Chinese professor funds Myanmar university students

A Myanmar official presents the award conferred by Myanmar President U Thein Sein to Su Xiuyu (right) in honor of her excellent performance. Jin Fei / Xinhua

China's Myanmar-language professor Su Xiuyu has provided stipends for 27 poor and outstanding Myanmar students to pursue university education under the name of the Professor Su-Xiuyu Fund.

Su, who won one of the highest religious medals of commendation in honor of her excellent performances conferred by Myanmar President U Thein Sein, is a retired professor from Beijing Foreign Languages University.

The 27 students from nine regions and states just passed the matriculation examination and are to enroll in universities, while 15 more from another five regions and states are expected to receive the sponsorship once they are enlisted.

The funding was arranged with the help of Myanmar-China Friendship Association according to the wishes of Professor Su.

This batch of students will each obtain 200,000 Kyats ($206) in education stipend for the first academic year and more funds will be provided from their second academic year until their graduation.

Chinese Ambassador Yang Houlan, chairman of the Myanmar-China Friendship Association U Sein Win Aung, dignitaries of the Myanmar-Chinese community, donors of the fund and 100 of Su's students attended the recent stipend presentation ceremony.

Ambassador Yang and chairman U Sein Win Aung praised Su's acts of kindness and called on the people to learn from Su's spirit of high regard for education and students.

Representatives of recipients thanked Su for the provision of the stipends. They pledge to study hard and endeavor to fulfill the will and expectation of Su as well as make efforts to serve the country and society after graduation.

The 85-year-old Su said at the ceremony that she has devoted her life to education.

"Despite my old age, I still have my dream. My China dream is to contribute my might in disseminating Paukphaw friendship and promoting the friendship.

"My Myanmar dream is to do public charity for Myanmar society, especially those related to education and nurturing of human resources."

Professor Su won the title "Saddhamma Jotikadhaja" conferred by Myanmar President U Thein Sein early this year for her outstanding contribution to the cause of education, religious affairs, social welfare and China-Myanmar friendship.

Su is a native of Fujian and was born and brought up in Myanmar. She graduated from Yangon University and passed the advanced-level examination related to Myanmar Buddhism.

During her stay in Myanmar, Su was a teacher with Yangon Nanyang High School and headmistress with Fujian Girls High School.

In 1965, at the invitation of the Chinese government as a Myanmar-language expert, Su returned to China and worked in the Foreign Language Department and then Beijing Foreign Language University.

Over the years, many of Su's students in Myanmar have become leaders and strongmen of society.

Similarly, some students she nurtured in China have also become high diplomatic officials.

For several decades, Su has devoted herself to the development of China-Myanmar neighborly and friendly ties and the enhancement of the Paukphaw friendship between people of the two countries.

The Professor Su-Xiuyu Fund was established on March 30, and Su launched charity activities for the first time in Myanmar on April 11 under the fund. She made a donation of a large batch of rice and stationery as well as presenting gifts to orphans and pupils staying in a monastery in the outskirts of Yangon. The initiative to provide a stipend for Myanmar students marked the fund's second charity activity.