32 Vietnamese students receive full scholarships from Taiwan

Most of the students will pursue studies in Taiwan’s strong fields such as science, engineering, healthcare, and social sciences, it was announced at a ceremony organized by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Ho Chi Minh City this week, where the scholarships were granted.

The scholarship is the most prestigious available to Vietnamese students and scholars in Taiwan. Recipients receive TWD40,000 (US$1,237) per semester for tuition, along with a monthly living allowance of TWD 15,000. Master’s and doctoral students receive additional support of TWD20,000.

The application process for this scholarship includes transcripts, recommendation letters, proof of admission to a Taiwanese school, a study plan, and a TOCFL score of 3 or higher (or a minimum IELTS score of 5.5 or equivalent for studies conducted in English).

Han Kuo-Yao, Director of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Ho Chi Minh City, noted that this year saw 250 applications—the highest number since the scholarship was first awarded in 2006. All applicants had excellent academic records, with an average score of 8 or higher, and some achieving near-perfect scores.

“We hope that after completing their studies, many students will return and contribute to the development of Vietnam,” Kuo-Yao said.

Additionally, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Ho Chi Minh City awarded 24 Mandarin language scholarships (HES) this round. Each recipient will be sponsored for 3 to 12 months of Mandarin language study at universities and colleges.

Compared to last year, the number of full scholarship recipients increased by two, while the number of Mandarin language scholarships increased by eight. According to statistics from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam ranks first in the number of international students in Taiwan, with about 27,000 currently enrolled.