Taiwanese government offers more scholarships to Saint Lucians

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 – The government of Saint Lucia and the Taiwanese Embassy continue to make good on their mission to provide more higher education opportunities to Saint Lucians.

Government and Taiwanese Officials convened a briefing session last week for local youth to discuss the various aspects of the Taiwanese and the International Co-operation Development Fund (ICDF) scholarships.

Permanent secretary in the ministry of the public service, Phillip Dalsou, says it is government's priority to develop a highly qualified workforce. This he says, is important as the continuous development of the economy and by extension the country, and is based largely on the creation and utilization of knowledge.

“The pursuit of higher education allows us to develop this skilled and knowledgeable workforce and it is vital to us improving the GDP. The cost of tertiary education has escalated and many students have taken fairly big loans and are back paying these loans. The advantage therefore, of receiving these scholarships, is that when you come back, you won't have to pay this loan,” Dalsou said.

Taiwanese Ambassador Tom Chou says, the scholarships offered by his government provide students with an opportunity to broaden their understanding of the world and its various systems, by using modern technology and infrastructure.

“The academic levels in Taiwan are very high, so, from the environment, you can get an experience not only from the university but from living in Taiwan. And for the long-term economic success of Saint Lucia, we need more people who can get a degree from overseas in different important areas, that will benefit the long term development of this nation,” Mr. Chou said.

Currently, there are twenty Saint Lucian students who have been awarded Taiwanese and ICDF scholarships, and are pursuing degree programs in psychology, social development, information technology and communications, among others.

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