A delegation comprising more than 20 representatives from National Taiwan University, National Taiwan Normal University and three national universities of technology is commencing Nov. 4 a three-day student recruitment tour of high schools in Malaysia.
Led by NTU president Yang Pan-chyr, the group also includes the heads of the four other participating tertiary institutions. It will introduce the courses, equipment, facilities and staff of the universities during visits to Chong Hwa Independent High School and Tsun Jin High School, both in Kuala Lumpur, and Hin Hua High School in Klang, a city southwest of the Malaysian capital.
According to NTU’s Office of Academic Affairs, the institution will utilize the trip to promote its new all-English program offering enrolment for 80 international and 40 local students starting next year.
“The large number of Malaysians graduating from Taiwan universities is paving the way for closer educational exchanges between Taiwan and the Southeast Asian nation,” the office said. “As one of Taiwan’s most prestigious institutions, we are at the top of the list for Malaysian students seeking to study abroad.”
The tour follows in the footsteps of the Oct. 19-25 visit to Indonesia by a delegation of Ministry of Education officials and representatives from dozens of Taiwan public and private universities.
Led by MOE Deputy Minister Chen Liang-gee, the group participated in the Taiwan-Indonesia Higher Education Summit in Bandung, the fourth largest city in the Southeast Asian country. It exchanged views with counterparts on subjects ranging from entrepreneurship and innovation to vocational education.
The delegation also helped promote Taiwan’s universities while attending the Taiwan Higher Education Fair in the Indonesian capital Jakarta and then Medan, the third largest city in the archipelago nation.
Both trips are in line with President Tsai Ing-wen’s New Southbound Policy—a central plank in the government’s national development strategy aiming to create fresh economic impetus and deepen business, cultural, education and trade links between Taiwan and Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand. A top priority of the policy is bolstering people-to-people exchanges and talent flows between Taiwan and Southeast Asia.
Malaysia and Indonesia are the top two sources of international students from countries covered by the policy. Nearly 15,000 Malaysians, including 11,534 degree seekers, studied in Taiwan during the 2015-2016 academic year. About 4,400 Indonesians, including 2,725 degree seekers, were in country during the same period, according to the MOE. (OC-E)
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