Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 2 (CNA) Indonesians who received scholarships to study in Taiwan discussed their reasons for wanting to study in Taiwan at an event in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The Taipei Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta, Indonesia, held an information session that day for 69 scholarship recipients who will study at graduate schools or learn Chinese in Taiwan. The number of recipients was up by 77 percent compared to last year.
The 69 awardees were selected from among 1,037 applicants for the scholarships awarded by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Technology and the International Cooperation and Development Fund.
One of the successful applicants is Hatmi Idris, who teaches Chinese at the University of Indonesia and studied in Taiwan as a university student. She will receive a second scholarship this year to attend a Ph.D. program at National Chengchi University.
Hatmi said she not only improved her Chinese, but also learned valuable skills during her previous stay in Taiwan. For example, she learned to manage her time more effectively and to be punctual.
Hatmi, who speaks fluent Chinese, also praised the hospitality of Taiwanese. She said that even though her Chinese was not particularly good when she first arrived in Taiwan, teachers, classmates and even strangers were always patient when speaking with her.
Another scholarship awardee, Assaidah Adnan, is a university lecturer who will study electronic engineering at National Chiao Tung University.
She said many Taiwanese universities have a high global ranking, which is why she applied for a scholarship.
She said she hopes to study advanced technology and take back what she learns to share with students in Indonesia.
Phoebe Yeh, deputy representative of Taipei Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta, said the hope is that Indonesians who receive scholarships will serve as a bridge between Taiwan and Indonesia in the future and help more Indonesian people learn about Taiwan.
