Nonresident student numbers hit new high in Taiwan

2016/02/02

Taiwan’s nonresident student numbers hit a record 110,182 in 2015, up 17.66 percent from the year before, according to the ROC Ministry of Education Jan. 30.

This group comprised 8.27 percent of enrollment at local tertiary educations, up from 6.9 percent in 2014 and 5.9 percent in 2013. The number of diploma-seeking students rose 16.08 percent to 46,523 during the year.

“The figure surged 62.12 percent compared to 2012, showing that government policies aimed at promoting Taiwan as a top destination for tertiary education is paying dividends,” an MOE official said.

Among the 57.78 percent of nondiploma-seeking students, those from mainland China on short-term courses comprised 53.59 percent, followed by those studying Chinese at 29.29 percent and other programs at 7.47 percent.

Malaysia was the leading source of diploma-seeking students in Taiwan, followed by mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Vietnam in that order.

India topped the growth table at 33.37 percent, followed by Hong Kong at 31.4 percent, mainland China at 26.02 percent, Indonesia at 23.46 percent and Myanmar at 18.65 percent.

According to the MOE, Southeast Asian nations are a major target source of foreign recruitment for Taiwan’s colleges and universities, with the government introducing a raft of promotional measures in the past year.

These include education fairs, forums and other campaigns in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Another initiative paying dividends is Elite Study in Taiwan, which offers opportunities for Southeast Asian students studying advanced degrees in 57 participating colleges and universities in Taiwan.

“The MOE will continue building a friendly environment for foreign students through regulatory easing and support programs, including policies encouraging these talents to work in Taiwan after finishing their studies,” the official said.

“By attracting more talents from abroad, such efforts will boost the quality of Taiwan’s advanced education, enhance the nation’s global competitiveness and increase the international mobility of local graduates.”

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=241936&ctNode=2194&mp=9)