Vietnam continuously ranks first in the number of international students in Taiwan, why?

Students at the graduation ceremony of National Taiwan University in May.

This year, Taiwan recorded 27,491 Vietnamese students coming to study, an increase of 3,763 people compared to 2022 and continued to rank first in the number of international students from 2020 to present. This continuous growth began in 2007. By 2016, the number of Vietnamese international students reached nearly 5,000 people, in 2018 it reached more than 10,000 and in 2023 it set a record of more than 27,000 people, according to statistics from the Taiwan Department of Education.

Affordable cost, simple input

Dr. Hoang Vi Triet, with many years of experience as an admissions consultant for high schools and universities in Taiwan, said that one of the reasons attracting Vietnamese students to Taiwan is that Taiwan's education is of high quality but the cost is more affordable than in English-speaking countries such as the US, Australia, Canada, etc. This is especially important in the context that many of the above countries have recently tightened student visa regulations.

"Taiwan offers many scholarships for international students, from MOE scholarships, international student training scholarships (ICDF), not to mention scholarships from universities. Cost and opportunities are the factors that attract Vietnamese students to Taiwan," Dr. Triet shared, adding that the cost of studying in Taiwan is only 1/3 of Australia, approximately 1/5 of the US.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Hang, Director of CLC Hoa Van Company (HCMC), said that the number of Vietnamese students registering to study abroad and applying for scholarships through her unit in particular and other study abroad consulting centers in general has tended to increase in recent years. The reasons pointed out by Ms. Hang are the attraction of Taiwanese cuisine, landscapes and culture among the youth community.

Master Nguyen Thi Kim Hang, Director of CLC Flower Company (HCMC), commented that the number of students coming to consulting centers specializing in Taiwan has increased steadily in recent years.

According to the female director, preparing documents to study abroad in Taiwan is quite simple. Regarding foreign languages, students must achieve a minimum IELTS score of 5.0 if they want to study abroad in an English-taught program, or a minimum TOCFL score of A1 if they choose a Chinese-taught program, but it is best to achieve C1 or C2. University applicants need a high school transcript, two letters of recommendation from the principal or anyone who directly teaches. At the master's level, you must have a university degree or proof of graduation if you want to apply for a scholarship.

Many job opportunities right from high school

According to experts, despite being a Chinese-speaking destination, Vietnamese students can still apply for many bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs taught in English, which is a move in the territory’s internationalization efforts. Taiwanese people are also enthusiastic about foreigners, willing to listen and support international students in their daily lives, according to Mohammad Soleh, a Vietnamese of Cham origin currently studying in Taiwan.

"Taiwan also has many international students who are limited in their ability to use Chinese and can only communicate fluently in English, so Vietnamese students can completely speak English with their friends. In addition, international students will be instructed very carefully and enthusiastically by the school and the guidance department about situations that may arise in life, so studying and working will be much easier," Mohammad Soleh shared.

Mr. Tran Thiem Vuong, Principal of Tri Dung High School (Taiwan), shared at a recent study abroad seminar.

Mr. Tran Thiem Vuong, Principal of Tri Dung High School (Taiwan), said that students studying abroad under the 3+4 program (3 years of high school, 4 years of bachelor's degree) at his school can work part-time and overtime at a company affiliated with the school. During the 3 years of high school, students' salaries range from 600-800 USD/month. The salary is higher at the bachelor's level, up to 30,000 NTD/month (23.1 million VND).

The above salary is only the average. If you choose to work officially in Taiwan in key industries such as healthcare, marketing, IT, semiconductor technology... the salary will be much higher, Mr. Vuong commented.

It should also be noted that international students coming to Taiwan for bachelor's and master's degrees in other forms are limited in the number of hours they can work. Specifically, international students are allowed to work a maximum of 20 hours/week, with an average salary of NT$200/hour and NT$16,000/month (VND12.3 million). Meanwhile, the cost of living in small cities is NT$1,000/month and in large cities is NT$2,500 - NT$3,000/month, mainly including food and accommodation.

"Thus, it can be seen that Vietnamese international students will have enough money left over to cover many other living expenses and have a little left over to save," analyzed Master Nguyen Thi Kim Hang.

Besides staying in Taiwan to work, Vietnamese students can also return home with wide-open job opportunities. Because hundreds of Taiwanese projects and companies are coming to connect and cooperate with the labor market in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam. Many companies and recruitment agencies require a basic Chinese proficiency certificate, in addition to English proficiency.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/viet-nam-lien-tiep-dung-dau-ve-so-du-hoc-sinh-tai-dai-loan-vi-sao-185240916101320302.htm