Belgian scholarship recipients prepare to study in Taiwan

Every year, the Ministry of Education offers outstanding foreign students a number of Taiwan Scholarships to undertake degree studies in Taiwan, and Huayu Enrichment Scholarships to study Mandarin there. The Education Division of the Taipei Representative Office in the EU and Belgium selects each year’s scholarship recipients from among the applicants from Belgium and Luxembourg. This year 13 Belgian students were awarded a Huayu Enrichment Scholarship, and two Belgian students were awarded a Taiwan Scholarship.

The Huayu Enrichment Scholarship recipients include students from Ghent University, the Catholic University of Leuven, the Catholic University of Louvain, and the Free University of Brussels, with academic backgrounds in fields including linguistics, business administration, and architecture. Zouk Penne, a Catholic University of Leuven student, received a Taiwan Scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in translation at National Taiwan Normal University. After finishing her bachelor’s degree in Sinology and spending a summer studying Chinese at National Taiwan University (NTU), she was convinced that Taiwan would offer her better opportunities to deepen her study of the Chinese language than Belgium could. Hadelin Goffinet, a Catholic University of Louvain student, also received a Taiwan Scholarship and will do a master’s degree in Asia Pacific Studies at National Chengchi University. He has already studied Chinese at NTU for one year and the strategic and political situation of Taiwan greatly interests him.

The Education Division of the Taipei Representative Office in the EU and Belgium held an orientation meeting on August 9, to help the scholarship recipients prepare to live and study in Taiwan. Chen Yu-Wen, Director of the Education Division, welcomed everyone success with their studies in Taiwan. Ten former scholarship recipients enthusiastically shared their enthusiasm about their time in Taiwan and answered questions asked by this year’s recipients.  The meeting concluded with ten students eager to depart for Taiwan and ten former students nostalgic about their adventures in Taiwan.

Photo:Chen Yu-Wen, Director of the Education Division, with this year’s Huayu Enrichment Scholarship and Taiwan Scholarship recipients, and former recipients.