The Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) held a pre-departure explanatory meeting for its 2019 Taiwan Youth and Overseas Expatriate Bridging Program on May 25 in Taipei. Accompanied by OCAC Minister Wu Hsin-hsing, Vice President Chen Chien-jen attended the event and gave his regards to participants. The Vice President conveyed two missions that President Tsai hopes the students can accomplish; firstly, use social media to share all they see and experience overseas; secondly, make many friends, introduce Taiwan’s current economic, political, cultural and education situation to them, and share the fruits of Taiwan’s promotion of freedom, democracy, rule of law and human rights with overseas compatriots and local people.
Vice President Chen said that the Bridging Program is intended to expand the international outlook of Taiwan’s young people and allow them to build up a network of personal connections. He also expressed the hope that the program can establish a bridge for interaction and mutual assistance between overseas compatriots and Taiwan. The Vice President further hopes that participants can serve as diplomatic and compatriot affairs ambassadors for the government and use the skills they have acquired to show overseas compatriots and foreign friends that Taiwan is a beacon of universal values such as freedom, democracy, rule of law, human rights and humanitarian assistance.
Minister Wu said President Tsai hopes that as intellectuals from some of the highest seats of learning in Taiwan, university students realize the difficulties and challenges the country faces internationally, how diplomatic staff strive to protect the national interest and how overseas compatriots support and help the government and assist the nation. Under President Tsai’s instructions, the OCAC has expanded the Bridging Program this year, with Central American, South American and African countries included for the first time. Wu expressed the belief that the Bridging Program can help student participants expand their international outlook, which will come in very useful in future in the workplace.
In 2019, 234 students will be sent to 18 countries on six continents under the Bridging Program, newly expanded to include Central and South America and Africa for the first time. Vice President Chen personally handed over the flag to student representatives during the event.
Under the Bridging Program, participants will receive training at overseas units, visit overseas communities and overseas compatriot youth leaders. They will also have a chance to personally experience how overseas compatriots live by staying with a family, while visiting local political and economic institutions and taking part in local social activities.
