Going in new directions

The US has long been the destination of choice for Taiwanese graduate students, but in recent years, the preeminence of US colleges has been challenged from other countries in the English speaking world. In 1991, for example, the UK, Canada and Australia each accepted about 2,000 Taiwanese students into their universities. The number going to the US that year was 35,000. Students traveling to the US for study reached a peak in 1993, when 37,581 student visas were granted, but the number dropped rapidly this year to 29,000. The UK on the other hand, with only a fraction the universities as the US, attracted more than 8,000 this year.

Opening to the world

Lee Chen-ching (李振清), director of Bureau of International Cultural & Educational Relations at the Ministry of Education, sums it up: "Taiwan has opened its door to the world."

Greater prosperity has allowed Taiwanese students to expand their horizons beyond the US, which for decades had been the main source of outward business, military and educational contact. Having already gotten a foothold in the English language, the UK emerged as an obvious alternative for higher studies. Also, strong marketing by British universities and an educational structure that some see as more favorable helped attract increasing numbers of students.

Susanna Gulvan, director of educational promotion at the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO), said: "Students have a higher interest in Europe overall, culturally, for travel and study, particularly with the establishment of the European Union that facilitates visa issuance."

That was true in the case of Wu Pei-shih (吳珮詩), who recently returned from St John's College at Cambridge with a concentration in the EU.

Another recently returned student, Alice Lee (李宜秋), 34, said the diversity and richness of the culture accessible in Europe was the main draw. "I would not want to miss the opportunity to visit the museums with thousand-year-old collections. It's like history presented live in front of your face." She attended the University of Greenwich and now holds a Master's degree in museum management.

Students looking for adventure and clean air have also discovered Australia. Another draw to Down Under is its immigration policy, which was eased 10 years ago, says Cherry Hu (胡櫻君), student councilor at the Australian Education Center. Increased immigration has also sparked a wave in tourism and educational exchanges from Taiwan.

Elliot Yang (楊銘郎), 35, headed south. Although he originally had the US in mind, he went to Australia at the recommendation of friends. "To go abroad, for me, is to experience another lifestyle, instead of just getting a degree," says Yang, who has a master's degree from Macquarie University. Captured by the pleasant weather and comfortable environment of Sydney, Yang took an extra six months to finish his one year course, and even so saved a year and a half of the time it would take to finish the degree in the US.

Pragmatism

Besides the appeal of European culture and Australia's beauty, shorter time requirements are also an important factor for students. Wu at the BOTC says that for students who want to save time and money and are not afraid to work hard, the UK is a good choice. In the UK and Australia, an undergraduate degree typically requires three years and a master's one year to complete, compared with four and two years in the US, respectively.