Li-kuo Chen
Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
November 10, 2023
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Good afternoon!
It is a great pleasure to attend this welcome party. On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan), I would like to congratulate you for being selected for the Taiwan Scholarship and Huayu Enrichment Scholarship Program. Welcome to Taiwan!
Around 500 talented young students have joined us today. I believe this welcome party is probably the first event you have attended under the program. This is an important chance for you to meet other scholarship recipients, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Education, and ambassadors and representatives from your home countries.
The Taiwan Scholarship and Huayu Enrichment Scholarship Program was established in 2004. They aim to encourage talented young people from our diplomatic allies and other countries to pursue studies in Taiwan. Over the past 19 years, over 3,000 students have received MOFA Taiwan Scholarships. Many alumni have gone on to become leaders in their various fields. MOFA will continue to offer scholarships through the program, which has become a key partnership project for Taiwan and its diplomatic allies and like-minded countries.
As participants in this important initiative, you are more than just students of Mandarin. You are also goodwill ambassadors who play a key role in promoting friendship and building connections between Taiwan and your home countries. So, while you are in Taiwan, as well as studying the language and your specialist subjects, I hope you can also make friends with Taiwanese people, immerse yourself in the local culture, and gain a deeper understanding of our society.
In addition to welcoming you to Taiwan, this party also marks a special milestone.
MOFA has recently implemented some new and innovative measures to take better care of scholarship students and help them strive for academic excellence. For the first time since the launch of the program, we have increased the monthly stipend. Starting in August, students now receive an additional 3,000 NT dollars. And to encourage students to excel in language learning and academic studies, MOFA has created the Academic Achievement Awards for Outstanding Performance.
After recipients graduate from the program, we actively keep in contact with them through Taiwan Alumni Associations. Over the past 12 years, our overseas missions have created 79 TAAs around the world. The TAAs help alumni keep in touch with each other and hold networking events for them to make new connections.
This year, MOFA is launching the TAA Facebook page, which will make its debut in today’s event. We welcome you to like the page and join future TAA activities. You will also have a chance to win a free flight to one of Taiwan’s outlying islands.
I hope you seize the opportunity you have here to explore our beautiful country, get to know its hospitable people, try bubble milk tea and other local specialties, and then share your experiences on social media with your friends and family back home.
In closing, I once again welcome you to our country and wish you all good health, success in your studies, and an unforgettable academic journey in Taiwan. Thank you.