To establish an international training and exchange mechanism in art-related fields, and to foster talents in arts and design with international insights, the Ministry of Education has carried out Scholarship Program for Overseas Study in Arts and Design (SPOSAD) since 2005. Those who are selected will be studying abroad for a year under MOE's sponsorship on tuition fees and living expenses. As of this year, 363 students benefited from the program. In 2021&2022, 31 students went abroad to study and intern at 22 institutes or companies situated in 9 countries across the globe which are the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Netherlands, Australia, Denmark, and Japan. The students will demonstrate what they have learnt on a 6-day exhibition from October 24 to 29 at W1B of Taipei Huashan 1914 - Creative Park. 

The theme of this exhibition is "Support Design/Design Support." It elaborates on the dual-cycle of students receiving national support for overseas training and returning to Taiwan to contribute to the design industry. This symbolizes the steadfast efforts of the Ministry of Education in nurturing Taiwanese design talents year after year and the expectations for the future. The students, from Fashion Design, Digital Animation, Visual Communication Design, Product Design, and Architecture and Landscape Design, shared their learning journey and the inspiration for creation on October 24 the opening day. Theme talks will be arranged during the exhibition period. An online gallery (https://www.animlab.yuntech.edu.tw/talentpool/gallery/) is also set up for people who are not able to visit the exhibition. The audience could also watch the press conference and the theme talks online in time. 

Fashion Design – Jill Yu-Chieh Lin, a student from Fu Jen Catholic University, studied Fashion at the open and diverse environment of the Royal College of Art in the UK. In her series inspired by the sound of the heartbeat, she views physiological data as an interactive element, visualizing the internal sounds of the body. By integrating light sculpture projection technology, she projects dynamic visuals onto the actual garments, turning them into a tangible medium with bodily perception and interactivity. This work was invited for exhibition in various galleries across the UK. During her internship at Hope, a charitable humanitarian organization, she contributed to Brand Fire and customized print projects for children aged 4 to 12. These experiences have solidified her aspiration to contribute to brands that serve the distinctive needs of specific communities in the future.

Digital Animation – Hannah Yi-Han Lin, a student from National Yunlin University of Science and Technology, pursued a Master's program in Animation, Games, and Interactivity at RMIT University in Australia. Inspired by a creative environment where research and practical work complement each other, she produced a series of experimental animations using mixed media. She also participated in several interdisciplinary projects involving AR and games, broadening her professional horizons. During her internship project with Human Elephant Learning Programs (H-ELP), she deeply experienced how information could be conveyed through animation and learned how to communicate and collaborate in a cross-industry environment. She aspires to delve deeper into the visual expression and mixed styles of animation in the future, contributing her professional skills and passion to the development of the animation industry.

Visual Communication Design – In the past year, Ping-Hung (Benson) Chung from National Taiwan University of Science and Technology pursued a Master's program in Design for People at Design School Kolding in Denmark. During his studies, he explored topics such as social design theory, participatory design methods, critical design, and teamwork collaboration. He worked as a student designer at the school's project organization, DigiHUB, where he was responsible for web design projects. The distinctive participatory design methods in Northern Europe, along with their execution, provided him with an experience that seamlessly integrated theoretical knowledge with practical application. His observations of Danish culture profoundly influenced his design thinking, which he describes as "warm and empathetic."

Product Design - Yu-Chun Hsiao from the National Cheng Kung University, gained a profound appreciation for the importance of hands-on work during her time at Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin. In the initial phases of the design process, she didn’t struggle with the sketching details on paper. Instead, she prioritized the creation of functional prototypes and swift iterations to ascertain a product's viability. She also effectively communicated with stakeholders through the materialization of physical prototypes. To finalize her design at the later stages, her focus shifted to finer aspects to maintain the coherence of the design language. Upon completing her training, her next academic journey begins at pursuing a master's degree at Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin, with the aim of injecting more creativity and innovation into the field of design.

Architecture and Landscape Design - Yi-Tian Jen from National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University participated in the Master of Science Program at the prestigious Syracuse University over the past year. His focus was on the integration of three aspects: the future, energy, and architecture. Trained to explore the relationship between architecture and energy across different scales, including topics, solutions, and performance outcomes, he examines systemic problems in a more comprehensive way. Different buildings adopt different strategies based on varying external conditions. This training enabled him to break free from conventional design patterns, such as mere architectural forms or spatial layout consideration, and encouraged him to approach problems from a more holistic and thoughtful perspective. His outstanding academic performance earned him the 2023 Luther Gifford Prize from the Syracuse University School of Architecture.

More works and learning experiences from returning students of the year 2021&2022 will be displayed and shared at the exhibition on October 24-29. The public is welcome to come and to learn about the stories of students. At the same time, MOE also collected the learning results of 31 students and published a special issue for the public to read, promoting it to those who love design.