The number of Taiwanese who obtained student visas to study abroad fell by roughly 10 percent last year, but more students decided to expand their horizons to less conventional destinations, according to the latest Ministry of Education figures.
A total of 33,339 Taiwanese obtained student visas last year, down from the 37,800 received in 2008, and there was a clear shift away from the US as an education destination.
“Though the US still remains the top choice for Taiwanese students, the number getting visas to study there dropped the most last year, from 19,402 in 2008 to 15,594 in 2009,” said Liang Li-ling (梁俐玲), a section chief in the ministry’s Bureau of International Cultural and Educational Relations. “I think the shift was mainly caused by the economic recession last year.”
Fewer students applied for loans to go abroad for study last year, she added.
Conversely, the number of students getting visas to study in Australia rose sharply last year, from 2,370 in 2008 to 4,176, making it the second biggest destination for local students, Liang said. Japan ranked as the third most popular place to study abroad.
“From these figures, we can see that more students prefer going to Australia as well as some Asian countries due to lower school fees,” she said.
Liang also pointed to the high quality of schools in those countries and the increasing number of scholarships being offered as other factors in their growing popularity.
Among Asian countries, Japan is the top choice for Taiwanese students and the number going to South Korea increased to 469 last year.
The latest figures also indicate that more students applied to study in diverse countries such as Italy (220), Russia (143) and Switzerland (240).
“It is good for our students to receive an education in different countries and expand their views,” Liang said.
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