FOURTEEN women and men from around the Pacific region have been granted scholarships under the European Union's Erasmus Mundus Scholarship scheme.
The 14 are part of the 2000 students simultaneously selected worldwide through the different selection processes of both the European Union and the universities involved.
Of the 14, 11 are from Fiji, with one each from Kiribati, Samoa and Tonga. Congratulated by the charge d' Affaires Alistair MacDonald, the recipients were more than delighted with their achievements
"I am so happy with the chance I've been given, it was so surprising but I'm really grateful," said Ilaisa Naca, a recipient who is going to Portugal to complete his Master's degree.
Another award recipient, Elina Bloomfield of Tonga, reiterated Mr Naca's sentiments, adding she would bring back as much knowledge as she could about her field of study.
"I am going to study climate change and the different approaches to adaptation, as well as the role culture plays in this process. It's a great learning curve for me," said Ms Bloomfield, who's going to pursue her climate change studies in Germany.