The “2023 Taiwan-Thailand Higher Education Exhibition” was held in Bangkok this year from August 26-27 with the goal of broadening the cultivation of outstanding talent in Taiwan and Thailand, and encouraging more diversified academic exchange opportunities between the two countries. With Taiwan’s Representative to Thailand, Mrs. Hsiu-Mei Hsueh, and NPUST President Chin-Lung Chang taking the lead, a group of 76 administrators participated in the event. The top-level personnel represented National Taiwan University, National Tsing Hua University, National Chengchi University, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Tamkang University, Ming Chi University of Science and Technology, Yi Shou University and other 32 public and private colleges and universities in Taiwan. The exhibition showcased the advantages of Taiwan’s higher education while providing school introductions, course descriptions, application guidance, and scholarship information to the visitors. Thai alumni and Thai students currently studying in Taiwan were also invited to share on their experiences in Taiwan. More than 2,800 Thai teachers, students, parents and education professionals visited the fair, which turned out to be a complete success.
In her opening speech, Minister Hsiu-Mei of the Taiwan Representative Office in Thailand noted that Taiwan’s higher education has gained international recognition over the years, and she pointed out that the number of Thai students studying in Taiwan hit a record high in 2022, reaching 4,047. With these numbers, Thailand is Taiwan’s sixth largest source of foreign students.
National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) President Chin-Lung Chang thanked the Thai government and the Taiwan Representative Office in Thailand for their assistance and guidance, adding that “we hope that all participating teachers, students, and parents would seize the opportunity that the education fair afforded to interact with Taiwan school representatives and obtain information about studying in Taiwan. Academic interaction between Thailand and Taiwan has been going on for many years, and the two sides enjoy active exchange and knowledge sharing, with an academic partnership based on a profound international friendship. NPUST is honored to serve as a two-way bridge connecting education in Taiwan and Thailand, and contributing to the cultivation of international talents. We strongly encourage Thai students to come to Taiwan to experience the dedication that NPUST’s seven colleges have towards innovation and sustainable development”.
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, from 2020 to 2022 the Taiwan-Thailand Higher Education Fair was held online. This year, however, the fair was held in its regular fashion in Bangkok, Thailand. At the venue, the students were very enthusiastic about connecting with Taiwanese universities. Kitjabhorn Kanokhong and Aphisada Yen, who are currently juniors in college, expressed their strong interest in the idea of studying in Taiwan. There were also many Thai college students looking to study Chinese as their second or third foreign language at the fair looking for an opportunity to come to Taiwan. Since the cultural environment in Taiwan is similar to that of Thailand, the students will be able to adapt quickly once they arrive for studies. In addition to the many students at the exhibition, there were also Thai teachers there to help students find the right opportunities. Thai high school teacher, Pariyanee Asumpinpon, said that she wanted to know more about university courses in Taiwan because Taiwan is currently very high in the world university rankings (Quacquarelli Symonds, QS); and she hoped recommend opportunities study in Taiwan to her students.
NPUST has also been operating the Thailand Taiwan Education Center since 2013. The center serves as a link for education between Taiwan and Thailand, while promoting exchange and cooperation, providing information related to courses and scholarships, and encouraging Thai students to apply for enrollment at Taiwan schools. NPUST is located in southern Taiwan, where its climate and geographical features have been advantageous to the development of tropical agriculture. The energy for research and development exhibited by the teachers at the school is continuously leading to improvements in many tropical crops, and the development of suitable farming methods based on local conditions.
The Thai government believes that through excellent education, the people will become the driving force for national development; and since agriculture is the foundation of economic development, they hold high regards towards NPUST for its strengths in scientific and technological agriculture. The two parties have been cooperating for more than ten years, over which time they have opened up Taiwan-Thailand Higher Education Offices in various parts of Thailand to help more Thai students get connected with schools in Taiwan. And thanks to its continuous cultivation of talent in higher education, Thailand has already transitioned from being an agricultural society to becoming the second largest economy in Southeast Asia. Along with globalization trends, NPUST is not only promoting talent exchanges between Taiwan and Thailand, but also working to share Taiwan’s high-quality higher education with the world, with hopes of attracting more outstanding foreign students to come study at NPUST.
