The Education Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Boston held a pre-departure orientation session for the 2013-14 Ministry of Education Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (HES) recipients on August 6, 2013. The orientation provides useful valuable information to international students on living and studying in Taiwan.

This year, the Education Division selected 11 applicants to receive the prestigious scholarship. The average duration for study in Taiwan ranges from 9 to 12 months. Among this outstanding group of students, 3 are former Fulbright Scholarship recipients who conducted research or taught English to children in rural Taiwan for one year. Their passion for Taiwan and its people is the main reason motivating them to apply for the HES and to advance their Mandarin skills. During the orientation, the Fulbright students shared details of their experience living in Taiwan. This included how to find suitable housing and the best places to eat, providing first-time visitors with lots of valuable advice.

Unlike the scholarship recipients in the past who mainly opted for schools in the Taipei Metropolitan area, several of the 2013 scholarship students have chosen cities located in the central and southern parts of Taiwan, and this will provide them many unique opportunities to experience different aspects of Taiwan.

The Ministry of Education Huayu Enrichment Scholarships have provided financial support to sponsor for many American students from the New England region to study Mandarin and broaden their knowledge and appreciation of the culture and people in Taiwan. Award information is available online each January with an application deadline of March 31. Selected recipients are awarded monthly stipend for study in Taiwan for 3, 6, 9 or 12 months. The scholarship period begins on September 1 and lasts through August 31 of the following year.

Ms. Levina Huang of the Education Division at TECO Boston (in blue) hosted the 2013 HES Pre-Departure Orientation