Servicemen from the 13th group of the Taiwan Youth Overseas Service were officially admitted into the service today (October 16) during a passing out ceremony held by the International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) at Tien-Mou International Convention Center, Taipei. Having successfully completed six weeks of intensive training, the 86 servicemen forming the group will now be dispatched to serve at 16 technical and medical missions and on 14 special projects in 22 of Taiwan’s partner countries throughout Asia and the Pacific, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Africa. Their work will involve, among other things, agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture, public health and medicine, agribusiness management and ICT.

Since its establishment in 2001, the Taiwan Youth Overseas Service has already seen 920 young servicemen dispatched to provide services in various parts of the world. The majority of the service’s previous draftees say that their experience of serving overseas has proven to be an extremely important asset in their lives, not only broadening their horizons and improving language skills, but also providing the rare chance to receive mentoring while in a foreign country, which brings with it many fond memories.

The conclusion of today’s ceremony saw Minister of Foreign Affairs Secretary General Dr. Gary S.H. Lin present a flag bearing the service’s colors to a representative of the group, symbolically bringing the servicemen’s period of pre-service training to a close.

Addressing the group, Secretary General Lin said that these members of the Taiwan Youth Overseas Service were shouldering a diverse range of missions. From the government’s point of view, he said, the service represented an important part of the government’s technical assistance human resources. He said that while serving in Taiwan’s partner countries, the servicemen should draw on their learning to help their respective Taiwanese missions assist these countries in using their valuable resources fully and efficiently in pursuit of national development.

Secretary General Lin went on to say that with respect to civil life, after serving overseas the servicemen will have improved their language and professional skills, and also be familiar with the customs of a different country, gaining an understanding of opportunities for development in developing countries. This would be their advantage, he said, adding that veterans of the service can become a reserve of outstanding personnel capable of representing Taiwan in its overseas and foreign aid endeavors. Moreover, enterprises would select former servicemen as being the best candidates for global deployment, he said.

Also speaking at the ceremony, TaiwanICDF Deputy Secretary General Morgan C.P. Chao earnestly encouraged the group of servicemen to cooperate well with local people and to establish friendships. He said that this approach would let people see the serious, positive and professional working attitude of young Taiwanese, and allow Taiwan to pay back the international community for its friendliness and enthusiasm toward Taiwan.

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• Update: 2018/03/01
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