Livino K from Zunheboto, Nagaland, wins the Taiwan Huayu Enrichment Scholarship to study Mandarin in Taiwan.
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DIMAPUR — Nagaland’s Livino K has been awarded the 2026 Huayu Enrichment Scholarship by Taiwan's Ministry of Education. Hailing from Yemishe, a village in the Zunheboto district, she will undergo a six-month study trip to Taiwan.
The Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (HES) encourages international students to undertake Mandarin language courses and study Taiwanese culture in Taiwan. It awards a monthly stipend to cover tuition, housing, and living expenses.
According to an update from Kuei-Mi LI, Teacher-in-Charge of the Taiwan Education Center at Assam Don Bosco University (ADBU), Livino began learning Mandarin in 2025 after enrolling in the online Mandarin programme offered by the Taiwan Education Center at ADBU.
Over the following months, she learned the fundamentals of the language, including tones, pinyin, basic character writing, and daily vocabulary. In March 2026, she cleared the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL) and obtained a novice-level certificate, making her eligible to apply for the scholarship.
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Her Mandarin teacher, Kuei-Mi LI, said, "Livino proved herself to be a remarkably sincere student from day one. I was touched to see how she spared no effort to show up to almost every class, despite the highly unfavourable conditions of her far-flung location, like frequent power outages and a highly unstable network."
With LI’s recommendation, Livino applied for the scholarship and was selected.
"I know seats for this scholarship are highly limited, so being selected made me feel like my efforts and aspirations were truly valued," Livino said.
"Receiving the scholarship would be life-changing. It covers tuition fees and accommodation and provides a monthly stipend, allowing me to focus entirely on my studies. It will also strengthen my bilingual abilities and create greater opportunities for my future career," she added.
During her stay in Taiwan, Livino plans to improve her Mandarin proficiency through immersion in a Mandarin-speaking environment and gain first-hand experience of Taiwanese culture. She also aims to clear the TOCFL Band A2 or B1 levels and hopes to use her language skills to strengthen ties between India and Taiwan.
LI said the Taiwan government offers the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship annually to international learners, providing a monthly stipend of 28,000 New Taiwan Dollars (NTD), approximately INR 80,000 at the current exchange rate.
She said that under her guidance, 20 students from the ADBU programme from Nagaland, Assam, and Arunachal Pradesh have received various scholarships. Several alumni are currently working in Taiwanese companies operating in India.
"The objective of the scholarship is to equip learners with highly sought-after language skills, deepen their understanding of Taiwanese culture, and strengthen mutual understanding and people-to-people exchanges between India and Taiwan," LI said.
"I hope the success stories of my students will inspire more learners from the Northeast to come forward and explore the incredible opportunities Taiwan has to offer," she added.