The Ministry of the Interior has granted Taiwanese citizenship to seven foreign professionals, including award-winning Belgian composer Thomas Foguenne.
A total of 245 foreign professionals have been granted citizenship since the government amended the Nationality Act (國籍法) in December 2016, the ministry said yesterday.
The seven professionals were eligible to receive Taiwanese citizenship without renouncing their original nationality, according to the amended act.
Photo: Hu Shuan-hsiang, Taipei Times
Foguenne is a member of Sabam, the Belgian Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers. He has written the scores for more than 80 videos and films since 2011, the ministry said.
He was nominated for three Golden Bell Awards for best sound in 2016, 2017 and 2018, winning the award in 2016 and in 2018.
Another professional who was granted citizenship is a Vietnamese woman surnamed Tran (陳).
She specializes in advanced technologies including nanotechnology, energy conservation and artificial intelligence.
She has had 20 papers published in the Science Citation Index, a quarterly journal that publishes papers and articles in all fields of research.
Tran has also published four books and her outstanding research ability has helped Taiwan improve its professional technologies, the ministry said.
A Spanish man teaching Chinese, as well as corporate ethics and international economics, was also granted citizenship.
Naturalized professionals have the right to participate in Taiwanese politics and benefit from social welfare programs, the ministry said.
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