Education Japanese students flock to Taiwan for affordable education and tech opportunities

More Japanese students are choosing Taiwan for their higher education, drawn by quality language programmes, reasonable fees, and attractive incentives - including support from major semiconductor companies. The growing interest was evident at a "study in Taiwan" fair held across Tokyo and Yokohama in June. Organised by the Taiwan Education Centre Japan, which operates under Taiwan's Ministry of Education, the event drew over 200 attendees from prefectures all over Japan.

One Taiwanese programme even offers scholarships alongside living expense allowances to make studying there more accessible. The appeal is changing minds at home, too. A mother from Shizuoka Prefecture admitted that she had first resisted her daughter's plans to study in Taiwan. However, the more she learned about Taiwan's outstanding education standards and affordable tuition, the more she supported the idea. She now encourages her daughter, telling her it sounds terrific.

TECJ officials said the number of Japanese studying in Taiwan rose from 4,457 in the 2012 school year to more than 10,000 in the 2019 school year. The count dropped during the novel coronavirus pandemic but rebounded to 8,779 in the 2024 school year. Japanese account for the fourth-biggest group of international students in Taiwan, following Vietnamese, Indonesians and Malaysians. Officials of the Taiwan Study Support Center (TSSC), a general incorporated association based in Ibaraki Prefecture, said annual university tuition fees in Taiwan range between 500,000 yen and 750,000 yen ($3,400 and $5,100). "That's only about 10 to 20 percent of what you typically have to pay in the United States and about half of the tuition fees for branch campuses of Western universities in Malaysia," the TSSC leader said. Taiwan has been focusing on English education for some time now and has an extensive lineup of classes given in English, the leader added.

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Visitors at the booths for National Taipei University of Technology and National Yunlin University of Science & Technology couldn't hide their amazement. These universities offer a programme exclusively for Japanese students that covers all tuition and provides ¥50,000 monthly for living expenses. Chen Fang-Ju, a YunTech assistant professor operating the booth, explained that graduates must take a job exam to join chip giant TSMC potentially. However, students aren't required to repay their allowances even if they fail the entrance test. TSMC funds both universities to develop skilled semiconductor workers, with the universities channelling this corporate support directly into student scholarships.

We're advising some young relatives not to embark upon 3 year degree courses in Taiwan because of the potential threat from China and the disruption that would cause their studies. We fear the Chinese government is becoming emboldened by the way Putin and Netanyahu are escaping serious repercussions, from the rest of the world, for their abhorrent behaviours.

Ukigumo said:

We're advising some young relatives not to embark upon 3 year degree courses in Taiwan because of the potential threat from China and the disruption that would cause their studies. We fear the Chinese government is becoming emboldened by the way Putin and Netanyahu are escaping serious repercussions, from the rest of the world, for their abhorrent behaviours.

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What sort of assessment is this based on? I tend to agree with the one below largely. The stakes are too high.

thomas said:

What sort of assessment is this based on? I tend to agree with the one below largely. The stakes are too high.

Rethinking the Threat: Why China is Unlikely to Invade Taiwan • Stimson Center

An invasion of Taiwan is far more complicated than Washington narratives would suggest.

www.stimson.org

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We scattered 'the runes' and they spoke…

My other half had her medical training interrupted, halfway through, for three years by a military coup in her country. It was very distressing and uncertain for her, although she made good use of the time and became an international champion in Karate kata. So she's sensitive to the idea her relatives suffering similarly studies even if it's only a vague risk especially when there are 'safer' countries around the world that also offer excellent degree courses.