REASONS TO STAY:
The top draw for foreign students is the quality of education, followed by a safe learning environment and chances to learn Chinese, a poll showed
By Kayleigh Madjar / Staff writer, with CNA
Eighty-six percent of international students are willing to stay to work under a new government policy this year to entice graduates to seek employment in Taiwan, a survey released on Tuesday showed.
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.
Quality education was Taiwan’s top draw for most respondents at 24.75 percent, followed by a safe education environment (15.4 percent) and opportunities to learn Chinese (14.47 percent).
Photo: Liu Hsiao-hsin, Taipei Times
The benefits of Taiwan’s affordable tuition fees and convenient 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 in the country 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 showed 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.
The association collected 2,175 valid responses in the survey between January and Dec. 20 last year for its 2024 International Enrollment Blue Ocean Trend Report.
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