The application process commenced on the 1st February, 2013, and lasted until the 31st March, 2013. As in previous years, there was a huge amount of interest in the programme, with hundreds of enquiries directed to the scholarship administrators during the application period itself and for several months preceding. Ultimately, this resulted in 65 eligible applications being submitted by hopefuls across England, Scotland and Wales.

For many years, the Education Division has been ably assisted in selecting the strongest candidates by the British Association for Chinese Studies (BACS). The BACS committee once again proved invaluable in whittling down the potential candidates to shortlists for the one-year, six-month and two-month awards respectively, ranked in order of preference. The Education Division then carried out a telephone interview with each nominated candidate before approving the finalised recipient and reserve lists.

Every applicant was informed of the outcome by letter and e-mail within one month of the scholarship deadline. The administration process has now moved on to the next stage, with successful candidates concentrating upon obtaining admission to their chosen language centres and preparing to apply for visas. At this exciting time, the Education Division and the language centres themselves are always available to answer questions and to guide the scholarship recipients through the remainder of the process.

The Huayu Enrichment Scholarship programme has a long history among British students for promoting interest in Mandarin Chinese learning and fostering a love of Taiwan and the Taiwanese people. As another round of applicants prepares to embark upon their new adventure, supported by funding from the Ministry of Education in Taiwan, the programme continues to flourish.