Akshit Mehta shared Indian culture to the senior high school students in Pingtung

Following a three-year hiatus in response to the worldwide pandemic, the annual Taiwan Scholarship and Huayu Enrichment Scholarship Recipients’ Farewell Party was once again held on May 19, 2023. Ministry of Education (MOE) Taiwan Scholarships and MOE Huayu Enrichment Scholarships (HES) have been available since 2004, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Taiwan Scholarships have been available since 2012, to encourage outstanding international students to come to Taiwan to undertake a degree or Chinese language studies. More than 700 recipients of a Taiwan Scholarship or HES from 76 countries successfully completed their studies in the 2022–23 academic year, and in the 2023–24 academic year, the MOE provided 450 Taiwan Scholarships to encourage outstanding international students to undertake a degree program in Taiwan, and nearly 600 one-year Huayu Enrichment Scholarships (which can be shared between several students) to learn Mandarin in Taiwan.

Dr. Lee Yen-Yi, Director-General of the Department of International and Cross-Strait Education of the MOE, congratulated the students for overcoming the challenges presented by daily life and their studies—especially during the pandemic—and completing their studies in Taiwan. She praised the scholarship recipients for their excellent academic performances, and pointed out that, whether they first pursue further studies or start their career after graduation, being bilingual or multi-lingual will be an extra asset as they contribute their expertise and shine in their professional fields. And they all have an opportunity to be selected as one of the Distinguished Taiwan Alumni Award recipients in the future.

In recent years Taiwan has a range of talent recruitment and retention programs, and Dr. Lee told the scholarship recipients that they are welcome to stay and work in Taiwan after their studies. She also encouraged the students to keep in touch with Taiwan by putting their details in the Taiwan Alumni Database, and to share their experiences of studying in Taiwan with their families and friends, and serve as cultural ambassadors, linking their home countries with Taiwan.

The MOE and MOFA also present Outstanding Graduating Student Awards each year to recognize the achievements of outstanding scholarship recipients in their academic performance, social services, and other fields. During the farewell party, twenty students were presented with an Outstanding Graduating Student Award to recognize their achievements: 13 MOE Taiwan Scholarship recipients, six MOFA Taiwan Scholarship recipients, and one HES recipient. Two of these award-winning students—Akshit Mehta from India and Ariel Amilcar Duarte Perez from Paraguay—were invited to say a few words about their experience studying in Taiwan.

Akshit Mehta is a student from India who received a MOE Taiwan Scholarship to undertake a master's degree in International Business Management at National Sun Yat-sen University. He speaks fluent Chinese and did an internship at the Institute for Information Industry. He also helped some foreign students by interpreting between Chinese and English when they handled matters affairs with government agencies. He also actively participated in various competitive activities on and off campus, and organized a talk about India on campus, he also talked to senior high school students at a school close to the university about Indian culture. Akshit mentioned that in recent years more and more Indian students like himself have come to Taiwan on an exchange program, or to undertake a Mandarin language learning program, or degree program since the MOE began implementing the New Southbound Talent Cultivation Program, which has greatly increased educational exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and neighboring countries

Ariel Duarte, from faraway Paraguay, a diplomatic ally of Taiwan in South America, received a MOFA Taiwan Scholarship to study Hotel Management at National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism. He loves sharing the culture of his home country, Paraguay, with others and he took part in many multicultural activities at the university, such as Spanish Language Day, including giving a Paraguay traditional dance demonstration! He also participated in the MOE’s Hands Together Project – a program for exchanges between local senior secondary school students and international students in institutions of higher education. He visited National Matsu Senior High School to tell the students there more about Paraguay's traditional culture and help broaden their international vision. Ariel said that by coming to Taiwan, he not only earned a bachelor’s degree but also learnt to speak Mandarin and thereby experience the diverse culture of Taiwan. What’s more, he made many friends from around the world and he will always deeply cherish all these experiences and memories.

Each year, the MOE and MOFA also organize the Fabulous Taiwan! Photography and Caption Contest to give international students an opportunity to show Taiwan from their perspectives through photographs or videos. During the Farewell party 26 students were awarded prizes for their entries in this year’s Fabulous Taiwan - Photography and Caption Contest.

These outstanding international students interacted with local Taiwanese students during their time here in Taiwan, helping all the students to broaden their perspectives, and the international students now have a deeper understanding of Taiwan's academic environment and diverse culture. The MOE welcomes enquiries from anyone who is interested in studying in Taiwan. You can get information about study opportunities and scholarships from any overseas Taiwan diplomatic mission or Representative office, or online at www.studyintaiwan.org.