KUALA LUMPUR: Fifty-five Malaysian students have been awarded the 2022 Education Ministry Taiwan Scholarship and Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (HES) to pursue academic degrees and short-term Mandarin courses in Taiwan this year.
Among the 39 recipients of the scholarship, six are undertaking doctoral degree programmes, while 21 are pursuing master's degrees and 12 undergraduate degree programmes.
Sixteen HES scholarship awardees will study Mandarin in the university-affiliated language centres, while 15 out of 55 awardees, who are non-Chinese will undertake Mandarin courses, undergraduate and master's degree programmes in Taiwan.
Anne Hung, representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Malaysia, said in recent years, the number of Malaysian students studying in Taiwan had almost doubled.
"Malaysian students have always performed really well. We have strived for more scholarship quota from the Education Ministry over the years.
"Recipients of the Taiwan Scholarship have increased from 20 in 2019 to 39 this year. HES Recipients have also increased to 16," she said in her opening remarks of the Taiwan Scholarship and Huayu Enrichment Scholarship Award Ceremony here today.
She also said Taiwan's competitiveness had rapidly increased in the past years.
"Taiwan emerged as the seventh most competitive economy in the 2022 World Competitiveness Yearbook released by the Switzerland-based Institute for Management Development (IMD).
"The overall ranking has improved for the fourth consecutive year and the performance is extremely impressive. The focus on scientific research and practical application of knowledge in the higher education field in Taiwan has received high recognition from students from all over the world."
Hung added that apart from the excellent academic environment, the younger generation was attracted to further their studies in Taiwan because of its cultural society.
"With the rising number of English courses being introduced in the universities and colleges in Taiwan and the government's effort to establish a Muslim-friendly environment, many international students are keen to explore the (Taiwan) experiences either by undertaking full-time degree courses or learning Mandarin," she said.
One of the scholarship recipients this year is Nor Ain Daniella Abdul Samad, 25, who has enrolled in a Mandarin course at one of the university-affiliated language centres.
"I have always wanted to learn Mandarin since kindergarten, but I was unable to do so due to lack of opportunities.
"This is why I am thankful for this scholarship and I am very excited as I hope to learn as much as I can in the three months given to expand my knowledge in Mandarin," she said.
There are various scholarships and bursaries offered by the universities and colleges in Taiwan to encourage excellent international students to further their studies there.
Those interested can inquire with the universities directly or visit Study in Taiwan website at https://www.studyintaiwan.org/and the Education Division https://www.edutwmy.com for more details.