University program forges connections between local families, international students

2022/03/04

The government-funded Taiwan Hostfamily Program is enhancing multicultural awareness by fostering deep connections between international students and local families.
 
Initiated by the Ministry of Education in 2010, THP is designed to provide unique opportunities for international students to experience local cultures and ways of life in the most authentic manner possible.
 
The program is run by Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology in Tainan City and has matched a total of 6,570 students from 106 countries with 4,616 families in communities around the country since its inception. Students are placed in accordance with requests by the two sides regarding diet, gender, interests and religion.

Chang Hong-de, director of the THP Office at STUST and the university’s executive vice president, said internationalization is increasingly important in tertiary education. The MOE has been helping domestic universities bolster numbers of foreign students via incentives including scholarships, English-taught courses and programs like THP.
 
According to Chang, students taking part can gain a better understanding of Taiwan’s cultural traditions and build valuable relationships with host families and communities. The program also benefits hosts by expanding their horizons and giving them an international network of friends.
 
To ensure smooth interactions, STUST holds training courses in which participating families learn how to facilitate the experience and handle cultural differences. A range of social events such as hands-on classes, holiday celebrations, meetups and sightseeing tours are also organized to promote exchanges between hosts and students.

In recent years, the number of students from Southeast Asia studying in Taiwan has been on the rise due to geographical proximity and the influence of the government’s New Southbound Policy. Currently, 47 percent of THP students are from NSP target countries, particularly Indonesia and Vietnam.
 
A key plank in the government’s national development strategy, the NSP seeks to deepen the country’s agricultural, business, cultural, education, tourism and trade ties with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand.
 
The THP Office is thus making extra effort to recruit new immigrant families to host students from their home countries, helping create a stronger sense of connection and belonging for the visitors. Cultural events featuring traditional costumes, dances, drama and music of NSP target countries and other nations additionally aim to make students feel more at home.
 
Cultural competence and a sense of inclusion are necessary in today’s globalized world, the program director said. It is hoped that positive experiences through THP will foster goodwill among international students, who can promote Taiwan and act as informal ambassadors for the country upon returning home, he added.


Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)