Secretary, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Osaka

The 2025 Global Young Entrepreneur Stars Award Ceremony took place on September 30 at the Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel. Minister Chia-Ching Hsu of the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) presented awards to ten outstanding young entrepreneurs from around the world. Minister Hsu noted that since the program's launch in 2021, four editions have been held, recognizing a total of 100 exceptional young entrepreneurs. Many of the awardees have continued to grow and excel, taking on key leadership roles within overseas compatriot business communities. She encouraged young entrepreneurs not to shy away from setbacks or challenges, but to set clear goals, learn from experienced mentors, and connect across continents to harness the collective strength of the overseas compatriot network, further expanding their influence and market reach.

"The number of Taiwanese emigrants around the world is not large, but we value quality over quantity," said Minister Hsu. She pointed out that in recent years, the number of Taiwanese living overseas has declined significantly, making it even more important to focus resources and efforts on supporting the growth of the younger generation. The Global Young Entrepreneur Stars Award was established in response to this very trend.

This year's Global Young Entrepreneur Stars Award was held for the first time in an interval of two years. Minister Hsu stated that OCAC aims to dedicate the first year to the selection process and the following year to providing in-depth support and guidance for the awardees. In addition to offering technical and networking resources, she also emphasized the importance of financial support and encouraged young entrepreneurs to make good use of the Overseas Credit Guarantee Fund's special loan program. She expressed her hope that as these young entrepreneurs grow their businesses, they will in turn give back to society, engage in public service, and contribute to the overseas compatriot communities.

In the second half of the award ceremony, the winners took turns sharing the challenges and rewards of starting businesses abroad, as well as their experiences serving overseas communities. Ms. Jia-Chi Hu, who runs a beauty business in South Korea, faced skepticism from her family and even fell victim to client fraud, but she never gave up. She encouraged everyone, "If you don't try at least once, you'll never know what will happen." Yu-Nan Chen from Myanmar believes education can change lives, yet he found that starting a school was far more challenging than he had imagined. He reminded himself, "Education, like entrepreneurship, is a marathon, not a sprint—without perseverance, nothing gets done." In Vietnam, Meng-Chia Nian and his wife started from scratch with just a secondhand printing machine and a single desk. They worked so hard visiting clients during the day and printing and packaging at night, and gradually built a thriving business of their own.

Distinguished guests attending this year's event include President Johnson Hsiung of the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce; President Shu Min Lin of the Global Federation of Chinese Business Women; President Michelle Lai of the Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce in Oceania; Honorary President Shu Fen Chen of the Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Latin America; President Johnson Yeh and former President Andy Lin of the World Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce Junior Chapter; Chairman Ming-Ying Wu of the Overseas Compatriots Cultural and Educational Foundation; Member Enya Chen of the Executive Yuan Youth Advisory Committee; General Manager Pao-Cheng Chang of the China Productivity Center; 2025 Secretary-General Andy Chen and 2026 Secretary-General Allen Yen of the Junior Chamber International Taiwan; as well as this year's selection committee members, professional mentors, past awardees, family and friends of the current awardees, and participants of the Taiwan Youth and Overseas Expatriate Bridging Program. Around one hundred people in total gathered for the celebration.