The Education Office of the Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco said Monday it has been ready to accept scholarship applications from students of the U.S. state of Alaska for study in China.

The 20 scholarships, announced by Alaska Governor Bill Walker on Friday, were made available for Alaskans who are interested in seeking continued education in China.

The recipients of the scholarships "will explore higher education through a variety of academic programs in science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, law, economics, management, education, liberal arts, philosophy, history, and fine arts," said a statement released by Walker's office.

The scholarships are part of a series of Chinese Government Scholarship programs that sponsor international students, teachers and scholars to study and conduct research in a total of 279 designated Chinese universities, according to a separate announcement on the website of the governor's office.

In September 2017, China announced that it would offer 100 scholarships in five years for young students from Alaska to study in degree programs or conduct long-term research in China.

The offer is part of Chinese efforts to boost its exchanges and cooperation with Alaska in a wide range of sectors, including trade, investment, energy, fisheries and tourism.