2023 Taiwan Higher Education Fair in Thailand
The 2023 Taiwan Higher Education Fair in Thailand, held at Samyan Mitrtown in Bangkok on August 26 and 27, brought together representatives of 32 universities in Taiwan with a singular goal: to attract outstanding people from Thailand interested in pursuing higher education in Taiwan. The two-day fair drew approximately 2,800 attendees—educators, students, and parents—all wanting detailed information about opportunities to study in Taiwan.
The distinguished guests at the opening ceremony included Ms. Hsueh Hsiu-Mei, Deputy Representative at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Thailand, Ms. Sumitra Thongsang from the Thai Ministry of Education, and Prof. Chang Chin-Lung, president of National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, who each made opening remarks, and more than 40 personnel from Thai higher education institutions.
Prof. Chang welcomed everyone and encouraged academic cooperation and exchanges between Taiwan and Thailand. Deputy Representative Hsueh Hsiu-Mei emphasized that Taiwan's higher education qualifications are globally recognized. She pointed out that in 2022, the number of Thai students studying in Taiwan reached an all-time high of 4,047, making Thailand the country with the sixth-largest number of international students for Taiwan. Thai students have a strong interest in studying in Taiwan, whether to further their formal education or learn the Chinese language.
Sumitra Thongsang from the Ministry of Education in Thailand highlighted Taiwan's rapid development and internationalization in higher education. She lauded Taiwanese universities for establishing collaborations and educational partnerships with leading institutions worldwide, including those in Thailand. Taiwan’s Ministry of Education consistently offers scholarships for Thai students to undertake programs in Taiwan at bachelor's degree, master's degree, and doctorate levels, along with short-term Chinese language study scholarships for Thai students, and she expressed her gratitude for Taiwan's support of Thai educators and students.
Following the opening remarks, Ms. Hsueh Hsiu-Mei, Ms. Sumitra Thongsang, and Prof. Chang Chin-Lung jointly cut the ribbon to open the two-day fair. During those two days the 32 participating universities in Taiwan, the Education Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand, and the provided information about the universities, the application process, and scholarships available, and alumni who had studied in Taiwan and current students shared details of their experiences there. There were also cultural activities, such as making Taiwanese-style lucky bracelets and papercutting.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Education also organized a Taiwan Night, held at the Mandarin Hotel Bangkok the day before the Taiwan Higher Education Fair in Thailand. Over 130 distinguished guests were welcomed to this gathering, including Professor Banchong Mahaisavariya, the president of Mahidol University, and Dr. Sommai Pivsa-Art, the president of RMUTT (Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi). It provided an opportunity for interactions between representatives of various universities in Taiwan and in Thailand, and discussions about fostering deeper educational ties.
Ouyang Yen-heng, the Director of the Education Division of TECO in Thailand gave the first opening remarks, in which he expressed his delight that educational ties between the government of Taiwan and Thailand have been steadily strengthening. He pointed out many measures that Taiwan's Ministry of Education has implemented to achieve this goal. For example, it has set up the Taiwan Education Center in Thailand which has offices in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Phuket. And this year the Ministry awarded 18 Taiwan Scholarships for outstanding Thai students to undertake degrees in Taiwan and 33 Huayu Enrichment Scholarships to study Mandarin Chinese there. He also emphasized the Ministry of Education's satisfaction with the growing number of education and research collaborations between universities in Taiwan and Thailand.
Following Director Ouyang, Prof. Chang Chin-Lung, president of National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Prof. Banchong Mahaisavariya, president of Mahidol University, and Prof. Sommai Pivsa-Art, president of Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi also made opening remarks They each welcomed and encouraged more academic cooperation and exchanges between Taiwan and Thailand.
The Taiwan Night and the 2023 Thailand Taiwan Higher Education Exhibition were both highly successful, injecting fresh vitality into educational exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and Thailand.
