Taiwan Targets Students With ‘Cheap’ Offer

Jakarta Globe, Heru Andriyanto, May 10, 2010

Taiwan is aiming for a bigger slice of the Indonesian student market with an offer hard to resist: the cheapest learning costs among competitors such as the United States, Australia, Singapore and even mainland China.

“What it takes for an international student to earn a master’s degree in Taiwan is spending of just $6,000 to $9,000 a year, according to the discipline the student is choosing. And that includes the living expenses,” said Chen Tsang Yao, director of Elite Study in Taiwan (ESIT), whose task is to net foreign students for more than 160 higher education institutions in Taiwan.

But he was quick to add that cost saving was not the main advantage his government could offer students.

Chen claimed Taiwan’s higher education and training were among the world’s top five in 2006 and 2007, based on a survey by the World Economic Forum, thanks to its highly advanced research facilities.

“We are offering an option to Indonesian students willing to study abroad who mostly consider the US, Australia, Singapore, Japan or the Netherlands,” he said.

The recruitment team visited Jakarta last week “to test the water” in its first official student recruiting program in Indonesia.

It is planning a much bigger introductory and marketing event involving local universities in October.

Indonesia is seen as a key partner in Taiwan’s ambition to internationalize its universities. Even before the formal marketing campaign is launched, there are already quite a number of Indonesians studying for degrees in Taiwan.

“In 2009, the total number of Indonesian students studying in Taiwan was 2,275,” Chen said.

That figure represents about 10 percent of the number of international students from 113 countries studying in Taiwan.

But while the major disciplines selected by international students are engineering and business management, 877 Indonesian students went to Taiwan to study Mandarin.

“Now we need to explain here that Mandarin language is not the only thing we are best at,” said Chung Tsair Wang, co-chairman of ESIT. “Taiwan universities have world-class research facilities in engineering and technology and we look forward to seeing more Indonesian students in those disciplines.

“I have visited several Indonesian universities and met students with great talent in those areas. In Taiwan, international students with excellent performance enjoy many advantages, including generous scholarships from the government and even free accommodation.”

Another thing to consider, he said, is that the fast-growing Taiwanese investment in Indonesia offers great job opportunities for graduates from Taiwan.

“It is only natural that Taiwanese companies operating in Indonesia will prefer to select Indonesians graduating from our universities as their employees, with high salaries and other benefits,” Chung said. “And there are many joint Taiwan-Indonesia projects here in the fields of energy, petrochemicals, engineering and so on,” he told the Jakarta Globe.

Among the top Taiwanese universities Indonesian students can select from are Asia University, Chung Hua University, Chung Yuan Christian University, National Central University, National Cheng Kung University, National Sun Yat-sen University, National Taipei University, National Taiwan University, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology and St. John’s University , Taipei campus.

In October, representatives from various Taiwanese universities are expected to join the ESIT team for its first major marketing program in Indonesia.

“We are still approaching local universities to be hosts of the program,” Chung said.

“We are currently at talks with the University of Indonesia, Gadjah Mada University, North Sumatra University and Brawijaya University.”

To show its seriousness in attracting more Indonesian students, the ESIT has opened an online application service at www.esit.org.tw, from which students can go one-stop shopping for their preferred university and discipline. The site includes institutions with an English-instruction international program, application forms, class schedules and even information on finding a place to live.

But it seems that the Indonesian marketing program will not be an easy task for the Taiwanese delegation.

“The cheap price tag of course started with the more famous ‘made in Taiwan’ products, but I don’t think that the concept will work when it comes to education,” said Theresia Sulis, 43, a housewife in Cimahi who is seeking a school for her son, a recent high school graduate.

“Maybe the school expenses there are cheaper than other countries, but what’s the point in sending my son there if local universities in Bandung or Jakarta have better quality?”

“And it’s still much cheaper for him to study in local schools,” she added.

“If I finally decide to send my son abroad to study, I will consider France, Australia or Singapore, which are also less expensive than the US or Britain, but equally offer big advantages in the post-school job search.”

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