The Roberto Rocca Education Program marked its third year in China by awarding new Scholarships to 13 engineering students at three of that country’s universities. The winners were recognized at a ceremony in May at the Tenaris Qiangdao plant featuring officials from Tenaris, the program’s sponsor in China, as well as officials from the three universities.

In his opening speech, Diego Olmos, Tenaris Country Manager China, said: “These Roberto Rocca Scholarships are a recognition and reward for your diligence and outstanding performance. I hope this is the starting point of your future achievements. Whether or not you join Tenaris, I hope you’ll make continuous progress in engineering and the applied sciences. More importantly, I hope you become outstanding people and make contributions with your talent and enthusiasm to society and this beautiful country.”  

Joining Olmos in recognizing the students were Tatsuharu Oda, TenarisQingdao Plant Manager, and Ye Yunyong, the Deputy Director of the Europe, America, and Asia Investment Promotion Bureau.

Speaking on behalf of the awardees, Liu Nana, a graduate student majoring in chemical engineering at the China Petroleum University, stated: “This great honor shows the trust that Tenaris has in students. It embodies the encouragement and care Tenaris has for students.”

The students also heard from Dai Lei a 2008 Roberto Rocca Scholarship winner who joined Tenaris after finishing his studies in catalysis at China Petroleum University. The scholarship, he said, gave him an opportunity to get to know Tenaris and encouraged him to be innovative and enterprising.

“In my research in graduate school after winning the award, I presented many proposals in my field and applied for a number of national patents,” he added.

After the ceremony the 2010 Scholarship winners were given a tour of the Tenaris Qindgao Plant.