At the forum, Director Huang, first welcomed the students, and reminded them to pay attention to their health and well-being, and about their scholarship benefits and requirements, and to such practical matters as graduating students having their diploma authenticated before leaving Boston. As well as also reminding everyone to maintain good relationships with their teachers and classmates, she encouraged the students to broaden their horizons by stepping outside of the confines of their professional disciplines when they have some spare time. Students can expand their knowledge of general matters, make their own life more interesting, and nurture their leadership skills by participating in local community affairs. She urged them to participate in lectures and seminars held by local overseas Taiwanese professional groups, share the information they can provide about local employment in both Boston and Taiwan, and help to promote public awareness of events such as the “Echinacea” anti-drug campaign.

Director Huang announced that in line with a transformation of government organizations, the office in Boston was renamed the Education Division earlier this year. Its mission is to promote and strengthen international academic exchanges with the education institutions in the New England region and to enhance the visibility of Taiwan. The Ministry offers a variety of scholarships each year. The majority of the students from Taiwan in the New England region are in graduate programs. The current breakdown is: government-sponsored scholarship -10 students; study-abroad scholarship -60 students; Olympia Math & Sciences Scholarship -15 students; TUSA scholarship - 3 students; and one student with a Top Technology Cultivation Scholarship. Most are majoring in: Bio-Technology, Chemical Engineering, East Asian Studies, Electrical Engineering, History, Law, Music, Physics, or Public Health.

Most of the Olympia Math & Sciences Scholarship award students came to study in the US after graduating from high school, and so the Ministry set up a “mentor” system to assign graduate students to help them adjust to living and studying in the U.S. and provide them with guidance during their undergraduate studies. All students who have any questions or comments about the scholarships offered by the Ministry of Education can always contact the Education Division directly. After lunch, Director Huang presented gifts of a 2014 appointment diary featuring the ceramic collection of the National Palace Museum for each student attending the event and wished them all a prosperous New Year.