The Ministry of Education unveiled Aug. 25 a host of academic and talent cultivation policies designed to boost exchanges with Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states and India as part of the government’s New Southbound Policy, including a large-scale initiative to increase the number of foreign students from these nations studying at local universities.

According to MOE Deputy Minister Chen Liang-gee, the government plans to allocate NT$1 billion (US$31.6 million) for the projects in the 2016 academic year, with more than 70 percent of this amount to be spent on attracting students from ASEAN and India. “Southeast Asian countries, a major source of the nation’s new immigrants and foreign students, are geographically close to Taiwan and have experienced rapid economic and social development in recent years,” Chen said.

The remainder of the funds will be used to support various talent cultivation and academic exchange programs, including courses to help the children of new immigrants retain knowledge of their foreign-born parents’ mother tongues and cultures, as well as projects to enable Taiwan young people to attend major events such as academic conferences, competitions and volunteer activities in Southeast Asia.

Under the New Southbound Policy, Taiwan is seeking to elevate the scope and diversity of its export economy and minimize overreliance on any single market. The initiative extends to South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand and encompasses inbound investment and tourism, as well as educational and cultural exchanges.

Malaysia is the largest source of international students in Taiwan, followed in the Southeast Asian region by Indonesia and Vietnam, according to the MOE. The new policies are expected to increase the number of students from ASEAN and India enrolled at Taiwan’s colleges and universities from the current total of about 28,000 to 58,000 in the 2019 academic year, the deputy minister said.

A major goal of the talent cultivation programs is to provide Taiwan businesses in fields such as biomedical technology, e-commerce and information engineering with the personnel required to expand their operations in ASEAN member states and India. Under the policies, subsidies will be offered to students who intern at Taiwan enterprises or multinational companies in these countries.

The MOE will continue to work in cooperation with other government ministries and local educational institutions to enhance exchanges with South and Southeast Asian nations on a mutually beneficial basis so as to build a solid talent pool and help young people fulfill their career goals, Chen said. “Over past decades, Taiwan has developed deep connections with these countries, with millions of overseas compatriots living there, and such ties will continue to strengthen going forward.” (KTJ-E)

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