The "2022 Joint Closing Ceremony of the Three Schools of the New Southbound Elite Training Class" was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 6th, and 50 students from the main target countries of the New Southbound gathered together.

(Photo by reporter Yang Chengyu)

[Reporter Yang Chengyu/Taipei Report] "The 2022 Joint Closing Ceremony of the Three Schools of the New Southbound Elite Training Program" was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 6th.

Regarding whether to expand the management, Hikari Tanaka responded in an interview after the meeting that the effect of the special class has already appeared, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will find ways to allow more schools and students to participate in this plan and expand management.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the "2022 New Southbound Elite Cultivation Special Class" was led by representatives of the National Taipei University of Technology, National Quemoy University, and Taipei Medical University. 50 students from the main target countries of the New Southbound gathered for this special class. Together, officials from relevant countries stationed in Taiwan, Lu Fengjing, negotiator of the Economic and Trade Negotiation Office of the Executive Yuan, and Yang Hao, CEO of the "Taiwan Asia Exchange Foundation" were invited to attend the ceremony to witness the achievements of the students of the New Southbound Training Special Class in Taiwan for 5 months .  

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In his speech, Hikaru Tanaka said that the "New Southbound Elite Training Special Class Program" first promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was successfully completed with the careful planning of the three universities and the support of various institutions in Taiwan.

The first 50 students come from 6 countries including Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, and India. They will return to their hometowns with "Taiwan experience" to start a new journey. I believe that during the process of studying in Taiwan, the students will have a better understanding of Taiwan's free, democratic and open society And my country's role in global politics and economics and maintaining regional stability.

These interactions help to deepen exchanges between the young generations of each other, and alumni of the special class are welcome to visit Taiwan again in the future.  

Yang Chongguang, vice president of Beijing University of Science and Technology, said that students who receive semiconductor professional courses at Beijing University of Science and Technology, combined with Chinese language learning, cultural experience and visits to companies, believe that they will be rich in life assets.

Yan Yufang, International Director of King University, expressed in her speech that she hoped that the learning achievements at King University would become the nourishment of students’ lives. The school cherishes this friendship and hopes to continue the new southbound friendship seeds by organizing annual alumni associations in the future.

Cai Peishan, International Director of Beijing Medical University, said that in addition to focusing on medical and health professional courses at Beijing Medical University, students also went to Keelung to visit migrant workers in Southeast Asian countries and actively participated in charity activities to care for migrant workers. These local connections after school are invaluable. 

In an interview after the meeting, Hikari Tanaka said that one of the most important elements of the New Southbound Policy is talent cultivation. For young friends in the New Southbound countries, it is absolutely not enough to learn about Taiwan from textbooks or newspapers and magazines.

With this plan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs invites all New Southbound partner countries to recommend outstanding young people to come to Taiwan to study professional disciplines, language and culture.

He believes that the results this time are very good. These students feel kind to Taiwan, and they still want to come to Taiwan, and they will recommend it to their friends.

And this expansion of soft power is of great help to the New Southbound Policy.

Therefore, cultivating these young generations is also an important part of the New Southbound Policy.

As for whether to continue this special class, Hikari Tanaka responded that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to handle this plan.

The trainees also agreed to set up an alumni association. Culture, language and some necessary courses can also be learned through the Internet.

Therefore, the end of this project is not the end, but a further extension.

As for whether the number of participating schools will be expanded, Hikaru Tanaka said that now it seems that the effect has been shown, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will try to get more schools to join and expand the process. "The number of people and the number of schools will be expanded."