The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recognized recipients of the Taiwan Fellowship and members of Taiwan Alumni Association at an event Feb. 24 at the National Library in Taipei City, underscoring the government’s dedication to building bonds with scholars from around the world.
Minister Lin Chia-lung noted that the Taiwan Fellowship has benefited more than 1,500 talented individuals since its inception, and emphasized the importance of programs which, like the fellowship, enhance international academic cooperation and cultural exchange. He said that programs like these are at the core of integrated diplomacy, and added that the number of Taiwan Fellowship recipients has increased from 100 to 125.
Guests represented 24 countries and included grantees and their families, as well as diplomatic representatives. To better international attendees’ understanding of the Lunar New Year and lantern festival customs, the ministry prepared traditional holiday foods and arranged activities such as painting lanterns and writing spring couplets.
The fellowship was established by MOFA to encourage researchers, including professors and doctoral candidates, to explore topics related to Taiwan, cross-strait relations and regional relationships at academic institutions in Taiwan. The TAA was first created in 2010 to enable ongoing community between recipients of the Ministry of Education’s Taiwan Scholarship and Taiwan Fellowship grantees, respectively. (POC-E)
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