TECO offers more opportunities for Filipinos to study in Taiwan through scholarships

THE Taipei Economic and Cultural Office ( TECO) in the Philippines has once again opened various scholarship programs for qualified Filipino students. These scholarships are intended for Filipinos who wish to pursue further studies in Taiwan—whether Master’s and Doctoral Degrees— or for those who would like to learn the Mandarin Language in Taiwan.

Due to popular demand and the positive responses from the Filipino students in the previous years, Taiwan‘s Ministry of Education (MOE) has decided to offer more slots for the scholarships to give more chances for Filipinos to study in Taiwan, learn the traditional Mandarin language through a different approach, experience the rich and vibrant Taiwanese culture, and broaden their international perspectives through their day-to-day experiences there.

As from February 1, 2018, Taiwan through TECO in the Philippines has opened the application for the following scholarship programs:

Ministry of Education (MOE) Scholarship which gives two-year scholarship for Master’s and four years for Doctoral Degree. MOE will shoulder 40, 000 New Taiwan Dollar (NTD) of the tuition and the remaining costs will be shouldered by the scholar. An additional 20, 000 NTD will be given every month as scholar’s stipend. Application is from February 1 to April 30

Huayu (Mandarin) Enrichment Scholarship which allows applicants to choose to pursue either two or three months intensive Mandarin courses subject to TECO’s approval. A monthly stipend of 25, 000 NTD will be provided to cover all the expenses. Application is from February 1 to March 31.

International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) which covers full tuition fee, living expenses, economy class airfare tickets and textbook costs. Scholars pursuing Master’s will receive a monthly stipend of 15, 000 NTD and 20, 000 NTD for those pursuing Doctoral degrees. Application is from February 1 to March 31.

Interested applicants may only choose one scholarship program among these offerings and must process first their university admission to their preferred university in Taiwan. They also have to comply and submit necessary documents to TECO for review and recommendation based from the indicated deadlines of each program. It is important to note that a student is ineligible to apply if he or she is currently enrolled in another program in Taiwan. Scholarship guidelines and additional requirements prescribed by TECO can be found at the official website of TECO in the Philippines at www.roc-taiwan.org/ph.

Since the introduction of the scholarship programs to the Philippines, Taiwan has partnered with Philippine institutions and universities to attract more young and capable talents to study in their country. More and more Filipinos have become interested to pursue their studies there because of various reasons. Aside from being the Philippine’s closest neighbor, Taiwan is also home to some of the nicest people in the world. They share the same qualities as their Filipino neighbors and provide a very affordable living environment for those staying there. Taiwan also possesses some of the best professors and high- class university facilities worldwide. It is truly the best location for Filipinos to pursue higher studies due to the conveniences that it presents.

Most of the Taiwan Alumni Scholars, who successfully finished their degrees, now hold various key positions in the government, academia, business and other sectors. All boast of rich and unforgettable experiences during their stay there and have come to love the country as their own.

In order to enhance the relationship with its neighboring countries, President Tsai Ing-wen is pushing forward with the “New Southbound Policy” to emphasize greater people to people exchanges in the different sectors, especially in the fields of education, tourism, and culture. Dr. Gary SongHuann Lin, Representative of Taiwan to the Philippines is hoping that more and more Filipinos will seize these opportunities to study and experience Taiwan, as the two countries share a lot of commonalities and could really work together. “Taiwan can offer the resources, knowledge and technology, while Philippines can complement it through its young talents who are willing to equip themselves and be trained”, emphasized Lin.