The Foundation for International Cooperation in Higher Education of Taiwan (FICHET) led a delegation of 46 representatives from 19 universities in Taiwan to take part in the 2017 National Association of Foreign Student Advisers (NAFSA) Conference and Exposition in Los Angeles from May 30 to June 2.

More than 10,000 higher education universities, institutes and representatives from all over the world took part in the 2017 NAFSA Conference and Exposition. The theme of the 2017 NAFSA Conference and Exposition was “Expanding Community, Strengthening Connection”. Various workshops, symposiums, seminars, and sessions were held to offer participants and international professional educators opportunities to learn more about international education and exchange opinions. The Taiwanese delegation set up a “Study in Taiwan” booth and signed up for two sessions and a poster fair, to increase Taiwan’s international profile as a study destination, and further develop more opportunities for education and research partnerships with other countries.
The Education Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in Washington D.C., and the Education Division and the Tourism Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in LA also joined the NAFSA Conference and Exposition Country Fair on June 1 and strongly promoted strategies and policies of internationalization by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan and Taiwan tourism as well.
FICHET and the Education Division of TECO-LA then cohosted the 2017 Taiwan Education Fair on June 3, with representatives of fifteen universities in Taiwan taking part to attract more foreigners and overseas Chinese students from the USA to study in Taiwan. According to Ministry of Education statistics, around 116,000 students from five continents are currently studying in Taiwan for a degree, or on some kind of exchange program, such as a Mandarin program or doing short-term studies. These include around 4,000 Americans and the number is increasing year by year.
In order to attract the interest of 2nd or 3rd Taiwanese generations’ and American students’ in studying in Taiwan, the Taiwan Education Fair pointed out the many advantages of undertaking higher education in Taiwan: for example, high-quality education, a safe friendly living environment, affordable tuition fees, Mandarin-speaking environment, cultural experiences, and scholarship opportunities. Language should not be seen as a barrier: there are now 41 universities in Taiwan providing 147 programs fully taught in English for foreign students and overseas Chinese students.
With the assistance of the Education Division at TECO-LA, the delegation from Taiwan also visited the University of California, Riverside and California State University, San Bernardino to discuss further collaboration regarding research, summer Mandarin camps, winter English camps, internship programs, and exchange programs. Other universities in Southern California–California State University, LA, California State University, Fullerton and California State University, Long Beach–also expressed willingness to collaborate with universities in Taiwan in the future.

Picture:The delegation from Taiwan at the 2017 Taiwan Education Fair in LA