Study in Taiwan: A world of opportunity

In the words of the scholar Gu Yanwu, for a
real education one should “Walk 10,000 miles. Read 10,000 books.” Some things
have changed since he wrote in the 17th century, but not the benefits of an
expanded horizon as part of our education. Studying abroad is one of the best
ways to achieve this.

Taiwan has become a hub for overseas
students, with the number coming from Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Macao
growing every year. According to the Department of Education, the number of
overseas students in Taiwan has exceeded the benchmark of 11,000, among which
Malaysian students dominate.

Why has Taiwan becomes a preferred
destination for so many? The head of the Federation of Alumni Associations of
Taiwan University, Malaysia, Mr. Fang Jun-neng says “The reason so many
Malaysians come to study in Taiwan is that we have many respources for higher
education, plus excellent tourism and it is close to their home country.
Malaysia and Taiwan have historically had a good relationship.

In the case of Malaysia, Taiwan’s obvious
attractions are bolstered by the annual Taiwan Higher Education Fair. Held in
major Malaysian cities, the event attracts more than 20,000 student visitors to
tour and collect valuable educational information, making it easier to learn
about the many opportunities available for students in Taiwan.

Outstanding faculty and innovative
curricula are the main strengths of Taiwanese universities when it comes to
attracting foreign students. For example, Chaoyang University of Technology,
the first private university of science and technology in Taiwan, has more than
90% of its faculty at assistant professor level or above. They not only value
teaching quality, but pay attention to staff and students’ ability to apply theoretical
knowledge to practice and to keep abreast of international trends and
developments.

The College of Management at Chaoyang
University of Technology is the first Taiwanese vocational and technical
college to establish an Institute of Finance in which every student graduates
with more than one certificate, helping them to easily find a job straight
after graduation. In addition, Chaoyang has also initiated a system of
subsidising thousands of students to study abroad every year, helping those
students to widen their horizons.

China Medical University, as part of its
drive to reach the top echelon of institutions, has invested heavily in its
faculty, too. The university promotes its ‘Hundred Teachers Project’ that sees
them actively canvassing excellent teachers around the world. Since 2014, the
university has hired master-level teachers from Columbia University in the City
of New York and dean-level professors from National Taiwan University and
National Cheng Kung University to inject fresh blood into its teaching. This
policy of helping students to ‘see the world by standing on shoulders of
giants’ creates graduates with unrestrained and far-ranging vision.