The foreign ministry has opened registration for its young diplomats program which sends high school students abroad to engage in public diplomacy for Taiwan. Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) attended a ceremony on Friday marking the beginning of the application period, which runs through September 30.
Teams from high schools and vocational schools compete through English dramas, speeches, and quiz activities with the top three teams traveling abroad with the foreign ministry. The theme of this year’s competition is “New Prospects for Taiwan’s Youth in the Postpandemic Era.” Minister Wu said he hopes the world would see the vitality of Taiwan through the creativity, team spirit, and English skills of Taiwan’s youth. Wu encouraged students to apply for the program but also welcomed those who are interested in joining the ministry to take the foreign service exam.
The foreign ministry has hosted the young diplomats program for 20 years with 9800 that have participated. It has sent 55 teams to promote Taiwan abroad.