Taiwan premier welcomes student sailors, announces boost to marine education

Taipei, May 24 (CNA) Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) on Saturday welcomed a group of Taiwanese and international students after two vessels completed a six-day sailing trip from Tamsui in northern Taiwan to Kaohsiung in the south.

Cho praised the program for encouraging young people to engage with nature instead of screens, telling the students to "let the sky be your screen and the ocean your keyboard."

He said the initiative had three goals: to promote outdoor activities, enhance marine environmental education, and foster international friendship through shared experiences at sea.

A total of 62 students and teachers from Taiwan, France, Japan, Belgium, and Switzerland took part in the May 19-24 voyage. The project was organized by Yueming Elementary and Junior High School in Yilan County, in collaboration with French schools in Taipei and other partner schools across Taiwan.

Cho announced new investments in marine research and education earlier this year, including plans to build three 4,000-ton survey vessels to undertake scientific exploration around Taiwan's waters.

In addition, he approved a major budget increase for marine education, raising annual funding from NT$2.5 million (US$83,400) to NT$71 million. The goal, he said, is to improve ocean literacy and cultivate a new generation of marine industry professionals.