The announcement was made last week by the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan), marking another milestone in the long-standing educational and diplomatic partnership between Taiwan and Saint Lucia.

Education Minister Hon. Shawn Edward lauded the scholarship awards as a substantial investment in Saint Lucia’s future.

“When I perused the list and saw the diversity that we’ve brought to the fore this year in terms of gender parity and the different fields of study, I concluded that in this room this morning, we are talking about millions of dollars worth of investment,” he remarked.

Minister Edward emphasised that the government’s commitment to human resource development is more than just political rhetoric.

Said Edward: “We are doing it because we have a profound belief that human resource development and training, more than anything else, is what will determine whether Saint Lucia thrives in a globally competitive environment or whether we sink and continue to exist at the mercy of more developed countries.”

Seven students were awarded the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) Scholarship, while 37 will receive the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Taiwan Scholarship.

The recipients will pursue undergraduate and postgraduate degrees across a diverse range of fields, including engineering, healthcare, international business, agriculture, and information technology.

Taiwanese Ambassador to Saint Lucia, H.E. Nicole Su, congratulated the awardees, expressing her confidence in their potential to contribute meaningfully to both Taiwan and Saint Lucia.

“To all the awardees today, I congratulate you. Surely you are going to be inspired, stimulated, and empowered in Taiwan. After graduation, as much as we’d like to keep you in Taiwan, we hope that you would return to Saint Lucia to make contributions to your home country’s development,” said Ambassador Su.

Over the years, Taiwan has remained a strong development partner to Saint Lucia, particularly in the areas of education, technology, infrastructure, and healthcare.

The scholarship programs continue to play a pivotal role in strengthening people-to-people ties and fostering mutual understanding between the two countries.

The selected students are expected to begin their studies in Taiwan later this year.