International Airport yesterday.
They will undertake bachelor’s degree studies at the Solomon Islands National University (SINU) under the faculty of Nursing, Medicine & Health Science.
Upon their arrival, they were welcomed by the contemporary Wa’uraha A’re A’re Panpipers, Solomon Islands National University’s (SINU) Executive and local student nurses.
The formal welcome and speeches to receive the Ni-Vanuatu students of nurses for SINU was officially held at the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management (STHM) Kukum Campus.
In his brief speech, the newly inaugurated SINU Vice-Chancellor Dr Transform Aqorau was honoured to welcome the students to SINU and the Hapi Isles.
Dr. Aqorau also shares with the students the glorious days he spent in Vanuatu while staying there.
“I am really honoured and humbled to welcome you Ni-Vanuatu students to the Solomon Islands National University.
“The local students and SINU staff are also happy and honoured to have you here,” he said.
He added SI had a lot of Ni-Vanuatu students in the 80s and 90s.
A Ni-Vanuatu students’ spokeswoman thanked the governments of SI and SINU for accepting them to study at SINU.
She said they’re grateful that SINU can accept the huge number of Ni-Vanuatu students to study at the University.
She told the Ni-Vanuatu students that they are the ambassador of Vanuatu in SI to get knowledge and skills at SINU and go back to support the Government of Vanuatu in the field of health and medical service.
These students were supposed to arrive in the country earlier this month. However, the cyclone activity in Vanuatu has resulted in the postponement of their flight.
That flight was IE 703.
After the formal welcome and speeches, the students settled down in their dormitories waiting for registration and formal admission at SINU.
By LACHLAN EDDIE HOE
Solomon Star, Honiara
