49 Taiwanese universities join education fair in Semarang

Forty-nine universities from Taiwan took part in the Taiwan Higher Education Fair Indonesia organised by the Taiwan Alumni Image Association (Icati) in Semarang, Central Java. Icati Central Java Chairman Fandi Chandra said this year’s fair featured renowned Taiwanese universities, including National Taiwan Normal University, National Tsing Hua University, National Taiwan University, National Chiayi University, Tam Kang University, Ling Tung University, and Nanhua University. He expressed optimism that interest among Indonesian students, particularly from Central Java, in pursuing further studies in Taiwan would continue to grow, partly because education costs, including tuition and living expenses, are relatively affordable. “Tuition fees in Taiwan are not as expensive as one might think. In fact, they are almost comparable to tuition fees in Jakarta. Living costs there are also relatively affordable,” he said. Regarding fields of study, he noted that technology and business programmes are currently the most popular among Central Javanese students due to their broad job prospects in the era of digital transformation. “This is an excellent event because it offers many opportunities, ranging from scholarship information and study programme options to various support facilities during education in the destination country,” he added. The presence of dozens of Taiwanese universities provides an alternative for young people to develop their competencies while broadening their international perspectives. Beyond acquiring knowledge, students also have the chance to build global networks that will become important assets in facing job market competition. “Future challenges require us to prepare a generation that can keep up with technological developments while possessing strong networks at the global level. This event provides ample space for that,” he said. Icati Chairman Hengky Lau added that interest among Indonesian students in pursuing education in Taiwan continues to show a positive trend. According to the latest data from the Indonesian Trade and Economic Office (KDEI) in Taiwan, there are currently 24,120 Indonesian students studying in the country. “Of that number, around 19,000 are undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students. The remainder are high school, vocational school students, and participants in Mandarin language centre programmes,” he said.