TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tzu Chi University (TCU) announced on Tuesday (May 3) that it will sponsor 30 Ukrainian students and scholars amid the Russo-Ukrainian War.
In a statement issued that day, TCU President Ingrid Liu (劉怡均) pointed out that it has been more than two months since Russia invaded Ukraine and that there is no sign of a truce. She added that more than 5 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their country to seek refuge after their homes were destroyed.
The university has therefore established the "Sunshine Sunflower - Ukrainian Refugee Student Support Project," which is expected to recruit 30 Ukrainian students and scholars, Liu said. The group includes 12 undergraduate and graduate students, 12 Mandarin students, and six scholars, reported CNA.
The university will cover airfare, tuition, accommodation, and living expenses for the Ukrainians. The first batch is expected to arrive in Taiwan this month.
Liu said that TCU has been interviewing Ukrainian candidates for the program online since April 6 via a platform called the "Taiwan Scholarships for Ukraine Students and Scholars," which was established by Academia Sinica and the Ministry of Science and Technology. According to Liu, students from major universities in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and other parts of Ukraine have applied to numerous departments and postgraduate schools.
Liu stated that TCU alumni have assisted Ukrainian refugees in Poland during the "ruthless war," and now the university is seeking to create a safe haven for refugees. She said the university has also set up a special account for the public to provide donations to students and scholars from the Eastern European nation.