Students in the International Bachelor’s Degree Program in Tropical Agriculture at NPUST in southern Taiwan get up close and personal with botanical specimens. (Photos courtesy of NPUST)
 

A large number of universities in Taiwan are successfully participating in a talent development initiative overseen by the Ministry of Education in line with the New Southbound Policy.

Launched in September 2017, the undertaking requires curriculums to include subjects relating to industries or markets in which Taiwan enjoys core advantages. Participating institutes must ensure teaching materials are offered in NSP-friendly languages and provide instruction if required. MOE statistics reveal that 2,931 students took part in the 2017 academic year, while 3,255 were enrolled by the 2018 fall semester.

The NSP is a key plank in the government’s national development strategy. It seeks to deepen Taiwan’s agricultural, business, cultural, education, tourism and trade ties with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand.

One of the leading participant institutions is National Pingtung University of Science and Technology in southern Taiwan. Its four-year International Bachelor’s Degree Program in Tropical Agriculture offers classes in animal husbandry, botany, fisheries, food science, forestry, marketing and production management.
 

NSP target country students show off vegetables cultivated in an NPUST net house.
 

Cheng Ta-chih, chair of the Department of Tropical Agriculture and International Cooperation at NPUST, said the degree gives students a broad-based education and enhances chances of finding employment after graduation. One of the central components involves work experience and establishing connections with businesses eyeing investment opportunities in NSP target countries, he added.

According to Cheng, the department has signed deals with several firms based in nearby Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park, as well as other enterprises in southern Taiwan, to offer internships at the end of the second year of the program. This is expected to prove popular with current students and boost enrolments in subsequent years, he said.

Sankar Panthi from Nepal is one of 33 students enrolled in IBTA. He said the program appealed to him because it is taught in English and imparts advanced farming methods.
 

Sankar Panthi (center) plans to return home to Nepal and pursue a career in agriculture after graduating from NPUST.
 

Yang Yu-huei, director-general of the MOE’s Department of Technological and Vocational Education, said participant schools can apply for grants covering up to 70 percent of the costs of creating specialized four-year degrees, short-term technical classes or intensive skills training. The measure also serves to enrich and internationalize college environments, she added.

Many ASEAN economies are experiencing fast growth and there is demand for qualified labor, Yang said, adding that most of the courses on offer emphasize practical training tailored to such opportunities.

Cheng believes the program is also helping Taiwan firms find talent for operations in Southeast Asia while building education ties between the country and NSP region. Everyone is a winner, and that includes the government, industry and universities, he said.
 

IBTA students train for a dragon boat race.