Taiwan’s Ministry of Education held the 2022 University and College International Administrator Development Workshop on August 19 at the National Chengchi University Center for Public and Business Administration Education. Organized by the Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education Taiwan (FICHET) the workshop brought together 105 international affairs personnel from 60 colleges and universities across the country to learn from each other’s operations and experience.



The workshop centered on the theme of "Policies for and Development of Internationalization of Taiwan’s Higher Education", and was attended by Dr. Yen-Yi Lee, Director General of the MOE’s Department of International and Cross-Strait Education along with 6 representatives from the Ministry of Labor’s Labor Development Agency and the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Investment and Business Office who provided highly informative addresses on policies relevant to Taiwan’s ongoing push to upgrade the international profile and integration of the nation’s universities and colleges, along with current and developing regulations for foreign students in Taiwan including entry and exit, residence, immigration, and working status. The addresses were followed by useful Q&A delving into the current development and policy directions for overseas students coming to Taiwan to study and work.



Director General Lee explained that the second phase of the Ministry of Education’s Higher Education Development Plan included the strengthening of internationalized administrative support for international education platforms at each school. He also discussed the progress of the “Taiwan Elite Chinese Language Program” instituted by the MOE in 2021. This program provides subsidies to elite universities with Chinese language teaching capacity, promoting cooperating with their elite counterparts in the United States and Europe to promote Chinese language education, thereby attracting outstanding international students and teachers, and promoting international academic cooperation and exchange.

To raise awareness among the assembled international affairs personnel, roundtable discussions were organized around themes including "International Cooperation Strategy", "School Brand Marketing", "Overseas Student Guidance" and "Short Courses and Chinese-English Courses". Sixteen senior international affairs personnel shared their front-line practical experience on various topics and led the discussions. This opportunity for productive face-to-face exchange and networking communication among colleagues from different schools helped representatives explore different perspectives on and practical solutions to various issues they face in recruiting and supporting international students.



The meeting also featured a special address from Dr. Michael Ching-Long Lu, Former Ambassador in France, offering attendees the benefit of his rich international experience, explaining how international affairs personnel can best use aspects of Taiwan's soft power to develop new opportunities for cooperation and to deepen bilateral interactions, thereby promoting exchanges between Taiwan and other countries. Drawing on his decades of international diplomacy, Ambassador Lu challenged attendees to reflect on their role in Taiwan’s international relations, inspiring all listeners to redouble their efforts.



In closing, FICHET chairperson Prof. Huey-Jen Su noted that, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 epidemic, Taiwan’s universities and colleges had remained open to the world, in large part due to the ceaseless efforts of the attendees. She said that the current conference should serve as a platform from which international affairs personnel can further develop the knowledge, skills and relationships that will allow them to further raise the international profile of Taiwan’s higher education institutions and to promote international cooperation with their global counterparts.