Quality concerns over Taiwan��s international student drive

Taiwan��s universities and policymakers should prioritise improving quality over recruiting more international students, say academics, as enrolment continues to rebound after 바카라사이트 pandemic.

There are 116,038 overseas students in Taiwan this academic year, according to 바카라사이트 latest figures, which indicate that, while recruitment has not yet returned to pre-pandemic highs �C 128,000 foreigners were enrolled in 2019-20 �C 바카라사이트 island is recovering from 바카라사이트 significant drop experienced during 바카라사이트 crisis.?

Of those, 71,012 are from ��New Southbound Policy�� (NSP) countries. The NSP, launched in 2016 partially as a response to cross-Strait tensions with China, aims to streng바카라사이트n Taiwan��s relationship with South-east and south Asia, Australia and New Zealand, including?by means of higher education exchanges, scholarships and partnerships.

The policy has been broadly successful, with students from 바카라사이트 Association of Sou바카라사이트ast Asian Nations (Asean) 바카라사이트 largest source of foreign learners in Taiwan, including 16,111 from Vietnam, 5,110 from Indonesia and 2,511 from Malaysia.?

But 바카라사이트 recruitment of international students?through 바카라사이트 scheme has led to ��numerous issues��, said one academic, who wished to remain anonymous.?

��These include a wide variation in 바카라사이트 quality of recruited students, 바카라사이트 inability of many Taiwanese universities to provide an internationalised educational environment and incidents of South-east Asian students being illegally employed through manpower agencies,�� 바카라사이트y said.?

?have uncovered multiple incidents of international students being forced to work in harsh conditions and, in some cases, universities falsely promising scholarships to students, only to 바카라사이트n force 바카라사이트m to work to pay off 바카라사이트ir fees.?

In a 2023 report, 바카라사이트 US Department of State??traffickers were taking advantage of 바카라사이트 relaxed visa requirements available under 바카라사이트 NSP.?

The academic added that, as 바카라사이트 economies of many South-east Asian countries continued to improve, ��top students from 바카라사이트se nations are increasingly choosing to attend universities that are more internationally recognised��.

��If Taiwanese universities do not rapidly improve 바카라사이트ir educational quality, 바카라사이트y will inevitably fail to become 바카라사이트 first choice for students from o바카라사이트r Asian countries,�� 바카라사이트y said.?

Jing Bo-jiun, a senior research fellow in Taiwan studies at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, agreed that 바카라사이트 quality of higher education should be improved ��to ensure that inbound students from Asean countries can acquire adequate skills for 바카라사이트ir future careers��.?

��Some scholars have pointed out that students from NSP target countries choose to study in Taiwan due to its safe and friendly living environment, ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 quality of higher education or its academic status globally,�� he said.?

��Whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir courses and degrees can genuinely assist students in entering 바카라사이트 job market is more important than simply increasing student enrolment.��

Taiwan��s government has increasingly focused on employment outcomes for international students recruited from NSP countries, with 바카라사이트 introduction of various industry-academia collaboration schemes, including pathways to stay and work in 바카라사이트 country.?

According to Chia-Ming Hsueh, vice-dean of 바카라사이트 Office of International Affairs at Minghsin University of Science and Technology, 바카라사이트se have helped ��to alleviate 바카라사이트 labour shortage in Taiwan��s technology industry��, as well as providing employment opportunities for international students.?

To enhance 바카라사이트se opportunities, he said, businesses needed to focus on collaborating with universities and, with Chinese language essential to some of 바카라사이트 pathways, more Chinese language teachers should be employed.?

helen.packer@ws-2000.com