GX Foundation plans university exchange programme for Vanuatu students

June 25, 2025 10:18 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook

By Nicholas Mwai.

The GX Foundation is preparing the groundwork for a possible university exchange programme that would allow Vanuatu students to travel abroad, including to Hong Kong, to take part in hands-on humanitarian training and public health work.

Director of Africa and Youth at the GX Foundation, Caroline Dubois, shared during a visit to Vanuatu this week that the organisation is exploring partnerships with local universities to support such a programme.

“We definitely want to do this, but only if there’s a university that can provide students who are passionate and willing,” Dubois said. “In some of our other partner countries, such as Timor-Leste, we already run exchange programmes where students from Hong Kong and Timor swap places to gain field experience. We want to do the same in Vanuatu.”

The GX Foundation, based in Hong Kong, is a humanitarian organisation focused on public health and medical initiatives, especially in countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. It has been active in Vanuatu since February 2024, delivering health interventions and disaster preparedness training in rural areas.

Dubois spoke about the dual aim of the exchange: to support communities and train the next generation of humanitarian workers.

“All of us were trained by someone,” she said. “We believe in opening doors for young people. It’s not just about learning skills—it’s about seeing real humanitarian work in action and deciding whether this is the right path.”

The proposed programme would be open to students from a range of fields—not just medicine.

“We want law students, international relations students, public health, nursing, and even media and communications students—all can contribute,” Dubois said.