The British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) in Taipei invited applications yesterday for the Mansion House Scholarship, which is open to Taiwanese students and young business executives in the financial services sector, a BTCO press release said.
The Mansion House Scholarship Scheme targets overseas students wishing to take masters-level degree courses at British universities, as well as young business executives or officials wishing to undertake training or work experience in the financial services sector or related business activities.
Applications for the scholarship will close on Aug. 15 and applicants may be required to attend an interview at the BTCO, the press release said.
Application forms are available at www.btco.org.tw, while details of the scheme can be found at www.mansionhousescholars.org.uk.
“The scheme provides an excellent opportunity to gain a better insight into British business life and underlying cultural perceptions,” the press release added.
The scheme was established by Lord Mayor of London Sir Richard Nichols in 1997 to help build links between London — the world’s leading financial center — and other financial centers, as he was struck during his overseas visits by the high regard in which London is held by foreign business communities and by the number of students who wish to study in the UK, the press release said.
Since then, it has awarded 66 scholarships to recipients from 37 countries, including one from Taiwan. The scheme is funded primarily through donations by business and trade groups in the City of London and awards vary in size from £5,000 (US$9,822) to £7,500.
Mansion House Scholarships are offered in countries the Lord Mayor visits. Incumbent Lord Mayor of the City of London David Lewis is scheduled to visit Taiwan this October and will award the scholarship to the successful applicant in person. The selection of the successful applicant will be made by the lord mayor’s office on the advice of the BTCO.
National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology (NKUST) yesterday promised it would increase oversight of use of Chinese in course materials, following a social media outcry over instances of simplified Chinese characters being used, including in a final exam. People on Threads wrote that simplified Chinese characters were used on a final exam and in a textbook for a translation course at the university, while the business card of a professor bore the words: “Taiwan Province, China.” Photographs of the exam, the textbook and the business card were posted with the comments. NKUST said that other members of the faculty did not see
The Taipei City Government yesterday said contractors organizing its New Year’s Eve celebrations would be held responsible after a jumbo screen played a Beijing-ran television channel near the event’s end. An image showing China Central Television (CCTV) Channel 3 being displayed was posted on the social media platform Threads, sparking an outcry on the Internet over Beijing’s alleged political infiltration of the municipal government. A Taipei Department of Information and Tourism spokesman said event workers had made a “grave mistake” and that the Television Broadcasts Satellite (TVBS) group had the contract to operate the screens. The city would apply contractual penalties on TVBS
A new board game set against the backdrop of armed conflict around Taiwan is to be released next month, amid renewed threats from Beijing, inviting players to participate in an imaginary Chinese invasion 20 years from now. China has ramped up military activity close to Taiwan in the past few years, including massing naval forces around the nation. The game, titled 2045, tasks players with navigating the troubles of war using colorful action cards and role-playing as characters involved in operations 10 days before a fictional Chinese invasion of Taiwan. That includes members of the armed forces, Chinese sleeper agents and pro-China politicians
The lowest temperature in a low-lying area recorded early yesterday morning was in Miaoli County’s Gongguan Township (公館), at 6.8°C, due to a strong cold air mass and the effect of radiative cooling, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. In other areas, Chiayi’s East District (東區) recorded a low of 8.2°C and Yunlin County’s Huwei Township (虎尾) recorded 8.5°C, CWA data showed. The cold air mass was at its strongest from Saturday night to the early hours of yesterday. It brought temperatures down to 9°C to 11°C in areas across the nation and the outlying Kinmen and Lienchiang (Matsu) counties,
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