STGA Miri carries out programme to attract Bumiputera students to pursue studies in Taiwan

MIRI (Oct 25): The Sarawak Taiwan Graduates Association (STGA) Miri recently carried out a ‘Bridging Futures: Blue Sky Education’ programme to attract more Bumiputera students to pursue their studies in Taiwan.

The three-day event registered more than 300 secondary school students from non-Chinese backgrounds.

Under the programme, the organising team visited several schools including SMK Merbau, SMK Pujut, SMK Subis, SMK Lutong, and SMK St Columba.

STGA president Siew Teck Chai, who headed the team, said the goal of the programme meant to attract more students from the Muslim community and indigenous groups to pursue their studies in Taiwan, as well as enable them to understand the educational resources and international exchanges in Taiwan.

“This programme aims at enhancing the global competitiveness of Sarawakian students.

“We believe that pursuing an education in Taiwan is not just about learning the Mandarin language, but also building a bridge for cultural exchanges.

“It also allows students to broaden their horizons, as well as career opportunities.

“Through programmes like this, students will have the opportunity to thrive in a multicultural environment, along with improving their adaptability and global outlook,” he said.

Siew added that the cultural and linguistic abilities of Malaysian students from various ethnicities should not be underestimated.

“If these students are encouraged to access education in Taiwan and learn the Mandarin language on top of Bahasa Malaysia and English, this will enhance Sarawak’s competitiveness in the global human resource pool in the future,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile, STGA Miri chairman Ling Kuok Tai said the association would continue introducing and promoting the advantages of studying in Taiwan to the rural students.

He hoped that through this platform, the students could acquire more language skills, boost their future workplace competitiveness, and make significant contributions to Sarawak after completing their studies.