University courses for students from New Southbound Policy target countries are strengthening academic and commercial ties with South and Southeast Asia.
Daisy Nguyen appears shy on first meeting but there is nothing timid about her career ambitions. The soft-spoken young woman from Vietnam is set on running her own pet-related business within the next few years. Thanks to collaboration between the Council of Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Vietnam Thai Binh Branch and Chihlee University of Technology in New Taipei City, she is on track to do just that.
Nguyen is enrolled in a two-year international trade program at Chihlee specifically tailored for Vietnamese students. Scholarships, as well as free accommodation and textbooks, are provided to the 33 young men and women on the course. Study materials are bilingual—Chinese and Vietnamese—while Taiwan professors are accompanied by teaching assistants from Vietnam in the classroom.
The connection with the chamber means graduates have a better chance of finding work with Taiwan companies operating in the Southeast Asian country after they graduate. Nguyen has already secured employment for this June following the end of her studies at Chihlee. Chairman of the chamber and Taiwan entrepreneur Hsu Chia-lung (俆嘉隆) plans to open an animal grooming salon in Ho Chi Minh City and has offered her a contract to help him manage the business
Eager to improve her Chinese and attracted by the scholarship, Nguyen jumped at the chance to apply to the program. “I feel so lucky to be able to study in Taiwan,” she said. The core curriculum at Chihlee provides her with the building blocks she needs, including classes in Chinese and English languages, computing, finance and marketing, she added. The university has also arranged work experience for her with a pet food company in New Taipei. “With rapid economic growth and rising incomes in Vietnam, people are willing to spend more on their animals,” Nguyen said. “There are big growth prospects in the pet care market and I’ll use the knowledge and skills I acquire in Taiwan to kick-start my career.”
The core curriculum for Vietnamese students at Chihlee includes classes in computing. (Photo by Chen Mei-ling)
Targeted Education
Nguyen’s course at Chihlee is part of a Ministry of Education (MOE) drive to advance academic and talent cultivation cooperation with New Southbound Policy (NSP) countries. A key plank in President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) national development strategy, the policy is also enhancing Taiwan’s agricultural, business, cultural, tourism and trade ties with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand.
In 2017, the ministry budgeted NT$1 billion (US$32.5 million) for a range of NSP initiatives including offering scholarships, organizing education fairs and student exchanges, establishing Southeast Asian language classes and recruiting teachers from regional countries to work in Taiwan. As part of this endeavor, the MOE launched a talent cultivation program in September 2017 providing universities with funds to create customized courses for students from target nations. Curriculums need to include subjects that are in demand and in areas where Taiwan has particular strengths. Participating institutes must also ensure teaching materials are in accessible languages and provide language instruction if required.
Schools can apply for grants that cover up to 70 percent of the costs of creating specialized four-year degrees, short-term technical classes or intensive skills training. A total of 92 tailored courses were launched under this initiative by 33 educational institutes during the 2017 academic year spanning disciplines such as agricultural technology, business management and mechanical engineering. In 2018, the government provided NT$590 million (US$19.2 million) to participating universities and colleges.
According to Yang Yu-huei (楊玉惠), director-general of the MOE’s Department of Technological and Vocational Education, students in the talent program are helping tackle a shortage of skilled workers in target countries, especially for Taiwan investors in the region. “Since many ASEAN economies are experiencing fast growth, there’s been a sharp rise in demand for qualified labor,” she said, adding this initiative is “building an effective talent pipeline.” Many of the courses on offer emphasize practical training tailored to such opportunities.
The measure is also helping enrich and internationalize college environments. According to Charles Wang (王正旭), dean of the Division of International and Cross-Strait Affairs at Chihlee, “the MOE initiative is a good way to increase the number of overseas students and promote more globalized campuses that broaden young people’s horizons and foster their cross-cultural awareness.”
The mechanical engineering course at Cheng Shiu University in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City is one of 12 specialized programs at the school for students from New Southbound Policy target countries. (Photo courtesy of Cheng Shiu University)
Welcoming Environment
Universities are implementing a range of measures to ensure foreign enrollees feel welcome in Taiwan and their cultural and religious needs are respected, Yang said. “I’ve been on fact-finding tours to the institutes and I’ve found many of them have built a culture of care.”
Cheng Shiu University (CSU) in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City is a good example. For its Muslim students, it provides prayer rooms on campus and separate kitchens in dormitories for the preparation of halal food. “We’ve created a supportive learning environment by offering free housing, health examinations and subsidized tuition,” CSU Vice President Tommy Cheng (鄭舜仁) said. “We also organize lots of extracurricular activities like art classes, cultural festivals from their home countries and sports events to help make their time here more enjoyable.”
As part of the talent cultivation initiative, CSU has launched 12 specialized programs, mostly for applicants from Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Courses span fields like business administration, electronics, food and beverage management, industrial engineering and management, and international business.
Babam Rianto from Indonesia, who studies mechanical engineering at CSU, appreciates the effort the university has invested in making it easier for him to settle in. “There are prayer rooms that show the direction to Mecca and there’s a mosque not too far from the school,” he said. There are also many clubs, events and facilities open to students. Rianto enjoys playing badminton and reading in the library in the evenings. “It’s a safe and comfortable learning environment,” he said.
Rianto chose to study at CSU because of its strong reputation in mechanical engineering, state-of-the-art equipment and good connections with local industry that offer rewarding internship possibilities. He is also getting valuable work experience as part of the course. Now in his second year, Rianto is doing an internship at Kaohsiung-based Hua Yong Machine Industry Co., which manufactures auto parts and high-precision aerospace components. He has gained industry knowledge and been able to start networking via the placement. Studying at CSU has been a “life-changing experience” for him, he said, adding that after graduation he wants to work as an engineer on a civil aircraft development project in Indonesia.
Students in the International Bachelor’s Degree Program in Tropical Agriculture at National Pingtung University of Science and Technology in southern Taiwan study a wide range of subjects ranging from animal husbandry and botany to food science. (Photos courtesy of National Pingtung University of Science and Technology)
Invaluable Internships
Like CSU, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) in southern Taiwan leverages its academic reputation and business links to attract overseas students. Its four-year International Bachelor’s Degree Program in Tropical Agriculture (IBTA), designed for applicants from NSP target countries, offers classes in animal husbandry, botany, fisheries, food science, forestry, marketing and production management. According to Cheng Ta-chih (鄭達智), chair of the Department of Tropical Agriculture and International Cooperation at NPUST, the course was designed to give students a broad-based education and enhance their chances of finding employment after graduation.
A core part of this is helping them gain work experience and build links with companies investing in their home countries. The department has signed deals with several firms based in nearby Pingtung Agricultural Biotechnology Park and other enterprises in southern Taiwan to offer internships at the end of the second year.
Sankar Panthi from Nepal is one of 33 students enrolled in IBTA. According to the 20-year-old, the program appealed to him because it is taught in English and offers a chance to learn advanced farming methods. “I plan to return home to pursue a career in agriculture,” he said. “The first step in making my dream come true is to complete my degree at NPUST.”
Statistics show the NSP talent cultivation initiative is growing in size. A total of 2,931 students attended specialized courses in the 2017 academic year, while 3,255 were enrolled by the 2018 fall semester. Although it is early days, Cheng Ta-chih believes the program is helping Taiwan firms find talent for their operations in Southeast Asia and bringing the country and the region closer together. “Everyone’s a winner,” he said. “And that includes government, industry and universities.”
Write to Kelly Her at kher@mofa.gov.tw