The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is looking to recruit 40 students as part of its annual youth ambassadors program to take part in a 10-day trip to Caribbean ally Saint Lucia that it hopes will enhance bilateral ties and broaden the students’ worldviews.
The ministry said it started accepting applications yesterday.
Applicants must be Taiwanese nationals aged 18 to 35 and be in a university or graduate school program in Taiwan, Department of NGO International Affairs Director-General Constance Wang (王雪虹) said.
Photo: Lu Yi-hsuan, Taipei Times
Taiwanese in that age group with a good command of English, or with special talents in the performing arts such as singing or dancing, are welcome to apply, she said.
Given that Saint Lucia’s economy is based on tourism and agriculture, the ministry is hoping to find four to five young Taiwanese who have won national-level cooking contests to join this year’s youth ambassador delegation, Wang said.
“We are hoping that their cooking skills can help connect people in the two countries and promote food diplomacy in the process,” she said.
Application forms can be downloaded from mofa.gov.tw and should be sent by registered mail to the Department of NGO International Affairs by June 30.
Those selected would need to undergo two weeks of training in Taipei before visiting Saint Lucia from Sept. 2 to 11.
Since its launch in 2009, the annual initiative has sent 1,800 youth ambassadors to other countries to take part in volunteer activities and seminars, and deliver cultural performances, the ministry said.
Trips were postponed in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In other developments, National Science and Technology Council Minister Wu Tsung-tsong (吳政忠) on Monday met with visiting Research Council of Lithuania Chairman Gintaras Valincius to promote scientific research cooperation between the two countries, most notably in the field of laser and biomedical technologies.
Taiwan and Lithuania have had a close relationship in the past few years, and the two sides would seek to deepen bilateral scientific research cooperation, Wu said during his meeting with Valincius.
Valincius said he had been deeply impressed by Taiwan’s scientific research development during his previous visit, and since becoming head of Lithuania’s research council, he is promoting the signing of a cooperation agreement between the two sides.
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