THIRTY-THREE VINCENTIANS AWARDED SCHOLARSHIPS TO TAIWAN
Thirty-three Vincentians were given Taiwan ICDF scholarships at a ceremony held earlier today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs conference room on Friday, August 11, 2023.
Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of SVG, congratulated the honorees and stated that his government remains devoted to education and promoting educational opportunities for all Vincentians, a vision shared by the Government of the Republic of China on Taiwan.
“We were given six scholarships at first, and they have now grown to 33 per year… Since the program’s inception, we have 269 including the 33 this year, representing 8% of the total number.” “The cost of each scholarship is around $200,000 Easter Caribbean,” Dr. Gonsalves stated.
Her Excellency, Fiona Fan, the newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of China on Taiwan to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, stated at the first official event that the scholarships symbolize the “power of diplomacy” because they strengthen bilateral relations between St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Taiwan and help to foster social and economic development.
The Ambassador encouraged the scholarship applicants to take advantage of the opportunities provided by studying in Taiwan. Ambassador Fan also encouraged the students to use their expertise gained in Taiwan to help further their country’s development after completing their programs.
Myccle Burke, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education and National Reconciliation, thanked Taiwan for supporting many educational and economic opportunities, including the Women’s Empowerment Project, the ON- SITE program, and infrastructure projects, among others.
Hon. Keisal Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, testified on how far access to education has progressed and highlighted that in commemoration of forty-two years of diplomatic relations with Taiwan, scholarships are distributed as more prospects for growth are opened.
Currently, over a hundred people have benefited from MOFA scholarships, while over seventy people have benefited from ICDF scholarships. Minister Peters stated that there is a visible cultural interchange between Taiwan and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, since there are people in Taiwan specializing in Vincentian cuisine and other aspects of Taiwan’s culture are being accepted.
Taiwanese scholarships have benefited a total of 269 Vincentians to date.
