The Ministry of Education (MOE) yesterday launched a new scholarship program to attract more overseas Taiwanese to return to the nation to study.
Lin Shu-chen (林淑貞), director of the ministry’s Overseas Compatriot Educational Committee, told reporters that the ministry would offer the new scholarship to educationally distinguished overseas Taiwanese to coincide with the beginning of the next academic year.
Applicants must have good academic results from one of the top high schools in the nation where they live, have won an international math or science olympiad or have won at the International Science and Engineering Fair in the US.
Recipients of the scholarship will receive a monthly stipend of NT$25,000 — the same amount granted to recipients of the Taiwan Scholarship, Lin said.
The Taiwan Scholarship is a program jointly established by the MOE, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the National Science Council in 2004 to encourage international students to study in Taiwan.
Since the Taiwan Scholarship is tailor-made for international students, overseas Taiwanese cannot apply for it, Lin said.
Distinguished overseas Taiwanese studying in Taiwan could only apply for a monthly scholarship of between NT$10,000 and NT$12,500, Lin said.
Lin said the ministry was mulling integrating the Taiwan Scholarship Program and the scholarship program for overseas Taiwanese.
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