Eighty-six Indonesian students have been selected to study in Taiwan this year under two Ministry of Education scholarship programs, following a selection process that attracted more than 1,200 applicants.
Taiwan’s representative office in Indonesia held a pre-departure orientation on Friday in Jakarta to brief the scholarship recipients on student visas, residence procedures and campus life in Taiwan.
Former recipients of the two scholarships — the Taiwan Scholarship program, which supports undergraduate, master’s and doctoral studies, and the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship, which provides funding for one year of Mandarin-language study — were also invited to share their experiences.
Photo: CNA
The orientation, which was co-organized with BINUS University in Jakarta, was held in person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Taipei Economic and Trade Office (TETO) in Indonesia said.
Speaking at the event, Taiwan’s Representative to Indonesia Bruce Hung (洪振榮) said more than 19,000 Indonesian students are studying in Taiwan, making Indonesia the second-largest source of international students after Vietnam.
Aside from offering a strong Mandarin-language learning environment and diverse higher education opportunities, Taiwan also plays a key role in the global artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor supply chains, Hung said, adding that he encouraged the students to learn about Taiwan’s tech sector during their studies.
BINUS University President Dr. Nelly S. Kom said in a prerecorded video that the university looked forward to expanding academic cooperation and exchanges with higher education institutions in Taiwan.
University Vice President Rini Setiowati represented the school at the event.
Among the alumni sharing their experiences was Hansen, a 2024 Huayu Enrichment Scholarship recipient who studied Mandarin at Tamkang University’s Chinese Language Center for a year.
Now back in Indonesia, Hansen said he uses Mandarin in his job and credited his time in Taiwan with improving his language skills and career prospects. He said proficiency in Chinese has become more valuable as exchanges with Chinese-speaking markets continue to grow.
