Foreign students are returning to Taiwan in droves following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, with numbers nearing levels from before the pandemic, the Ministry of Education said on Monday, as it sent a mission to recruit students from Malaysia.
Before the pandemic, foreign students — degree and non-degree — on average totaled more than 120,000 per year, ministry data showed.
Although recruitment slowed during the pandemic, more than 90,000 foreign students enrolled in Taiwanese universities in each of the past two academic years, the data showed.
This year, 103,658 foreign students enrolled in local universities, it showed.
The number of degree students has also increased to more than 59,000, about 7,000 more than in the 2019 academic year before the pandemic, it showed.
The proportion is more heavily weighted toward degree students, accounting for more than 60 percent of the total, it showed.
As applications have opened for next year, the ministry is sending more student recruitment missions than ever before.
One such mission departed for western Malaysia on Monday, featuring representatives from 64 universities.
This year, most foreign students are Vietnamese (23 percent), Indonesians (16 percent) and Malaysians (12 percent), followed by Hong Kongers and Japanese.
The free and friendly research environment and affordable prices at Taiwanese universities are the main attractions for many foreign students, Department of International and Cross-strait Education Director Lee Yen-yi (李彥儀) said.
The New Southbound Policy also encourages student recruitment, offering scholarships to countries included in the policy, as well as organizing higher education expos and forums since 2017, she said.
These initiatives have boosted student recruitment from New Southbound countries, she added.
The recruitment mission is to tour major population centers in the region, including Johor Bahru, Batu Pahat, Kuala Lumpur and George Town.
The public and private universities participating in the tour include National Tsing Hua University, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, National Cheng Kung University and National Chi Nan University, among others.
National Chi Nan University president Wuu Dong-sing (武東星) said in an interview that Taiwan has unique advantages in certain industries, particularly in semiconductors and communications, with academics in line with international standards.
Low tuition and cost of living also mean that studying in Taiwan costs one-fourth to one-fifth of what it costs in Europe, the US or Australia, he said.
A safe and open living environment, easy paths to pursue higher degrees, generous scholarships and plentiful job opportunities greatly help graduates’ chances to find work once they return home, he said.
Meanwhile, a freeze on Chinese students enrolling in Taiwan remains in effect.
Beijing on April 9, 2020, announced a temporary halt on graduates pursuing higher education in Taiwan.
The University Entrance Committee for Mainland Chinese Students said in a recent meeting that China has indicated the policy would remain in place for the time being.
For the 827 Chinese undergraduates set to graduate in June, the committee recommended seeking admission into master’s programs to continue their studies.
Ministry data showed that 465 Chinese students are enrolled in master’s and doctoral programs out of 3,121 students from the country in total.
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