Offer military cadets more
US military recruitment has reached a 15-year high, while Taiwan continues to face recruitment difficulties. One of the root causes of this struggle is the difficult nature of military academy education, coupled with limited prospects, leading to a lack of willingness among young people to pursue this path.
One viable solution is to establish bilingual military academies that would enable recruits to build solid English proficiency throughout their school terms.
Comparable to US military academies, students would not only receive military training, but also attend university-level courses in fields such as science and engineering, with the aim of later obtaining corresponding degrees. Graduates of US military academies often go on to obtain high-paying, private-sector jobs. That demonstrates the immense value that bilingual military academies could bring in significantly enhancing the career potential of Taiwan’s military academy graduates. The benefits to individuals and the country are self-evident.
First, being fluent in English and holding degrees in science and engineering would allow military academy graduates to later join foreign companies. They might even choose to follow in the footsteps of the many veterans who work at companies such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co in Arizona. Some Taiwanese who trained with the US military during the early days of their presence in Taiwan are now successful owners of well-known cram schools. That illustrates the broad career prospects that bilingual military academies could provide.
Second, students of the academies might also get the opportunity to participate in a publicly funded exchange or study-abroad program with US military academies, thereby gaining new knowledge and developing a global perspective.
In the era of artificial intelligence, military cooperation and weapons acquisition requires English fluency. Pre-emptively mastering English at an academy would help Taiwanese recruits to integrate internationally and improve combat capabilities.
English fluency is advantageous when working at foreign companies. Enrolling in a bilingual military academy would become an honorable and practical choice for young people, thereby attracting more to pursue military careers.
If Taiwan could implement immersive English-language programs or establish new types of bilingual military academies, it would attract more students and create unlimited possibilities for the nation’s and individuals’ futures.
Wang Nien-tai
Taipei
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