A survey of international students released on Tuesday showed that 86 percent are willing to stay in Taiwan to work under a new government policy this year to entice graduates into seeking employment in Taiwan.
The Association of International Cultural and Educational Exchange Taiwan in a news release announced the results of its annual online survey of students attending the Blue Ocean Education Exhibition.
This year, it collected 2,175 valid responses between January and Dec. 20 last year for its 2024 International Enrollment Blue Ocean Trend Report.
Photo: Liu Hsiao-hsin, Taipei Times
Quality education was Taiwan’s top draw for most respondents at 24.75 percent, followed by a safe educational environment (15.4 percent) and opportunities to learn Chinese (14.47 percent).
The benefits of Taiwan’s affordable tuition fees and convenient geographical location were not cited as often at 10.4 percent and 4.49 percent respectively, despite being promoted as major selling points, the association said.
In September last year, the Cabinet approved a plan to encourage international students to stay by offering scholarships, help securing residency and new industry-academia joint programs.
The government aims to attract 320,000 international students to study in Taiwan by 2030, 210,000 of whom would stay after graduation for employment, boosting the ratio to 70 percent from 40 to 50 percent, the Ministry of Education said.
Asked about the program, 86 percent of survey respondents said they were willing to apply.
About 24 percent said they most value scholarship opportunities at their prospective university, followed by English course offerings at 17.28 percent and teaching quality at 14.45 percent.
As for hopes following graduation, 21.9 percent prioritized entering a suitable field, while 21.6 percent wanted to quickly find work.
The survey shows that students expect studying abroad to help with their career development, association chief executive officer Allen Hung (洪志衛) said.
Hung recommended that universities and language centers provide more admissions information, as well as guidance on finding internships and employment after graduation to attract more international students.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS