The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) arranged a review meeting for high-level professionals for naturalization Tuesday (April 28). A former adviser to the World Health Organization (WHO) from France was one of five foreign residents who received a Taiwan passport — but were allowed to hold on to their original citizenship. Since the Nationality Act was issued on Dec. 21, 2016, a total of 133 foreigners have been approved for the program, according to data from the Ministry of Interior.
A total of 5 high-level professionals including two from the field of education, and one each from medicine, culture, and sports, the MOI stated. The medical professional was Thierry Burnouf (白台瑞), a world-renowned authority on blood plasma whose work contributed to the fight against Ebola, SARS, and H1N1, according to the ministry.
He serves as deputy dean of the College of Biomedical Engineering at Taipei Medical University and has published more than 250 articles related to blood plasma technology. He also owns more than 20 international patents in medical technology and has long devoted to medical education in Taiwan.
Another new Taiwanese citizen was a South Korean coach of his nation’s martial art, taekwondo. You Young-dae won a gold medal at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, and went on to train Taiwanese practitioners of the sport from 2013 to 2019.
Italian documentary movie director, producer, and writer Stefano Centini played an important part in making Taiwanese culture better known among festival and movie audiences overseas, the Ministry of Interior noted. He participated in the filming of Buoluomi (波羅蜜), Absent Without Leave (不即不離), and End of the World kitchen king (天涯廚王) and have gained many outstanding results that pushed Taiwan's culture to the world and enhanced Taiwan's international visibility.
The MOI stated that recipients of the Taiwan passports, under the scheme for high-level professionals, enjoy full political and social rights, according to the government. For relevant information, please visit高級專業人才申請歸化國籍專區(英文網址).
Source: Ministry of the Interior (MOI)
