Saint Lucian nationals are being encouraged to apply for the 2023 Taiwan ICDF Scholarships and Taiwan MOFA Scholarships. The application period is now open and runs until March 15, 2023.

A two-hour briefing session was held on Friday, February 17, 2023, at the Union Orchid Gardens, where nearly 200 prospective applicants were provided with information about the application process, what benefits each scholarship provides, and what to expect while living and studying in Taiwan. They also had the opportunity to quiz officials and past scholarship students about their personal experiences in Taiwan.

The scholarships offered by Taiwan vary and include the ICDF Scholarships, MOFA Taiwan Scholarships, and I-Shou University Medical Programme.

Under the ICDF Scholarship, 33 programmes are offered by 22 universities offering 3 PhD and Doctorate Programmes, 22 Master’s Programmes, and 8 Undergraduate Programmes.

The MOFA Taiwan Scholarship offers Pre-degree Mandarin Language Enrichment Programme (LEP), and Degree programmes, including Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD programmes.

The I-Shou University Medical Programme offers Bachelor of Medicine in English.

His Excellency Peter Chia-yen Chen, Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saint Lucia, said both Taiwan and Saint Lucia have rich cultures, traditions, and reputable educational capacities. Since 2007, he said, a total of 262 outstanding Saint Lucian students have been granted Taiwan scholarships.

“The scholarship programme covers a wide range of academic disciplines and are available to both undergraduate and graduate programmes, and the scholarships provide full tuition and living expenses for the duration of the scholarship,” Ambassador Chen said.

Ambassador Chen added: “Under the great leadership of Hon. Shawn Edward, Minister for Education, Sustainable Development, Innovation, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, the Taiwan Embassy works closely with the Ministry of Education and Government of Saint Lucia to increase educational resources. I’m glad to see more and more Saint Lucian students graduate from Taiwan scholarship programmes return home to work or create their careers to enrich this country.”

Ms. Michelle Charles, Permanent Secretary in the Department of Education, Innovation and Vocational Training, the high number of persons expressing interest in the scholarships is a strong indication that the Ministry is able to deliver on its hashtag #EducateSaintLucia vision.

“This vision really speaks to creating awareness, opportunity and access to higher education for our Saint Lucian citizens,” she said. “This offer by the Government and people of Taiwan is one that aligns very well with our vision.”

Charles implored the prospective scholarships awardees to truly appreciate the opportunities that come with studying abroad.

“This exposure in Taiwan also gives you an opportunity to learn a new language,” she explained. “It may seem difficult at first, but I know other students who have been there and excelled in the language programme. It also gives you the chance to immerse yourself in a whole new culture, something that I would want to encourage all the successful applicants to embrace. It’s also a chance for you to broaden your network.”

Meanwhile, Ms. Althea Emmanuel, Human Resource Development Officer in the Ministry of Education, thanked the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) for their continuous support to the people of Saint Lucia, especially with regard to offering of scholarship opportunities. Under the Taiwan scholarship programmes, she said, a total of 109 Saint Lucians are currently pursuing studies in various disciplines.

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