《TAIPEI TIMES》Ministry unveils student NGO internship program

By Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporter

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday announced programs to recruit and send non-

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governmental organization （NGO） personnel and young students on internships at international NGOs.

The internship programs for NGO personnel and for students were launched in 2005 and 2019 respectively to encourage exchanges and cooperation with international NGOs, the ministry said in a news release.

Last year, the ministry sent two NGO members and five students to internship programs at NGOs in the UK, Belgium, the US, Japan, Thailand and Kenya, it said.

The interns had fruitful experiences participating in the operations of the NGOs and exchanges with their staff, it said.

Applications for this year’s programs should be sent to the ministry’s Department of NGO International Affairs by May 8, it said.

From a list of international NGOs published by the ministry （www.taiwanngo.tw/Post/84153）, applicants should contact the NGO they want to intern at and obtain its consent before sending in an application, it said.

Taiwanese nationals aged 25 to 55, who have more than one year of working experience in domestic NGOs and are currently working for one that has registered with the government, are eligible for the program.

Applicants are required to provide a recommendation letter written by the head of the NGO they are working for and an English proficiency certificate.

An NGO can recommend two of its personnel for the program, however, applicants working for the same NGO cannot intern at the same international NGO.

Those who have experience in working on international projects or have attended the NGO international affairs training course held by the department would be prioritized during the selection process, the ministry said.

Working for NGOs that focus on certain issues — including democracy and human rights; medical and healthcare; women’s empowerment; humanitarian assistance; environmental protection and sustainability; social innovation; and other issues that are in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals — is also preferred, it said.

The program is to provide a subsidy of up to NT$200,000 for each of the six interns.

Meanwhile, Taiwanese university students aged 18 to 35 are eligible for the internship program for students.

Applicants are required to provide a recommendation letter from their university and an English proficiency certificate.

Students who have experience in working on international projects and internship experience in domestic NGOs would be prioritized, the ministry said.

The program is to award five applicants a subsidy of up to NT$200,000 each for internships abroad, which should be completed by Nov. 30.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES