TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The foreign ministry said on Sunday that 14 Indians have been awarded next year’s Taiwan Fellowship, the highest number of awardees from one country. 

The Taiwan Fellowship, initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2010, has awarded more than 1,400 individuals from 93 countries. The program invites global experts and scholars interested in Taiwan, cross-strait relations, or the Indo-Pacific region to conduct research at Taiwan’s academic institutions, per CNA.

The ministry said the fellowship gives awardees a monthly stipend of NT$50,000 (US$1,550)–NT$60,000. The program will last three months to one year and covers round-trip economy class airfare.

This year's 125 awardees come from 41 countries, including Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the US, and New Zealand. Additionally, 14 recipients from India are university professors, researchers, and doctoral students. 

Taiwan’s envoy in India Ko Pao-hsuan (葛葆萱) said India previously received five to seven awardees annually. Ko hopes the increased number of recipients this year will help promote exchanges between Taiwan and India.

Venus Upadhayaya, a doctoral student at India's National School of Leadership and one of the fellowship recipients, said global politics is increasingly focused on the Indo-Pacific region, making it an ideal time to visit Taiwan.