The education ministry expects to recruit 320,000 students by the year 2030 through collaborations with universities and businesses. That’s according to a ministry press release on Thursday.
The ministry outlined its plan for recruiting international students in a report delivered to the cabinet. The plan includes establishing ten overseas offices in Europe, North America, and New Southbound countries. Seven offices will initially be rolled out next year with Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, and New Southbound countries taking priority. The ministry expects that all ten offices will be opened by 2025.
The offices will offer preparatory Mandarin courses, as well as international cooperation and exchange programs. Specialized programs will also be offered in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields, finance, and semiconductor-related disciplines through an industry - university partnership.
Students who enroll in the specialized programs will be eligible for a two-year scholarship co-funded by the Taiwan government and participating companies. Students receiving the scholarship will be required to work at the contributing company in Taiwan for at least two years after graduation.