Including the Foreign Minister of Guatemala, Mario Adolfo Bucaro Flores, 14 political elites from various Latin American countries arrived in Taiwan on October 1st for the in-person classes of the first year of the E-Learning Executive Master's Program in Asia-Pacific Studies of the Department of Global Politics and Economics at Tamkang University. They attended a banquet hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 4th and departed from Taiwan on the 7th.

After assuming office as the Foreign Minister of Guatemala, Bucaro visited Taiwan in August of last year, meeting with President Ing-wen Tsai, and maintaining friendly relations with Taiwan. This time, he became a student at Tamkang University. Despite his tight schedule, he attended the welcoming luncheon hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a flight jacket and a baseball cap printed with "TKU" purchased from the on-campus store, happily embracing his role as "part of Tamkang." In an interview with reporters, he shared, "Tamkang University is a highly internationalized institution that invests a lot of effort in international affairs-related programs, and there are many Guatemalan students studying here." When discussing Taiwan's diplomatic affairs, he stated, "Taiwan is a country that places great importance on democracy. We must convey the values of democracy to the world and make the world aware of Taiwan's significance.”

This specialized program is the first of its kind in the country, a cross-border distance learning master's program. The curriculum of in-person courses in Taiwan includes subjects such as modern Taiwanese history, library digital resource utilization, research methods, Asian history and culture, the development and social transformation of Taiwan and East Asian nations, and digital platform operation instruction, as well as activities outside campus such as attending a luncheon hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, visiting the National Palace Museum, and tea tasting at Tamsui Old Street.

On the 2nd, an opening ceremony was held at the Golden Tulip Fab Hotel in Tamsui. It was attended by the Guatemalan Minister to Taiwan, Daniela Ortiz, the Paraguayan Ambassador to Taiwan, Carlos José Fleitas Rodríguez, Consul General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kun-Fu Chen, Vice President for Academic Affairs of Tamkang University, Dr. Hui-Huang Hsu, and Vice President for International Affairs, Dr. Hsiao-Chuan Chen, who all delivered speeches. Tamkang University also presented each new student with a Tamkang mug as a gift.

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