The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) hosted a briefing session for the 2025 Taiwan Scholarships on Thursday afternoon, February 6, 2025, at the National Skills Development Centre (NSDC) in Bisee, Castries.

The briefing is held each year to apprise prospective applicants about the process involved in applying for the scholarships.

Remarking on the importance of the scholarship programme, H.E. Nicole Su, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, said the Government of Taiwan shares the Government of Saint Lucia’s vision of empowering young people with knowledge. She also stated that the Government of Taiwan was impressed by the Saint Lucia Government’s “One university graduate per household” policy.

Ambassador Su said more than 300 Saint Lucians have been awarded Taiwan scholarships since the inception of the programme in 2007, with 182 Saint Lucians studying in Taiwan presently.

“Noticing the increasing interest of going to Taiwan to study, we have also been increasing the annual quota from single-digit number of recipients in the early years to double-digit in recent years,” Ambassador Su explained. “I’m happy to share with you that we are going to have more again from last year’s 30 recipients to this year’s 35, and hopefully more.”

Applicants can apply for any of the following three types of scholarship programmes:

• The MOFA programme: This is offered by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taiwan.
• The TaiwanICDF scholarship programme: In order to facilitate more Saint Lucian to pursue graduate degree in English, TaiwanICDF is now focusing on sponsoring applicants for Master’s degree or PhD programmes across 19 partner universities in Taiwan. There is no set annual quota, so it is global competition.
• Public Health: Recognizing that health and well-being plays a crucial role in a country’s development, this scholarship was introduced in 2024, and specifically caters to public health-related subjects, including nursing, biomedical engineering, and medical device. Altogether, 60 related subjects are offered by 16 universities in Taiwan, and these courses are in all English. Likewise, this is also global competition without set annual quota.

Ambassador Su said the scholarships are designed to provide students with access to high-quality academic resources and a profound cultural experience in Taiwan. However, she encouraged applicants that once they are awarded a Taiwan scholarship, they need to mentally prepare themselves for living and studying in Taiwan.

“Although both Taiwan and Saint Lucia are island countries, yet I must caution you that there will be culture shock surely,” said Ambassador Su. “Therefore, although many of the programmes are conducted in English, I’d like to strongly encourage you to take the advantage of learning the Mandarin language. To be able to speak our language, even just a little bit, will facilitate your life and study in Taiwan.  It will also help adapt yourself better and quicker to the Taiwanese way of life, and eventually help you to explore and enjoy Taiwan’s fascinating culture.”

Ambassador Su wished the applicants the best in their pursuit of higher education, adding that her Embassy will continue to work closely with the Government of Saint Lucia to ensure that Saint Lucian students have access to quality education in Taiwan.

Hon. Shawn Edward, Minister for Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, said that in addition to providing educational opportunities, the programme has fostered cultural exchange, academic excellence, and the development of vital skills that contribute to Saint Lucia’s progress. Since its inception, he said the programme has provided a platform for young people to pursue higher education in Taiwan, one of Asia’s most advanced and dynamic educational hubs.

“The programme was designed to help students gain a world-class education in a wide range of disciplines -- from science and technology to business, the arts, etc,” Hon. Edward explained. “What began as a small but very impactful initiative in 2007 has grown into a cornerstone of Saint Lucia’s educational exchange programmes. To date, over 300 students have benefited from this prestigious programme, returning home equipped with cutting-edge knowledge and skills that are instrumental in their personal development and in strengthening the fabric of our Saint Lucian society.”

Hon. Edward said the programme has proven to be a vehicle for empowerment, not only for the individual students, but also for their families, and the entire nation. He added that students who have completed their studies in Taiwan have returned to Saint Lucia as leaders, innovators and professionals, and have contributed significantly to the development of various sector, including education, healthcare, engineering, and information technology.

“As prospective applicants, I encourage you to think not only about the immediate benefits, but also the long-term impact of this experience,” the Education Minister said. “I also want to acknowledge and express our gratitude to the Government and people of Taiwan for their continued commitment to strengthening our partnership and for making this incredible opportunity possible for our young Saint Lucians.”

In awarding the scholarships, Hon. Edward said every effort is made to operate on a level playing field so that every Saint Lucian who qualifies has an equal opportunity to being accepted.

For the MOFA programme, students can pursue Bachelors, Masters and PhDs with no restriction on the subjects. There is also an optional one-year Mandarin Language Training.

For the TaiwanICDF programme, students can pursue Masters and PhDs in 29 programmes offered by 19 universities. All programmes are taught in English.

For the Public Health programme, students can pursue 1 Bachelors, 38 Masters and 38 PhDs. All programmes are taught in English.

Successful awardees will be provided with flight tickets, housing, tuition fees, credits fees, insurance, and textbooks.

During the briefing, prospective candidates were briefed on the criteria and application process for the various scholarships being offered. Resource persons included Mrs. Selena Chang, Deputy Counselor of the Taiwan Embassy, Mrs. Aarah Frederick, Taiwan Embassy Scholarship Assistant, and Mrs. Earline Jules-Justin, Human Resource Development Assistant from the Ministry of Education.

This year’s application process for the Taiwan Scholarships ends on Friday, March 14, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Caribbean Time (ECT). For more information about the Taiwan Scholarship Programme application process, go to the “Taiwan in Saint Lucia” Facebook page, call the Taiwanese Embassy at 1 (758) 452 8105, or send an email to taiwanembassyslu@gmail.com.