UNIPMA – Through its Bureau of Cooperation and Public Relations (BKH), Universitas PGRI Madiun (UNIPMA), in collaboration with the International Talent Circulation Base (Intact) Taiwan, held a scholarship information session for final-year students, prospective graduates, and alumni at the UNIPMA Integrated Laboratory on Friday (June 26).

The event was attended by approximately 80 participants and was joined by the Vice Rector III of UNIPMA, Dr. Jeffry Handhika, M.Pd., M.Si., the Head of BKH, Dr. Sri Lestari, M.Pd., along with her staff, representatives of the UNIPMA Alumni Association, and the Intact Taiwan delegation led by Andre So, accompanied by Dody Hendarto and Roqib Yanuarinda Purnama.

The information session was a follow-up to the cooperation established between UNIPMA and Intact Taiwan through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA). The collaboration has already produced positive results, as Adhika Dwiki Pratama, an alumnus of the Informatics Engineering Study Program, Faculty of Engineering, UNIPMA, successfully received the Intact Taiwan Scholarship.

In her remarks, Dr. Sri Lestari, M.Pd., stated that the program reflects the university's commitment to expanding access to international education and career opportunities for both students and alumni.

"We hope participants will make the most of this opportunity by preparing themselves as well as possible throughout the selection process," she said.

Participants showed strong enthusiasm throughout the event. Students actively asked questions regarding the selection process, application requirements, and study and career opportunities in Taiwan.

Andre So, a representative of Intact Taiwan, explained that the program not only provides opportunities to pursue higher education but also offers professional career pathways in Taiwan.

"Many people still believe that going to Taiwan means working only as manual laborers. In fact, this program prioritizes education first, followed by professional employment that matches the participants' fields of expertise," he said.

Andre explained that Taiwan's current workforce demand is largely concentrated in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields. However, students from non-STEM disciplines are also eligible through the Posbakalarat Program, also known as the Professional Bachelor's Program.

Under this program, participants complete one year of academic study followed by one year of industrial internship or practical training. During the internship period, participants receive a salary while gaining valuable professional experience before graduation.

In addition, scholarship recipients receive full financial support covering tuition fees, living expenses, airfare, language training, medical examinations, and a monthly allowance of approximately IDR 5.5 million. Upon completing their studies, graduates will work for partner companies in Taiwan under a two-year service commitment and receive salaries based on Taiwan's standard wage regulations.

Andre added that UNIPMA is among the 322 Indonesian universities officially recognized by Taiwan's Ministry of Education to participate in the program.

"Out of approximately 2,700 universities in Indonesia, only 322 are included on the list. UNIPMA is one of them, which is why we came here to introduce this program to its students and alumni," he said.

Following the information session, Intact Taiwan will begin recruiting prospective applicants. Interviews are scheduled to take place in November, with successful candidates expected to begin their studies in Taiwan in February.

According to Andre, the scholarship follows a scheme similar to Indonesia's LPDP scholarship program, as all educational expenses are fully funded and recipients are required to work for two years after graduation. Applications are accepted twice a year for academic intakes beginning in February and September.