130 Malaysian students awarded scholarships by Taiwan
The recipients include 37 students under the Ministry of Education Taiwan Scholarship and 88 under the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (HES).
Taiwan's representative to Malaysia, Phoebe Yeh, congratulated the students and encouraged them to make full use of the opportunity to gain global exposure.
"Malaysian students have always performed well, and we hope that the recipients take this opportunity to expand their knowledge and broaden their horizons during their time studying in Taiwan.
"The skills and expertise obtained will enable them to excel themselves in various fields and may serve as a bridge for enhancing the bilateral relationship between Taiwan and Malaysia as top talents," she said.
She said Taiwan enjoyed a growing global reputation, adding that it ranks sixth in the 2025 World Competitiveness Rankings by the International Institute for Management Development.
Yeh added that Taiwan's universities were well known for research, innovation, and strong industry-academia collaboration.
Among the success stories of past scholarship recipients is Madeline Chong, an alumna of the 2019 Taiwan Scholarship programme who previously studied mass communication.
She said she didn't expect to be in the environmental field, and the opportunity given to her has turned into a life-changing journey.
Madeline said her passion for environmental education started when she covered a beach cleanup during her internship at Tamkang TV station, where she met members of the Wilderness Society, Taiwan's largest environmental non-governmental organisation.
"Out of curiosity, I joined their nature facilitator training. Suddenly, every Tuesday I was hugging trees, walking through forests in the dark, and guiding groups to connect with nature."
Her newfound passion led her to pursue a master's degree in environmental education at National Taiwan Normal University, the first university in Taiwan dedicated to this field.
With support from the Taiwan Scholarship, she explored ways to foster empathy for animals among children, working closely with Taipei Zoo on education programmes.
She said after completing her studies, she returned to Malaysia to share her knowledge and is now co-founder and director of Eco Lestari Strategy Sdn Bhd
"But let me be honest, all this wasn't always smooth. There were days of confusion, financial stress, self-doubt, moments where I felt lost or unsure if I was doing the right thing.
"But Taiwan taught me something I still hold on to: resilience. The most meaningful growth happens when no one is watching," she said at the Taiwan Scholarship & Huayu Enrichment Scholarship Award Ceremony.
Of the 37 Taiwan Scholarship recipients, five will pursue doctoral studies, 25 will enrol in master's programmes, and seven will undertake undergraduate degrees.
Each Taiwan Scholarship recipient will receive tuition fees of NTD 40,000 (RM5,800) per semester and a monthly allowance of up to NTD 20,000 (RM2,900). HES recipients will receive a stipend of NTD 28,000 (RM3,900) per month.
Five other Malaysians have been awarded the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund Scholarship for master's programmes.
The awards were presented at a ceremony organised by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Malaysia today.
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