The study found 86.87 percent of ethnic Chinese students are interested in exploring employment possibilities in Taiwan following graduation. They are followed by foreign national students, at 83.89 percent, and students at Mandarin-language learning centers, at 82.45 percent.
Li Yu-mei, an official with the MOE’s Department of International and Cross-strait Education, said the trend is getting a significant boost from the launch of a revamped points-based work permit application system to assess foreign students wishing to find jobs in the nation.
“Regulations on the hiring and retaining of foreign professionals will be eased from January,” Li said. “Students who score more than 60 points in an evaluation of their educational background, language proficiency and professional capabilities will qualify for a work permit under the new regulations.”
Foreign students can become a major source of talent for Taiwan, she added, while retaining them enhances political and economic relations with the students’ home countries and raises the nation’s overall competitiveness.
“By improving our recruitment mechanisms, we will be able to attract more international students and tap into their professional knowledge and skills. Their contributions are set to inject new dynamism into Taiwan’s economy.”
Conducted in October among 2,759 international students—spanning foreign nationals, Mandarin learners and ethnic Chinese—currently studying in Taiwan, the MOE survey found over 80 percent of respondents believe their studies will prove beneficial in their future careers.
Up to 93.05 percent of foreign national students also said they will encourage their friends to pursue educational programs in Taiwan, citing the nation’s high-quality academic, cultural and living environments as well as affordable tuition, plentiful scholarships and Mandarin-learning opportunities.
According to MOE statistics, the number of international students in Taiwan reached 92,685 in 2014, up 12,955 from a year before. The ministry expects the figure to continue rising due to further regulatory easing and increasing job opportunities. (YHC-CM)
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