A group of 26 young professionals from Pacific island nations are in Taiwan for a leadership program to learn more about the nation’s political and economic development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
The participants from 13 countries — including Fiji, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Palau, the Solomon Islands and the Marshall Islands — are attending a four-week training session that is to conclude on Nov. 8 under the Pacific Islands Leadership Program, the ministry said.
The annual program is organized by the ministry and the East-West Center, a US think tank based in Hawaii.
Following an eight-week session in Hawaii, the training in Taiwan provides courses that enhance the participants’ understanding of the nation’s political environment, economy and relations with the US and Pacific Island nations.
They also cover Taiwan’s foreign aid policies, developments in agriculture, education, environmental protection and Aboriginal culture, the ministry said.
The participants are scheduled to visit the Eden Social Welfare Foundation and World Vision Taiwan to learn more about the domestic development of non-governmental organizations, the ministry said.
Aged from 25 to 38, the participants come from a variety of fields, including international relations, business, education, human resources and public health, the ministry said. Three are government officials, it added.
The ministry’s Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs signed a memorandum of understanding in 2012 with the East-West Center on a joint program to develop future leaders in the Pacific Island region. The program aims to train 125 young leaders over five years, the ministry said.
Last year, 21 young professionals attended the leadership program, the ministry said.
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