This year, ninety-five outstanding Malaysians were awarded a Ministry of Education (MOE) Taiwan Scholarship to undertake a degree program at a university in Taiwan, or a MOE Huayu Enrichment Scholarship to undertake short-term Mandarin courses there. The number of recipients of a MOE Taiwan Scholarship has grown from 20 in 2017 to 37 this year. Ten of these 37 recipients will enroll in bachelor's degree programs, 18 will enroll in master's degree programs, and nine will begin a doctoral program at different universities. The fifty-eight Huayu Enrichment Scholarship recipients, also a record-high number, will learn Mandarin at various language centers affiliated with universities.
More than two hundred people—approximately 80 scholarship recipients and members of their families—attended the award ceremony and a pre-departure briefing took place at The Grey Box, GMBB, organized by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Malaysia on July 26, 2024. In addition to the Ministry of Education scholarships, four outstanding Malaysian students were awarded Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) scholarships to undertake a master's degree in Taiwan.
James Buu, Taiwan’s Deputy Representative at TECO in Malaysia presented the award certificates to the scholarship recipients during the ceremony. In his opening remarks, he said “The Ministry of Education of the Republic of China has offered Taiwan Scholarships and Huayu Enrichment Scholarships since 2004 to encourage outstanding Malaysian students to undertake degrees or learn Mandarin in Taiwan. In the past 20 years, hundreds of scholarship recipients have gone on to thrive in various fields after graduating from Taiwan’s universities and Mandarin centers.”
“Malaysian students have consistently gone on to have high academic achievements, and we hope that this year’s awardees will seize this chance to expand their horizons and increase their knowledge while studying in Taiwan. The skills and expertise they will acquire will help them succeed in a variety of sectors and we hope that they will serve as a bridge for improved bilateral ties between Taiwan and Malaysia."
Taiwan is one of Asia’s most competitive economies, and he pointed out that Taiwan’s competitiveness has rapidly increased, and Taiwan is ranked eighth among 67 economies in the 2024 world competitiveness rankings released recently by the International Institute for Management Development, IMD.
Mr. Buu mentioned that Taiwan's higher education is globally-recognized for its semiconductor and information technology related R&D, industry–academia collaboration, and pioneering developments, and international students praise its emphasis on scientific research and practical application of knowledge. as well as its strengths in cultural and creative design fields. And in addition, Taiwan’s universities and colleges are offering a growing number of courses in English and Muslim-friendly environments.
After the certificate presentations, the scholarship recipients were given a briefing on applying for visas, and alien resident certificates, and other travel guidelines. Four people who’d formerly been awarded a Taiwan Scholarship, a Huayu Enrichment Scholarship, or an ICDF Scholarship then shared details of their experiences studying in Taiwan and pieces of advice with the participants. The happy occasion was widely reported in the local media.
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