Through two stages of careful review and selection, the final decision of 2021 Taiwan Governmental Scholarship has been made with the number of scholarship recipients set a new high as there are a total of 52 Malaysian students awarded the 2021 Taiwan Scholarship and Huayu (Mandarin) Enrichment Scholarship (HES) to pursue academic degrees and short term Mandarin courses in Taiwan.
The aforementioned two scholarships have been offered by the Ministry of Education (MOE) since 2004. Among the 37 recipients of the MOE Taiwan Scholarship, 5 are undertaking Doctoral degree programs, while 15 and 17 are pursing Master and Undergraduate degrees respectively. Furthermore, there are 15 HES scholarship awardees, who will study Mandarin in the university-affiliated language centers in Taiwan. 17 of the awardees who are non-Chinese will undertake Mandarin courses, Undergraduate and Master degree programs in Taiwan
Anne Hung, the Representative of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Malaysia pointed out that Taiwan’s competitiveness has rapidly increased in the past years. According to the recently announced 2021 International Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Yearbook, Taiwan ranked eighth among all the economies and third in the Asia Pacific region, its best ranking in recent years. The focus on scientific research and practical application of knowledge in the higher education field in Taiwan has received high recognition from the students. In addition to the excellent academic environment, the cultural society in Taiwan is also one of the reasons for younger generation to further their study there. With the increasing English taught courses introduced in the universities and colleges in Taiwan and the government’s effort in establishing a Muslim-friendly environment, many international students are interested in exploring the experiences by either undertaking full-time degree courses or learning Mandarin in Taiwan. She also congratulated and encouraged the awardees to take this opportunity as a key to expand their knowledge and broaden experience during their study so they could contribute to Malaysian society and help enhance the bilateral relationship between Taiwan and Malaysia in the future as top talents.
Despite serious disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to the international education exchange, the enthusiasm of the Malaysian students for studying in Taiwan remains high. This year, there are comparatively more applications for both scholarships and the number of total recipients set a new high. Education Division, TECO in Malaysia pointed out that the great higher education system, various fields of study, and the increasing English taught programs have successfully attracted more students from various backgrounds to equip themselves with professional knowledge in the international learning environment as well as experience of the cultural and warm local society in Taiwan. Besides, the content of the courses in the universities is designed to meet the latest requirement and demands of the industry as industry-academia cooperation is a trend in the education field.
Apart from the two scholarships, there are also four Malaysian students receiving the 2021 Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) Scholarship Program to undertake Master's degree programs in Taiwan from the coming September. To encourage excellent international students to further study in Taiwan, there are also other scholarships and bursaries offered by the universities and colleges in Taiwan. Interested students are encouraged to inquire the university directly. The prime focus of higher education institutions in Taiwan is to prepare the students with broad international views, professional knowledge, and a handful of experience in the industry. Information regarding Study in Taiwan could be found on the website of https://www.studyintaiwan.org/. Due to the ongoing pandemic worldwide, the entry of international students to Taiwan is to be considered cautiously. The universities in Taiwan have offered various countermeasures and assistance for the international students to ensure their study rights during this challenging period. Scholarship awardees and other students are advised to keep close contact with the universities and follow up with the latest regulations and announcements by the Taiwanese government.