An Indonesian doctoral student and caregiver on Sunday each won NT$20,000 at a ceremony in Taipei for a short video contest aimed at sharing information about Taiwan with people in their homeland.
Triwandi Januar, 27, who studies at a university in Taoyuan, won top honors in the category for students and working professionals for his three-minute video aimed at motivating Indonesians to study in Taiwan.
“We are comfortable studying in Taiwan because there are a lot of scholarships that the Taiwan government offers to us. That’s why I made the video,” Triwandi said.
Living in Taiwan since September 2017, Triwandi said he graduated with a master’s degree while on a scholarship and is now completing his doctorate, also on a scholarship.
The process for Indonesian students to study in Taiwan is not complicated, and the two countries’ representative offices would help with passport and visa applications, he said.
Another benefit for Indonesians studying in Taiwan is that Taiwan is Muslim-friendly and has prayer rooms in many locations, Triwandi said.
“My Taiwanese friends are quite open-minded and accept me and my faith. I have to pray five times a day and my Taiwanese friends all accept it,” he said.
The competition, which was organized by the Indonesia Economic and Trade Office to Taipei (IETO), also had a category for migrant workers, which was won by Suci Puspitasari, a caregiver from New Taipei City.
She took the top prize for her 2 minute, 50 second video about traveling from Taichung to Chiayi City to visit its sights and landmarks.
However, Suci was not able to attend the awards ceremony, because her employers would not agree to give her a day off work.
Her prize and the NT$20,000 award was accepted on her behalf by her younger cousin, a factory worker from Taichung named Maru.
Suci’s video featured scenes and information on Alishan National Forest Recreation Area (阿里山國家森林遊樂區) and the Wenhua Road Night Market in Chiayi City, and invited migrant workers to visit Taiwan.
Budi Santoso, head of IETO, said that the main objective of the competition was to give Indonesians in Taiwan the opportunity to contribute to protecting Indonesian citizens and help them assimilate into Taiwanese society.
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