PUCP graduate receives Huayu Scholarship to study Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan

Zeheyla Cano Noriega, a graduate of the Faculty of Law at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), spent six months in Tainan, southern Taiwan, thanks to the 2025 Huayu Scholarship, awarded by Taiwan’s Ministry of Education.

Zeheyla was one of four people selected in Peru to receive this scholarship following a rigorous selection process. Through this opportunity, she studied Mandarin Chinese at the Chinese Language Center of National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), where she complemented classroom learning with daily language practice and gained firsthand insight into Taiwanese culture.

For Zeheyla, living in Tainan was an opportunity to apply what she learned in class to real-life situations and improve her Mandarin Chinese proficiency.

In addition to language learning, Zeheyla valued the opportunity to explore her surroundings independently. As she explains, the safety and peaceful atmosphere of Tainan gave her the confidence to travel around and discover the country, while appreciating the coexistence of modernity, tradition, and Taiwan’s history.

The experience also allowed her to recognize similarities between Taiwan and Peru. Despite the geographical distance, she found familiar aspects that made her feel closer to home and encouraged her to reflect on her own country from a new perspective.

“I return with greater proficiency in the language, a deep appreciation for Taiwanese culture, and a new perspective on my own country,” she shared.

Her stay in Taiwan was an experience of language learning and cultural exchange that contributed to her academic development and personal growth. At PUCP, we congratulate Zeheyla on this achievement and commend her commitment to learning Mandarin Chinese.

Experiences like hers reaffirm our commitment to internationalization and to promoting learning opportunities that enable our community to broaden their knowledge and enrich their education beyond the classroom.