One of the two highlights of this gathering was the inauguration ceremony for the Taiwan Alumni Association in India (TAAI). During the ceremony, Mr. Chen Yi-ta, Secretary of the Education Division, shared statistics indicating an increase in the number of Indian students in Taiwan. Taiwan is becoming a popular destination among Indian students for both higher education and Mandarin Chinese studies.

Mr. Chen has set up a Facebook page for the new TAAI association and invited 336 people who have had the experience of studying in Taiwan to join it. Ms. Namrata Hasija, who has studied Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan as a former former Huayu Enrichment Scholarship recipient, is the inaugural TAAI president.

The other highlight of this occasion was the presentation of certificates to this year’s recipients of Taiwan Scholarships and Huayu Enrichment Scholarships. Mr. Tien Chung-kwang, Taiwan’s Representative in India, congratulated all the recipients and commented that language and education are the keys to open a new door for life. He encouraged them to study hard and also take time to explore Taiwan.

Dr. Prashant Kumar Singh, another former Huayu Enrichment Scholarship recipient and then a Taiwan Fellowship recipient who is currently working for the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses of India, and Ms. Hasija, the new TAAI president, both spoke sharing details of their experiences studying in Taiwan with the scholarship recipients and prospective students. Dr. Singh, Ms. Hasija, and the TECC officials then answered all their questions about education and scholarship opportunities and living in Taiwan.

Mr. Pintu Kumar and Ms. Bharti Arora, two of this year’s Taiwan Scholarship recipients came forward and spoke, thanking the Scholarship Selection Committee and expressing their excitement.
It was a very enjoyable informative event and TECC hopes that the new TAAI association will help to build a network where people can to share practical information about Taiwan.