Taipei, March 16 (CNA) The Ministry of Education (MOE) said Saturday relevant schools will be asked to provide additional care and subsidies to their students from Honduras, after local media reported that Honduran students in Taiwan were still awaiting promised funds from their government, a year after the severance of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The Central American country, which established diplomatic relations in 1941 with the Republic of China (ROC) when the government was still based in mainland China, announced the end of ties with Taiwan on March 25, 2023 (March 26 Taiwan time) via social media.
Subsequently, it signed a joint communiqué with the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing, marking the end of the 82-year relationship between Honduras and Taiwan.
As a result, Taiwan’s government stopped providing scholarships for Honduran students, as well as other assistance for the country.
According to the reports, the Honduran government, which pledged to provide subsidies before Feb. 29 to its students in Taiwan so that they could finish their studies here, has failed to transfer the funds, leading to difficulties for the students.
In response, the MOE said schools will be asked to provide additional care and counseling to students as needed, while the Honduran students can apply for scholarships, emergency relief funds, fee exemptions, or installment payments, according to relevant school regulations.
Schools can also assist in arranging part-time work for the students, the ministry added.
According to the MOE data, there were a total of 285 students from Honduras studying in Taiwan this academic year, including 165 pursuing formal degrees, one overseas Chinese student, 118 Mandarin learners, and one exchange student.
In addition, the Taiwan Scholarship and Huayu Enrichment Scholarship Program office data showed that there were 104 Honduran recipients of the Taiwan Scholarship, with 64 students continuing to stay in Taiwan.
However, due to fluctuations in student enrollment, the MOE said it currently lacks precise statistics from each school.
Regarding the issue, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that out of the 26 schools where Honduran students study, a total of 20 schools are willing to provide scholarships and tuition fee deductions.
In addition, the ministry mentioned that it has extended the students’ flight tickets until their graduation.
Meanwhile, in response to the situation, National Taiwan University’s (NTU) Vice President for International Affairs, Yuan Hsiao-Wei (袁孝維), told CNA in a phone call that a total of 27 Honduran students were affected following the termination of diplomatic ties between the two nations, with 26 enrolled at the undergraduate programs and one pursuing a master’s degree.
Yuan added that 12 of them are set to graduate this year.
Yuan said NTU has pledged to provide full tuition waivers for students even after the cessation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ scholarships, so that students can graduate.
For living expenses or other costs, students can apply for the university’s international student scholarship, which provides NT$8,000 (US$253) per month.
Yuan noted that the international student scholarship at NTU has academic requirements, but the threshold is not too high, ranging from a GPA of 3.0 to 3.33, depending on the grade level.
If students still encounter difficulties, they can approach the university for assistance, Yuan said.
She added that while the two nations severing diplomatic ties is regrettable, issues concerning human rights and the right to education will not be politicized by universities, which will continue to assist Honduran students to the best of their ability.
Meanwhile, an official from the Office of International Cooperation at National Chengchi University (NCCU) told CNA that about 10 Honduran students are currently enrolled. For students who previously received the Taiwan scholarship, NCCU offers special tuition arrangements to ensure they can graduate smoothly.
For general living expenses, part-time work opportunities will be available for the students. If the students encounter difficulties, they can also apply for emergency assistance funds established by alumni for foreign students, the official added.
