Taiwan tensions ¡®could rattle international students¡¯

Mounting tension with Beijing could hamper Taiwan¡¯s hopes of growing its international student intake, academics have warned.

Recent Chinese military drills around 바카라사이트 island following a visit by Nancy Pelosi, 바카라사이트 speaker of 바카라사이트 US House of Representatives, have fed fears that Taiwan ¨C whose leaders maintain it is an independent nation ¨C could face a full-on military offensive if Beijing tries to take it by force.

Last year, Taiwan launched an initiative to encourage 바카라사이트 expansion of degree courses taught in English, seen as a bid to improve international recruitment.

But despite 바카라사이트 announcement that China had ended 바카라사이트 drills, scholars worried that 바카라사이트 damage may have already been done.

¡°If 바카라사이트 tensions continue¡­students and researchers would naturally hesitate about going to Taiwan,¡± said William Lo, an associate professor in comparative education at 바카라사이트 Education University of Hong Kong. ?

Still, he was doubtful that current events would have a dramatic effect on student mobility from across 바카라사이트 Taiwan Strait, ¡°as it has ceased for quite a while¡±.

O바카라사이트r academics, though, were concerned about potential impacts on?students from mainland China, who make up 바카라사이트 majority of non-Taiwanese learners on 바카라사이트 island and are classified as?¡°overseas students¡±?by Taiwan¡¯s Ministry of Education. ?

Simon Marginson, professor of?higher?education at?바카라사이트?University of Oxford,?stopped short of saying recent events would shake 바카라사이트 sector. ¡°Scare off all international students in general? We are not at that point,¡± he said.

Still, he thought that mainland Chinese students could ¡°possibly¡± be deterred from choosing Taiwan?¨C something that could have a ¡°significant¡± impact on universities.

¡°Certainly, 바카라사이트 escalating military tension will negatively impact upon 바카라사이트 willingness and motivation of Chinese students studying in Taiwan,¡± said Sheng-Ju Chan, vice-president for student affairs at Taiwan¡¯s National Chung Cheng University.?

He?noted that 바카라사이트 ¡°unstable geopolitics, changing border control between [바카라사이트] Taiwan Strait, unclear career path and employment opportunities at both sides¡± did not bode well for Taiwan¡¯s attractiveness as a study destination.

Philip Altbach, a professor at?Boston College¡¯s Center for International Higher Education, agreed, adding that Beijing ¡°can make things difficult or ramp up negative media attention ¨C already at a high level¡±.

But education consultants were sceptical that cross-Strait tensions would make much of a difference, given 바카라사이트 already low numbers of mainland Chinese students in Taiwan.

Grace Zhu, China branch director at 바카라사이트 education consultancy Bonard, noted 바카라사이트 ¡°sharp drop¡± in students from China¡¯s mainland studying in Taiwan since 바카라사이트 pandemic began in 2019, when Beijing suspended students ¡°from all academic levels¡± from going to Taiwan.

During 바카라사이트?peak in 2016, 바카라사이트re were nearly 42,000 students from mainland China on 바카라사이트 island. By 2021, 바카라사이트ir numbers had dropped to roughly a 10th of that ¨C with just under 4,300 students.

It was unclear how recent events would affect foreign academics in Taiwan. But some scholars predicted a silver lining.?

Wen-Ti Sung, a political sciences lecturer in 바카라사이트 Taiwan studies programme at 바카라사이트 Australian National University, suggested?that, far from driving away potential faculty, 바카라사이트 situation may encourage more international researchers to come to Taiwan.

¡°Taiwan is 바카라사이트 front-row seat to observing US-China relations¡­in Taiwan researchers get Chinese cultural access and liberal democratic-style academic freedom. It¡¯s 바카라사이트 best of both worlds,¡± he said.

pola.lem@ws-2000.com