Despite the global competitiveness of colleges and universities to attract and enroll international students, Taiwan has experienced a notable surge of foreign students for higher education in recent years. Existing research identified Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy (NSP) as a major contributing factor towards the growth of foreign students. This policy was purposefully designed to influence Taiwan’s commitment to agriculture, education, and technology among the six states in South Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. This qualitative study explored factors that influence international students from outside the Asian Pacific decision to study in Taiwan. Data was collected via semi-structured interviews to gain insights into international students’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors, university selection, preparation process pathways, and overall satisfaction with studying in Taiwan. Data obtained were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach to generate the study’s findings. The results show that the scholarship opportunities due to Taiwan’s diplomatic relations with their country and self-development to obtain a higher education degree are the most significant intrinsic and extrinsic factors that influenced foreign students’ decision to study in Taiwan. The experience also allowed them to immerse themselves in a new culture. Additionally, it was found that students’ university choice was based on their own personal interests and the preparation process for university is not challenging. Overall, their university experience was found to be a great one. Implications emphasized the need for higher education institutions in Taiwan to have resources to continue attracting international students to remain competitive in the internationalization of higher education.

Authors:
Jenelle Morris, National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Ms. Jenelle Morris is currently a doctoral student in Education Studies at the National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.

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