Taiwan’s first higher education center designed to support the government’s New Southbound Policy was established Aug. 12 at National Taipei University of Education, underscoring the country’s efforts to expand exchanges with Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states in such diverse fields as business, culture, education and tourism.
James C. F. Huang, who heads the New Southbound Policy Office under the Office of the President, said at the opening ceremony that NTUE’s ASEAN Human Resources Education Center will help boost mutually beneficial interactions between Taiwan and Southeast Asia by fostering local expertise in regional languages and business environments as well as Mandarin instruction. “The establishment of this facility is a very significant step in cultivating Southeast Asian language talent in Taiwan,” he said.
According to NTUE President Chang Shin-jen, the center will complement the university’s existing programs for students from Southeast Asia. “The school already offers undergraduate and master’s degree courses for students from ASEAN countries, and the graduates of these programs will become an important resource for Taiwan enterprises operating in the region,” she said.
The number of students from ASEAN member states enrolled at NTUE grew from 30 in the 2011 academic year to 73 in 2015, reflecting an overall increase in the number of students from the region attending Taiwan universities in recent years, Chang added.
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 and Southeast Asia and encompasses inbound investment and tourism, as well as educational and cultural exchanges.
Deputy Minister of Education Lin Teng-chiao said at the opening ceremony that the Ministry of Education plans to allocate NT$1 billion (US$31.9 million) for the promotion of New Southbound Policy-related initiatives in the next academic year. Part of this budget will be used to increase the number of scholarships on offer for students from ASEAN countries so as to boost academic collaboration between Taiwan and the region.
At a forum following the ceremony, Huang emphasized that education programs and human resource development projects can play a significant role in boosting exchanges with Southeast Asia. “There are now more than 400 Taiwan enterprises operating in Vietnam and a total of more than 25,000 across all ASEAN countries. The government’s measures to foster new talent will support the development of these businesses,” he said. (KTJ-E)
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