President Ma Ying-jeou, on behalf of the government and people of the ROC (Taiwan), conferred the Order of Brilliant Star with Violet Grand Cordon on Mr. John Nixon, CEO of the Taipei European School, in recognition of his outstanding contributions and many years of efforts in promoting cultural interaction between Taiwan and Europe.
The ceremony to bestow the honor was held at 9:30 a.m. on May 25 at the Presidential Building. Also on hand were Mrs. Nixon, Mr. Nixon's mother, Taipei European School Chairman Dr. C. V. Chen, National Security Advisor Mignonne M. J. Chan, and Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs David Y. L. Lin.
After the protocol officer recited the conferral of the Order, President Ma placed the decoration on Mr. Nixon. President Ma then shook Mr. Nixon's hand and congratulated him. Mr. Nixon delivered brief remarks, after which all those in attendance raised their glasses in congratulations to him.
Mr. Nixon said that he is deeply honored to receive this Order. He noted that he has been in Taiwan for nine years and that he already looked upon Taiwan as his home. He added that he regrets that he will leave Taiwan this summer. Nonetheless, Mr. Nixon said he will not forget the warmth and hospitality of the Taiwan people. Mr. Nixon also thanked President Ma and everyone for their support, which paved the way for the successful founding of the Taipei European School. He said he hopes the school can become an excellent internationalized school and that it can assist Taiwan in continuing to undergo internationalization.
President Ma remarked that the integration leading to the creation of the Taipei European School has been even more successful than that of the European Union (EU), since students from over 60 nations attend the Taipei European School, while the EU has 27 member nations. The president said he has sought to provide as much assistance as possible to the school since his days as Taipei City Mayor. He said he understands that only by providing a good education will European investors in Taipei feel comfortable sending their children to the school. This will also help make Europeans more willing to invest in Taiwan, he said. President Ma added that the Taipei European School plays quite an important role in promoting cultural interaction between Taiwan and Europe, and he hopes in the future the school will continue to assist the government in promoting cultural interaction.