National Taiwan University (NTU) has initiated a mentorship program for international degree students, with 170 vacancies open for a summer internship program this year.
NTU president Kuan Chun-ming (管中閔) said that about 3,000 international students study at the university, but it is sometimes difficult for them to stay in Taiwan to work after they graduate due to regulatory constraints.
The school is therefore “launching this mentorship-style internship program tailor-made for international students at NTU,” the program’s Web site says.
Photo: CNA
The university hopes “to provide an opportunity for the students to put their theoretical learning in to practice [and] at the same time, inspire the students with new perspectives on life and career,” it says.
The school’s Office of International Affairs said it has invited “senior management of government agencies, foreign organizations, corporations, start-ups, [trade] chambers, research institutions and nonprofit organizations to serve as mentors for international students,” the Web site says.
During the program, experienced mentors would pass down their expertise to participating students, which would enable them to transition smoothly into the workforce in Taiwan or in their home countries, Kuan said.
NTU vice president for international affairs Yuan Hsiao-wei (袁孝維) on Wednesday said the program would be the nation’s first tailor-made mentorship program for international students.
Automaker Porsche and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co are among the more than 70 institutions joining this year, she said.
Students who apply for the program can rank their preferred institutions according to whether the positions are paid or whether accommodations are included, she said.
The international affairs office would select applicants based on the documents they submit and their performances in the interviews.
The program would later be expanded to allow Taiwanese students who take a certain amount of English-language courses to apply, she added.
Five countries have in the past few months canceled preferential visa treatment for Taiwan passport holders due to pressure from China, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. It was responding to a report by the National Audit Office that the number of countries offering preferential visa treatment to holders of Taiwan passports had dropped from 171 at the end of last year to 166 in April. In its Central Government Budget Audit Report, the National Audit Office also said that the ministry had failed to provide timely updates on the visa changes, which could affect Taiwan passport holders’ overseas travel. In response
More Taiwanese spectators at the Paris Olympics have reported having signs and banners confiscated by security staff or snatched by Chinese fans. Sandy Hsueh (薛雅俶), president of the Taiwanese Association in France, said that three security personnel confiscated a blank piece of cardboard from her at Sunday’s men’s doubles badminton final, in which Taiwan’s Lee Yang (李洋) and Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) defeated China’s Liang Weikeng (梁偉鏗) and Wang Chang (王昶) to win their second consecutive Olympic gold medal in the event. A staff member told her they had “received an instruction from the Olympic Games saying that anything related to Taiwan or
DISCRIMINATORY: Airlines’ uniform requirements contravene the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, a watchdog said Airline companies’ appearance requirements obliging female flight attendants to wear pencil skirts and high heels are discriminatory, and they should be able to have the option to wear pants, the National Human Rights Commission said in a report yesterday. Completing a year-long probe, commission members said the uniform requirements of Taiwan’s air carriers contravened the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). To fight gender-based discrimination, government agencies should issue guidelines and require airlines to make changes so that female flight attendants have the option to wear pants, the report said. The Taoyuan Flight Attendants’ Union in
COGNITIVE WARFARE: The People’s Liberation Army’s recent military exercises near Taiwan aim to intimidate the Taiwanese public, a legislator said Two sorties of Chinese drones were detected flying around the perimeter of Taiwan proper between 6am on Saturday and 6am yesterday, according to the Ministry of National Defense. A total of 31 Chinese military aircraft — which included several drones — and 12 Chinese warships were detected operating in and near the Taiwan Strait over the 24-hour period, the ministry said. Institute for National Defense and Security Research fellow Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) said the maneuvers were likely aimed at affecting public sentiment in Taiwan, demonstrating defiance toward the US’ two-plus-two talks with India and Australia, and enacting China’s polarized strategy of pushing