Excitement was in the air as 75 Belizean students gathered on August 14 for the 2026 Taiwan Scholarship Orientation and Alumni Gathering, hosted by the Embassy together with the Belize Taiwan Alumni Society (BTAS). This year, 35 students received the MOFA Taiwan Scholarship and 40 received the TaiwanICDF Scholarship.
We were honored to have H.E. Dame Froyla Tzalam, Governor-General of Belize, and Hon. Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Education, Culture, Science and Technology, join Ambassador Amino Chi in congratulating and encouraging our scholarship recipients. We were also pleased to welcome Mr. Elton Bennett, CEO of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Enterprise, and Mr. Stanley Gideon, Deputy Director of the Department of Civil Aviation.
Making the afternoon even more meaningful was the passing on of the Taiwan experience from one generation to the next. Many Taiwan alumni, now contributing to Belize across healthcare, trade, culture, energy, diplomacy, and public service, joined us to connect with this year’s scholarship recipients and share their experiences of studying and living in Taiwan.
Among them, Mr. Alobi Young, President of BTAS, and Ms. Ilona Smiling, Director of the Museum of Belize and Houses of Culture and Museum of Belizean Arts, gave remarks as Taiwan alumni, while Mr. Ian Oliva, President of the Belize Taiwan Association (BTA), offered words of encouragement to the students as they prepare to begin their own journey in Taiwan.
To our 75 scholars: study hard, embrace new experiences, build lasting friendships, and make the most of every opportunity that comes your way! Congratulations on this exciting new chapter. Taiwan is ready to welcome you!
