In order to encourage overseas students to study Chinese in Taiwan, the Ministry of Education (MoE) introduced a number of scholarship and bursary schemes a few years ago, and these schemes are now gaining popularity amongst overseas students. The number of students studying Chinese language in Taiwan this summer has increased by 12 per cent, reaching the highest number of students over the last seven years.
The weekly bursary is USD 57 for Asian students and USD 90 for non-Asian students. Applications are open for groups referred by overseas institutions and high schools. Currently there are 13 hosting institutions offering Chinese language courses of various lengths, ranging from one week to two months.
According to MoE, the most active countries participating in the schemes are Japan, the USA, and South Korea. This year the bursaries have been awarded to student groups from ten countries, and the scheme is expected to continue to support more students coming to Taiwan for short-term Chinese language study in future.