It was announced recently that the FireFly agencies (mostly agencies under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore) awarded some 40 scholarships this year – double that of last year’s numbers (though certainly not near peak values of some years).

This is probably due to the higher number of students willing to take up their studies in non-English speaking countries, e.g. France, Germany, etc. – often a rarity due to difficult foreign languages and the loss of opportunity to study at the world’s best universities (most are in the US or UK). This year, around a quarter of the scholarship recepients chose to study in such countries.

Good? Probably for all parties actually. Not only will Singapore gain first-class ambassadors to non-English speaking countries – which in recent years have become key markets for Singapore – but it will also save on the massive cost US and UK scholarships normally involve. On the part of the scholars, they’ll gain exposure to a very different environment, gaining the sort of experience that few top students gain and thus, differentiating themselves from the rest.

[News via Channel NewsAsia]