The education ministry has revealed a plan designed to attract students from Southeast Asia and India to Taiwan’s universities. The plan is part of the Tsai administration’s Southbound Policy, which is meant to strengthen Taiwan’s ties with Southeast Asia and India.
At a press conference on Thursday, Deputy Education Minister Chen Liang-gee said that the goal is to raise student enrollment from these two regions by 20% each year. Chen said the government hopes to see 58,000 students from Southeast Asia and India studying in Taiwan by 2019.
Chen also said that the new educational policy is designed to help boost Taiwan’s economic competitiveness. Chen said the policy will train workers that can help Taiwanese businesses, including those active in Southeast Asia.
In order to attract more students, the government will encourage Taiwanese universities to sign partnership agreements with their counterparts in India and Southeast Asia, and increase quotas for students from both regions. The education ministry will receive NT$1 billion (US$32 million) in 2017 to support the strengthening of educational ties between Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Chen said that the new policy will not lead to cuts in the number of Mainland Chinese students allowed to study in Taiwan.