KAMPALA, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Some 111 Ugandan students who won Chinese government scholarships will soon travel to China to pursue their studies in various disciplines.

Speaking at a send-off reception for the students, Chinese Ambassador to Uganda Zheng Zhuqiang said this is the biggest number of students that have won the scholarships, noting that the number increased by 59 percent compared to last year.

Zheng said apart from the government scholarships, every year around 500 Ugandans take short-term training courses in China.

He said besides training in China, construction of a China-aided industrial skills training and production center in Uganda would be completed in November this year.

He said the training center will introduce modern manufacturing methods and practices into Uganda for youth skill development.

Rosemary Seninde, minister of state for primary education hailed China for the continued cooperation and giving scholarships to Uganda students.

She said that the skills acquired would be critical as Uganda strives to reach a middle income country.

"If we are to develop this country, we must have a skilled human resource. Our people going to study in China is going to give them a wider experience but also appreciate the work ethics, the different things that have made China develop," she said.