The British Office Taipei is accepting applications for Chevening Scholarships to study in the UK, it said yesterday.
The office on Monday hosted Taiwanese Chevening alumni to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the global scholarship program, the office said in a news release.
The Taiwan version of the program, launched in 1990, has helped more than 240 students study in the UK, it said.
Photo courtesy of the office
The British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office partners with Taiwan’s Delta Electronics Foundation and Taiwanese business tycoon Winston Wong (王文洋) to fund the Taiwan version of the program, it said.
The program not only identifies and cultivates talent from around the globe, but also helps enhance people-to-people exchanges through its alumni network, British trade envoy to Taiwan Richard Faulkner said at the celebration.
“I hope the Chevening connection with Taiwan continues to live on and grow strong with Chevening alumni and local partnerships to advance ties between the UK and Taiwan,” he said.
Faulkner is in Taiwan with a delegation of 10 representatives from British renewable energy firms.
Vice Premier Cheng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) said that he was glad to see young Taiwanese participate in the program to hone their communication skills and enhance their areas of expertise.
They also helped expand Taiwan’s international exchanges on issues such as climate change and energy transition, which can boost the nation’s competitiveness on the global stage, Cheng said.
British Representative to Taiwan John Dennis said that the 240 previous recipients “are leaders, innovators and visionaries, each with their unique stories and experiences.”
They “are a testament to the transformative power of education, the Chevening spirit and the vibrancy of the UK-Taiwan relationship,” he said.
National Science and Technology Council Department of International Cooperation and Science Education director Yeh Chih-cheng (葉至誠), a Chevening alumnus, said that he applied for the scholarship with the aim of becoming a proficient civil servant.
“Taiwan and the UK now work together to help drive technological advancements, economic growth and meaningful change on a global scale, and I am proud that I am a part of that because of Chevening,” Yeh said.
Applications for Chevening Scholarships are open until Nov. 7, the office said.
Those who have completed an undergraduate degree and have at least two years of work experience are eligible to apply for the scholarship, which covers tuition fees for one year of a master’s degree course at any UK university, it said.
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