Remarks by Minister Dr. Lin Chia-lung at the celebration for the anniversaries of the MOFA Taiwan Scholarship, the MOFA Taiwan Fellowship, and the Taiwan Alumni Association[...]

Remarks by Minister Dr. Lin Chia-lung at the celebration for the anniversaries of the MOFA Taiwan Scholarship, the MOFA Taiwan Fellowship, and the Taiwan Alumni Association Facebook page

• Data Source：Department of Policy Planning
• Date：2024-11-27

Dr. Lin Chia-lung

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Republic of China (Taiwan)

November 27, 2024

(As Prepared for Delivery)

Ladies and gentlemen:

Good afternoon!

Thank you for attending today's meaningful celebration. This year marks three important milestones: the 20th anniversary of the MOFA Taiwan Scholarship program, the 14th anniversary of the MOFA Taiwan Fellowship program, and the first anniversary of the Taiwan Alumni Association (TAA) Facebook page.

These three initiatives have made significant achievements in connecting Taiwan to the world. More than 3,000 students and 1,400 scholars have benefited from these programs. Many of them have become outstanding professionals and opinion leaders in their countries. Therefore, after becoming foreign minister, I decided to double the programs' budget over the next two years.

MOFA is currently implementing integrated diplomacy and the Diplomatic Allies Prosperity Project. Education and talent cultivation are important pillars of our policy. Taiwan is willing to work with its diplomatic allies and like-minded countries to cultivate promising youth, especially in key areas such as semiconductors and healthcare.

Two weeks ago I attended the welcome reception for the new Taiwan Scholarship recipients. There, I announced our plan to increase the number of recipients to 400 next year and to 500 the following year. Today, I am very delighted to announce that we will also increase the number of Taiwan Fellowship recipients next year, from the current 100 to 125.

Through these programs, recipients gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan's development. After returning home, many fellows and students become the best cultural ambassadors for Taiwan. These individuals have stayed connected and maintained friendships with our overseas missions by joining Taiwan Alumni Association (TAA) activities.

Since the TAA program was launched in 2010, a total of 89 TAAs have been established worldwide, and this number will keep increasing in the years to come. This network has played a vital role in solidifying support for Taiwan, especially for Taiwan's international participation. They have also helped build up cooperation and foster friendships between Taiwan and other countries. Since MOFA launched the TAA Facebook page last November, it has garnered over 8,500 followers and reached more than 240,000 people.

Today we celebrate this remarkable achievement and will appoint outstanding scholarship recipients as TAA campus ambassadors. We hope that the newly appointed TAA campus ambassadors and the fellowship recipients will share their experiences in Taiwan with people back home through social media. This would help Taiwan make more friends throughout the world.

I would also like to express my sincere appreciation to Director General Wang, Dr. Chang, and their teams at the National Central Library and Ming Chuan University for organizing today's event. Without your hard work, today's event would not have been possible.

MOFA has prepared some snacks for you today, including a special item called the integrated diplomacy sandwich（總合外交三明治）, as its pronunciation in Mandarin is similar to that of club sandwich (總匯三明治). I hope you enjoying today's event and all the arrangements, especially the sandwiches.

In closing, I wish everyone good health, great success in your academic endeavors, and a wonderful time in Taiwan. Thank you.