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Students aid Pacific

NZSPA reporter

Palmerston North —The World University Service has recommended a one-year scholarship for Islanders to study in New Zealand. This scheme would replace NZUSA'S abortive South African scholarship.

Pacific Aid—VSA volunteer David Ashby — an accountant engaged in export development in Western Samoa, helps to pack bananas.

The annual conference of WUS at Palmerston North decided to forward this suggestion to NZUSA which had invited alternatives to the South African scheme.

The WUS-mooted scholarship would be open to Fijians, Samoans and Cook Islanders who have started extramural studies at a New Zealand university. It would enable the holder to spend a year in the Dominion completing his degree internally.

At present few extra-mural subjects can be taken beyond Stage II level. It is envisaged most of the applicants would want the grant for agriculture and or veterinary studies and its award would be on the condition that the holder went home immediately after his year in New Zealand.

The WUS conference also decided to forward about £1200 to the world headquarters in Geneva. The money, raised by student efforts, mainly workdays, will be used to aid overseas students.

As usual, WUS will remit as much of its workday proceeds as possible. leaving only enough to cover administration costs in New Zealand. The exact amount, and all other decisions of the conference, must be ratified bv the WUS national committee, based in Dunedin.

Of the total funds raised this year—about £1600—almost £900 came from Otago's workday and another £500 from Canterbury.

Some of the money for Geneva will be earmarked for a student hostel in Katmandu, Nepal. The 48-bed hostel will cost about £14.500 and WUS hopes to provide half the finance over the next few years.

On the administrative side, the Palmerston conference urged the appointment of a travelling secretary to coordinate activities and strengthen WUS in the North Island. The move. which would need some £70 for travel expenses, goes before the national committee this term for approval.