On Oct. 14, CIP Minister Icyang Parod met Sandra Oudkirk, the newly appointed director of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), for the first time to discuss future collaborations and exchanges between the two institutions. This meeting coincided with the first class of “Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs” (IWE), the first-ever program co-hosted by the CIP and AIT. Thus, following the meeting, the minister and director jointly visited the IWE training site to cheer for the selected 30 indigenous female entrepreneurs.

Mr. Icyang delivered the following speech:

Good afternoon, Director Oudkirk of the American Institute in Taiwan, and everyone.

It is an honor to co-host “Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs” with the American Institute in Taiwan. This program was designed for our fellow female indigenous peoples and one created based on the DreamBuilder program introduced by the United States Department of State. I would like to congratulate the 30 students who have been selected out of the many applicants who applied to enroll in the program.

IWE, the abbreviation of this program, signifies inspiring women entrepreneurs and symbolizes the elegance and resilience of indigenous women.

By learning and exchanging experiences though the series of courses offered by the program, it is hoped that students will be motivated to develop innovative entrepreneurial ideas as well as to turn their dreams into feasible business plans. We also hope to help our students become registered in the U.S. Exchange Program Alumni Database so that they are the first people invited in future business exchange activities. The goal is to provide them with the opportunities to communicate with people from different countries and industries and explore overseas markets.

Over the years, the CIP has assisted indigenous people in starting their businesses by offering them support such as entrepreneurial loans, entrepreneurial subsidies, and innovative research and development. I am very happy to see the remarkable results achieved by our people in various industries. In the future, the CIP will continue to provide entrepreneurial support to all of our people. Finally, I wish all of our students great learning results, thank you.