A Taiwanese higher education information Web site called Daxuewen (大學問) last month held an online talk titled “Helping Taiwan-Europe Connectivity Scholarship-holders Stay in Taiwan: Let the World See Taiwan.”
The talk was organized to support 443 international students from 17 European nations who are recipients of a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Taiwan-Europe Connectivity Scholarship. These exchange students, who came to Taiwan to learn Chinese or study an academic discipline, had without warning been informed in days prior that they must leave Taiwan once their student visas have expired.
Many of Taiwan’s public universities have called on the Ministry of Education (MOE) to show leniency.
My daughter is pursuing her studies at a university in Japan and has been forced to extend her stay in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, she is sympathetic to the visa issue faced by foreign students in Taiwan, given the importance of completing one’s studies uninterrupted, and believes that the MOE and MOFA must work together to find a solution to the problem.
With the pandemic now entering a third year, and borders of many nations remaining virtually shut, it is common for overseas students to be left in limbo — unable to arrive or unable to leave.
Abnormal times call for abnormal measures. The government should be flexible and show some humanity by extending the visas of foreign students.
Not only did the Japanese government extend my daughter’s student visa, the Ito Foundation extended her scholarship for another year on account of the interruption caused by the pandemic. Our family is thrilled and grateful for the flexibility, kindness and warmth that Japan has shown our daughter, and given us a favorable impression of Japan’s government and society.
That Europe’s best students are willing to come to Taiwan to study Mandarin or an academic discipline will be of long-term benefit to Taiwan and European nations.
The government should consider extending the visas of European students studying in Taiwan so that they can complete their studies, which, through no fault of their own, have been affected by the pandemic.
Given that a number of public universities have already publicly called on the government to do so should give the MOE pause for thought.
The ministry cannot afford to turn a deaf ear to the problem, and MOFA must consider students’ concerns and extend the visas of Taiwan-Europe Connectivity Scholarship-holders. The benefit to students and to Taiwan should be self-evident.
The government must stop making excuses, stop dragging its feet and pragmatically deal with the matter.
Tsai Jr-keng is a retired elementary-school principal.
Translated by Edward Jones
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