Speech
David Holborow Memorial Scholarship Awards Evening
Ladies and Gentlemen, I greet you in the languages of the realm of New Zealand - English, Maori, CookIsland, Niue and Tokelau.
Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni
I greet you specifically, Your Excellency Mr Joon-gyu Lee; you Rupert Holborow; Members of Parliament, Dianne Yates and Dr Richard Worth. Asia New Zealand Chief Executive, John Austin, Wook Jin Lee and the three young women we are here to recognise tonight Ann Kim, Julie Lang and Brigid Boyle.
My wife Susan and I welcome you to Government House this evening to celebrate and congratulate the recipients of the David Holborow Memorial Scholarships.
As a number here already know, I have been actively involved with the work of the Asia New Zealand Foundation for many years as a board member - as someone hugely interested in fostering our country's relations with our Asian neighbours and counterparts. And likewise as a Standing Committee member of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs.
It is thus good to see so many familiar faces here tonight.
The David Holborow Memorial Scholarships were established in memory their namesake - a former Ambassador for New Zealand to Korea and director of the Institute of International Affairs - David Holborow.
Mr Holborow founded the Korean Studies Programme in 1992 in a bid to enhance New Zealanders' understanding of Korea. The Asia New Zealand Foundation continued this major education and cultural programme, establishing the David Holborow Awards seven years ago.
The Awards honour two outstanding young students of Korean descent. For the second year, they also honour an outstanding student who is a descendant of a New Zealand Korean War Veteran.
We celebrate with these students tonight on two counts, first for what they have achieved both academically and in their communities; and secondly, for their potential to actively foster ongoing relationships between Korea and New Zealand in the future.
I am advised that the standard of all applicants was very high which reflects the commitment shown by each of them to various aspects of the friendship between New Zealand and Korea.
This friendship is one that exists at many levels. Most relevant here, is that more and more young Koreans choose to study here at both secondary and tertiary levels.
Last year I am advised that there were more than 13,000 Koreans studying in New Zealand.
Leaving one's homeland for a foreign country cannot be an easy task. Susan and I have had the experience in the opposite direction with family members spending a year in Korea teaching.
Coming this way, on arrival, many young Koreans must firstly overcome the language barrier. It is a matter of great credit for all applicants that they have achieved this, whilst engaging and contributing to their adopted communities.
The three young women we are recognising tonight, Ann, Julie and Brigid have also shown exceptional ability in extra-curricular activities, I am told, music and dance and community service. They have also achieved grades in the top ranks of their classes.
It is fair to infer this has meant a very busy lifestyle for any young person.
In honouring these women, credit must also be conveyed to their parents, who no doubt have been very supportive in nurturing their children's talents.
Tonight is an occasion to celebrate the achievements of the current generation of young people. We should not however forget the generations that came before.
New Zealand and Korea enjoy a special relationship initially forged through New Zealand's posting of United Nations soldiers to the Korean War during the early 1950s. Something like 1400 soldiers from New Zealand fought alongside the half million strong KoreanRepublic army to help secure independence from North Korea in 1953.
The relationship between the two countries has continued to prosper, in economic terms, with Korea being New Zealand's sixth largest trading partner, and culturally, through immigration and tourism.
New Zealand has around 30,000 Korean residents and a further 100,000 Koreans visit our shores every year as tourists.
If we wish to continue to build on this strong relationship then it behoves us to encourage the current generation of young people to be involved. There is no better time to do this than while at University. As the New Zealand Poet Denis Glover once remarked:
There is probably no age at which human beings are so intelligent, so thoughtful, so essentially human as at the undergraduate level
Therefore we must nurture talent demonstrated Ann, Julie and Brigid. If we do this, then these students and other young people like them can be the bridge between New Zealand and Korea.
Congratulations on your outstanding achievements. You set an example for all young people to follow. I wish you all the best for your future studies.
I began speaking in all the New Zealand realm languages. May I close by speaking in Maori issuing greetings and wishing you good health and fortitude in your endeavours.
No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tena koutou katoa