Taiwanese Embassy holds scholarship applications briefing

Scholarships for Taiwan generally attract scores of applicants; aside from earning a degree it provides students with the chance of learning Mandarin. This year, high school and sixth form students intend to apply; that group will be narrowed down to twenty or so who will actually be awarded the scholarships. News Five’s Duane Moody covered the proceedings today as the Taiwanese Embassy walked students through the application process.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Over two hundred and thirty students have had an opportunity to study in Taiwan. Every year some twenty plus students are selected from numerous applications as the lucky recipients of scholarships under the International Cooperation Development Fund of Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. To assist with the application process, the Embassy of Taiwan held a briefing for students and parents from across the country.

David Wu

David Wu, Ambassador, Republic of China (Taiwan)

“The application for studying in Taiwan has become a big event in Belize and we are very pleased that until now we have already had two hundred and thirty-two Belizean students who either went to study in Taiwan and completed to return home to contribute to your beautiful country or they are still studying in Taiwan. This year, this scholarship, we have two kinds—one is Taiwan scholarship which is taught in Mandarin, Chinese and the other one is ICDF Scholarship which is taught in English. In the past we normally have more scholarship of ICDF than Taiwan scholarship. However, this year, we again opened this application to the graduates of either high school or university countrywide in Belize because hopefully we can attract and invite more very good students to go study in Taiwan. When I say very good, I mean not only academically, but also their character, their expectation and their preparation to learn more to study better and to come home to work to develop this beautiful country.”

It is a life-changing opportunity for those in attendance—both high school and six form students—who say that it will not only assist their parents with the financial burdens of them getting an education, but also it allows them to dream big.

Henquief Williams

Henquief Williams, Student, SJCJC

“After I reviewed the website, a bunch of questions came into my mind, I was uncertain about certain things. My circumstances are different than anyone else’s. So I felt that if I came to the briefing, I would have figured out what I wanted to know. Why I want to go to Taiwan is because…well I’ll be real. You know, my mom, really doesn’t have that much money and I have many brothers and sisters, the opportunity is free.”

Sydellie Leslie

Sydellie Leslie, Student, Belize Christian Academy

“I believe that we need to look for opportunities to find what we want to do with our lives. We need to develop our country and I thought that it was very admirable how Taiwan has developed so much and they are such a small country. And I said, well if they can do it, you know Belize can do it.”

Also making a presentation at the briefing was the newly elected president of the Taiwan ICDF Alumni Society, Jacqueline Ifield. Ifield spoke of the fulfilling experience, despite the language barrier.

Jacqueline Ifield

Jacqueline Ifield, President, ICDF Alumni Society

“The scholarship gives them an opportunity to improve themselves first because it’s only when you improve yourself that you can help others and help Belize. The advice I would give them is to focus on themselves and to do as much as possible to learn not just in the classrooms, but go places and seek extracurricular activities.  You go out there and find out that things are very modern. You find out that transportation for example is very easy to get from one place to the other. The biggest challenge of course would be the language, but a lot of Taiwanese people actually learn English in school. They might be a little bit shy to speak English, but once they warm up to you and they realize that you need their help, they will try to help you as much as possible.”

According to Ambassador Wu, the scholarship program further strengthens the relations between both countries. Duane Moody for News Five.