New Delhi. Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre (TECC) in India has awarded scholarships to 79 students, mostly from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
Ambassador and TECC Representative Chung-kwang Tien gave away the scholarships to the students that include 45 of Taiwan Scholarship recipients and 34 of Huayu (Chinese) Enrichment Scholarship this year during its annual scholarship awards ceremony held in New Delhi on July 18.
According to Ambassador Tien the recipients included students from 22 states of India that covered more than 80% of India. The number of Indian students studying in Taiwan has gone up by 45% in the last couple of years and has reached the highest ever number of 2,398.
“The number of scholarships to Indian students were 12 in the year 2016 while it is 45 this year. In 2016, we spent Rs. 3 crore but this year the amount has reached to Rs. 14 crore,” he added.
Stating that no talented students should lose an opportunity for pursuing further education due to financial constraints, Ambassador Tien encourages scholarship recipients to work harder in studies as well as learn more of Taiwanese culture. He said the educational link is the most important exchange activities between India and Taiwan.
Every year, there are two categories of the scholarship provided by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education, one is Taiwan Scholarship for degree-seeking and the other is Mandarin Chinese Scholarship.
This year, 45 Taiwan Scholarship recipients got the fully-funded scholarship for their further study in Taiwan. Among them, 23 are for Ph.D. Degree, 20 are for Master Degree, and 2 for Bachelor Degree. Moreover, 34 Huayu(Chinese) Enrichment Scholarship recipients will go to Taiwan’s universities for an intensive language course of 3, 6, or 12 months.
TECC’s Education Division Director Peters Chen said, “Taiwan now is ranked the No. 13 destination for Indian students (2,398) to pursue their further degrees. National Taiwan University ranked No. 67 in QS ranking 2019 and there are 5 universities ranked within the top 200.”
According to Peters Chen reasonable tuition fee makes it easy for foreign students, with around Rs. 1 .1 lakh per year (two semesters) in national university and around RS. 2.2 lakh per year in a private university.
“Taiwan’s universities sincerely welcome more and more Indian students to visit Taiwan and study in Taiwan. Many courses in departments in universities in Taiwan can be conducted in English. Upon approval, graduated foreign students can even apply for (job-seeking) further extension visa, in order to look for a job or apply for the work permit. The total extended period of residency is one year at most. It is a friendly environment for studying and for a bright career,” he added.
This year, the applicants are from all over India. Those who successfully received these scholarships represent India’s multiple states, such as Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi, Telangana, Assam, Chattisgarh, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Sikkim, Maharashtra, Manipur including one of the seven union territories of India, the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Recipients are also from South Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal.
Taiwan now is ranked the No. 13 destination for Indian students to pursue their further degrees. In 2018, there were 2,398 Indian students studying in Taiwan. National Taiwan University ranked No. 67 in QS ranking 2019 and there are 5 universities ranked within the top 200.
Ambassador Tien gave the award to each student and had a photo session with their family members also during the ceremony.
