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.
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