The study group at Urgenda Climate Mitigation Network

A group of six teachers and twenty students from senior secondary schools in Taiwan took part in an overseas study visit to the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, to enhance the students’ global outlook and their international competitiveness.

Their overseas study visit—from July 26 to August 4—was commissioned by the Ministry of Education’s K-12 Education Administration under the New Century Leadership Cultivation Program. This is a program launched in 2000 to nurture future leaders who are able to think globally and act responsibly by helping students develop an international mindset, strengthen their analytical and communication skills, and give them opportunities to observe and increase their understanding of different societies and multicultural awareness.

This overseas study visit was a structured learning journey, rather than a general tour. The senior secondary school students with a sense of purpose who were selected to go on this trip part has to then complete special and preparation. Before their departure from Taiwan, the students were required to read a selection of books and materials, take part in preparatory seminars, and discuss questions related to each planned visit. To maximize the educational value of their experience, they were each assigned specific responsibilities to attend to during the trip, and they took part in daily sessions in which they shared their observations and what they were learning.

The itinerary was designed around visits to five types of places: 1. each host country’s economic development and related institutions; 2.non-governmental organizations; 3. institutions of higher education; 4. United Nations agencies; and 5. internationally recognized cultural and natural heritage sites. This gave the students first-hand insight into a wide range of matters related to science education, environmental protection, political and economic development, human rights, cultural preservation, animal welfare, and different school systems.

The study group visited the University of Amsterdam, Leiden University, Ghent University, and the Belval Campus of the University of Luxembourg. They also visited the European Parliament, the Dutch Central Bank’s exhibition center, the Taipei Representative Office in the Netherlands, and the Taipei Representative Office in EU and Belgium.

The Education Division of the Taipei Representative Office in the EU and Belgium organized a discussion session to introduce Taiwan’s educational, economic and parliamentary cooperation with EU and Belgium for the delegation. Dr. Shieh Jhy-Wey謝志偉, Taiwan’s Representative in Belgium and the EU engaged in a lively discussion with the students, talking with them about Taiwan’s relations with the EU, the functioning of the European Union, and Taiwan's cooperation with Europe in areas such as education, trade, and technology. He also encouraged the students to cultivate a global perspective and remain actively engaged in international affairs.

The students also explored six major cities—Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, Brussels, Bruges, and Luxembourg— broadening their understanding of European history, culture, and public life, and they took part in exchanges with people in local communities, giving them opportunities to represent Taiwan internationally in cross-cultural interactions.

This program will definitely have enhanced the international vision of the young people who went on this overseas study visit and their capacity to make a meaningful contribution to Taiwan’s international engagement.