The "Friendly Taiwan—International Student Reception and Homestay Project" organized by the Ministry of Education and STUST held a multicultural exchange event today on November 14. On the day of the event, aside from the announcement of the planned image MV, international students from 6 countries, including Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Peru, were invited took to the stage to show their cultural customs. In this multicultural exchange event, in addition to inviting Special Committee Member Su-Miao Liu from the International Department of the Ministry of Education, 25 enthusiastic Taiwanese host families and 35 international students were invited to experience this cultural interweaving event. The scene was very lively and grand.

[South Taiwan University of Science and Technology held a Cultural Exchange, inviting Special Committee Member Su-Miao Liu (third in the first line) of the Ministry of Education, Vice President Hong-De Chang of STUST (fourth in the first line), homestay families and international students for a group photo.]

Over the past 11 years, STUST has undertaken "Friendly Taiwan—International Students Reception Homestay Project" and continued to increase the participation of family volunteers and overseas students through training courses, various cultural experience activities, and online platforms. STUST has trained 4,397 host families across Taiwan, matching 6,042 international students from 104 countries around the world to 3,393 host families. Thanks to Taiwanese families for enthusiastically providing a friendly learning environment for these students, so many international students regard Taiwan as their second hometown.

[Host family Ms. Yu-Chian Sun (middle) took a group photo with the international students Harshad Dandage (left) and Balaji Ganesan (right).]

This grand event was kicked off by five international students singing the project title song. The audience waved the fluorescent sticks with the singing, forming a sea of light. The scene was very spectacular. The MV released was about international students coming to Taiwan to study and pursue their goals alone. The dream story, the anxiety, and loneliness of being in a foreign land in the process of studying, gradually disappeared with the guidance and company of the host family. The MV finally ended in Indonesian "I am not alone, Taiwan, my second hometown", warming everyone’s heart.

[Activities in the multicultural exchange event of Ministry of Education's "Friendly Taiwan—International Students Reception Homestay Project"]

International students and host families also brought cultural performances to this event: Thai dance, Bengali folk singing, Taiwanese bell performance, Peruvian dance, Indian traditional dance, Philippine coconut shell dance and Indonesian folk singing. It was a series of wonderful visual and auditory feasts, making the audience praise endlessly. At the end of the event, from the aboriginal dance performance by the Aboriginal Promotion Agency of STUST, the dancers stepped off the stage and invited international students and host families to dance for blessing, holding hands in a circle, linking together Taiwan and the world.

[International students were performing at the multicultural exchange event of Ministry of Education's “Friendly Taiwan—International Student Reception and Homestay Project.”.]

Harshad Dandage, an Indian student from STUST, said that his host family would introduce the students who are being received to know each other, and this is how he was led to the connection with the world. Everyone gets along like family, making him deeply feel the humanitarian touch of Taiwanese is far more enthusiastic than what he once learned from books. Listening to the host family and international students sharing interesting receptions and experiences, everyone enjoyed continuous laughter at the event, and the atmosphere was very warm and moving. The Ministry of Education's "Friendly Taiwan-Foreign Students Host Family Project" multicultural exchange event ended successfully.

[Special Committee Member Su-Miao Liu of the Ministry of Education was delivering a speech at the multicultural exchange event of the Ministry of Education's “Friendly Taiwan—International Student Reception and Homestay Project.”]

The host of the project, , Vice President Hong-De Chang of STUST, expressed his hope that through this event, Taiwanese families can learn more about the cultures and customs of many countries, that international students in Taiwan can better understand Taiwanese culture, and that STUST can also use this project to get in line with the world. He also hoped that more Taiwanese families would open their homes in the future, let the world enter their homes, and give shape to Taiwan's international atmosphere!