Fri, Oct 16, 2026 page2

• Ministry to tighten contracts for youth overseas initiative amid complaints

  • By Sam Garcia / Staff writer, with CNA
  • • Add TT as Preferred Source
    • 
    • 
    • 

  The Ministry of Education today said it would improve contracts with international partners of its Global Pathfinders Initiative to reduce last-minute changes, after some participants reported canceled programs and changed itineraries.

  The NT$10 billion (US$308.74 million) initiative, launched last year, encourages young people to broaden their international horizons by fostering global connections and exchanges.

  In August, one participant posted on social media that they were told just one month before departure that their program was canceled, but they had already quit their job to go abroad.

  

  Representatives from EdYouth, the Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy and the Taiwan Engagement Association for Youth hold a news conference in Taipei today.

  Photo provided by EdYouth

  The overseas host organization in this case had abruptly ended its cooperation, the ministry said, pledging to provide the participant with a basic wage subsidy.

  At a news conference today, civic groups EdYouth, the Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy and the Taiwan Engagement Association for Youth said that the initiative has been criticized for its opaque budget, selection procedures and discrepancies between actual itineraries and advertised plans.

  Program participant Tsai Jui-ching (蔡睿璟), a first-year university student, said multiple friends reported last-minute changes to their itineraries, including one case in which participants were supposed to compete in a competition, but instead just visited the venue.

  Major changes need to have appropriate supporting measures to ensure participants do not bear any resulting costs themselves, Tsai said.

  EdYouth chairperson Tsai Chi-yeh (蔡其曄) called for stricter selection procedures and full disclosure of all necessary information before departure.

  Some partner organizations outsource arrangements to travel agencies, and there should be appropriate compensation when programs cannot proceed as planned, Tsai Chi-yeh said.

  The initiative is split into two key programs: the Dream Factory Program, which supports young people in realizing their own proposals to intern or study abroad, and the iYouth Talent Program, which gives participants opportunities to intern or study with international organizations in programs established by the government or its partners.

  The iYouth Talent Program needs to be improved to better protect participants’ rights, Taiwan Youth Association for Democracy chairperson Alice Yang (楊姿潁) said.

  In response, Youth Development Association Deputy Director-General Chen Yi-tsung (諶亦聰) said it can be difficult to ensure that the itinerary fully matches the original plan, as iYouth programs must be proposed a year in advance.

  Starting this year, the government would strengthen contract requirements and require letters of intent from overseas partners and universities to reduce any last-minute changes, Chen said.

  If unforeseen circumstances made changes necessary, alternative arrangements would be sought first, she said.

  If no alternative could be arranged, participants would receive compensation equal to 10 percent of their original grant amount, she added.

  Regarding some partner universities outsourcing travel and accommodation arrangements to travel agencies, Chen said that the ministry already has rules limiting outsourcing of administrative tasks.

  This is an important detail when reviewing programs, she said, adding that if schools entrust third parties to handle communications, “they are not the kind of partner we can confidently work with.”

  The selection process would also be improved, with audio and video recordings made throughout to ensure fairness, Chen added.
• Most Popular

  • 1

    CGA vessels reach new southernmost point for service

  • 2

    Taiwan closely monitoring plague rumors: premier

  • 3

    Drone firm executives detained over alleged use of China-made chips

  • 4

    Official outlines plans for Stinger missiles from US

  • 5

    Taiwan monitoring China pneumonic plague rumors, premier says