《TAIPEI TIMES》 Minister touts policies to draw foreign students - 焦點 - 自由時報電子報
Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao gestures in an interview in Taipei yesterday. Photo: Rachel Lin, Taipei Times
2025/03/01 03:00
‘WIN-WIN’: International students can stay after graduation and contribute to Taiwan’s industries or go home and help their country, an official said
By Rachel Lin and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer
The Ministry of Education aims to continue fostering a friendly and appealing learning environment to attract international students to Taiwan and share the nation’s rich academic resources, Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao （鄭英耀） said yesterday.
Taiwan’s advances in technology, mathematics, engineering, biotechnology, energy, the circular economy and culture are conducive to attracting more international students to Taiwan, Cheng said in an interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times （sister newspaper of the Taipei Times）.
The National Development Council and the industrial sector are working together to provide scholarships to draw foreign nationals to learn and work in Taiwan, while the Ministry of Economic Affairs is encouraging listed companies to cooperate with local universities to develop courses to help foster and retain talent, he said.
Attracting international students to Taiwan is ultimately a “win-win” for the nation, as they could choose to stay after graduation and contribute their knowledge and skills to local industries, he said.
Even if they opt to return to their home country after graduation, they would be helping their own country by introducing new and mature technology, as well as share the experience they gained while working with Taiwanese companies, he said.
As Taiwanese companies expand globally, these students can also work as management staff at foreign branches of Taiwanese firms, he said.
The government is also encouraging young Taiwanese to study abroad and has introduced numerous policies to promote collaborations with foreign universities.
Taiwanese students have the choice of signing up for government-funded overseas study programs to experience life abroad, he said, citing as an example a program to send 500 students overseas every year.
Several schools also encourage their students to take half-year or one-year exchange programs with sister schools abroad, he said.
Citing as an example National Sun Yat-sen University, where he formerly served as president, Cheng said the university’s students have the opportunity to attend exchange programs at many prestigious universities abroad with which it has sister school relations.
The ministry also works with junior colleges and science and technology colleges to send about 5,000 students abroad for professional internships or studies, providing subsidies to cover airfare and living expenses, he said.
Additionally, President William Lai’s （賴清德） Taiwan Global Pathfinders Initiative provides more channels for young people to connect with international society and increase the next generation’s global competitiveness, Cheng said.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES