A group of students from Reichman University in Israel has completed a trip to Taiwan under the Argov Fellows Program in Leadership and Diplomacy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at a news briefing yesterday.
Twenty-one Israeli students arrived in Taiwan on July 2 for a week-long visit to promote exchanges with Taiwanese students, Department of West Asian and African Affairs Director-General Anthony Ho (賀忠義) said.
Thanks to the efforts of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Tel-Aviv, the program organized its first trip to Taiwan since it was founded 17 years ago, Ho said.
Photo from the Instagram account of the Argov Fellows Program in Leadership and Diplomacy
The trip showed that the universal values of freedom and democracy upheld by Taiwan, as well as its political and economic achievements and soft power, have been recognized by like-minded countries, he said.
Most of the visitors were students of public administration, law or business management whose experience ranged from internships in multinational companies, founding humanitarian aid organizations or start-ups, to managing social media accounts, he said.
The group visited the Presidential Office, the Legislative Yuan, the ministry, the Straits Exchange Foundation, Hsinchu Science Park and the Taiwan Digital Diplomacy Association, Ho said.
The students also exchanged opinions with their counterparts at National Taiwan University and National Taiwan Normal University, as well as representatives of the ministry’s International Youth Ambassador Exchange Program, he said.
The group was invited to Taiwan as part of celebrations for the 30th anniversary of the Israel Economic and Cultural Office in Taipei and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Tel-Aviv, Ho said.
The trip was organized to deepen the friendship between young Taiwanese and Israelis through interactions, he said.
The young people can hopefully be a bridge for exchanges between Taiwan and Israel, and become an important force for deepening the friendship and cooperation between the two countries, he added.
Taiwan would continue to bolster relations and cooperation with like-minded countries while upholding the principles of freedom, democracy and human rights, he said.
The Argov Program, the brainchild of former Israeli ambassador Shlomo Argov, is a year-long interdisciplinary curriculum that combines academic training and practical skills through courses, seminars and workshops, the program’s Web site says.
It selects about 20 Reichman University students and nurtures them for leadership positions for Israel, it says.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his