One of the world’s toughest challenges today is eradicating poverty, and that challenge is an indispensable part of sustainable development. NCUE not only actively subsidizes students from low-income households to ensure upward social mobility and increase their chances of developing a bright future, but also attaches great importance to the poverty-eradication measures for students from low-income or middle-low-income countries. The following NCUE’s projects help students from low- or lower-middle-income countries pursue their studies in Taiwan:

1. NCUE formulates relevant plans, scholarships, and bursaries.

NCUE has formulated and continues to implement scholarships and bursaries for economically disadvantaged students from lower-middle-income countries, (e.g., Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand, Nepal, Eswatini, etc.). The financial aid includes the following:

(1) Grants for Overseas Taiwanese Students in Financial Need: Providing support for overseas Taiwanese students from underprivileged backgrounds who are dedicated to their studies. (Please refer to Annex 1.3.5A)

(2) Graduate School Scholarship for Outstanding Overseas Taiwanese Students: Encouraging outstanding overseas Taiwanese students to return to NCUE for graduate studies. (Please refer to Annex 1.3.5B)

(3) Foreign Students Scholarship: Attracting outstanding foreign students to enroll in degree programs at NCUE and encouraging foreign students on campus. (Please refer to Annex 1.3.5C)

(4) Guidelines for Research Scholarship for Excellent Doctoral Students: Encouraging outstanding and research-capable doctoral students. (Please refer to Annex 1.3.5D)

(5) The Ministry of Education’s TEEP (Taiwan Experience Education Program): Attracting more outstanding young individuals from advanced countries or emerging markets to come to Taiwan. (Please refer to Annex 1.3.5E)

2. NCUE grants subsidies as it implements the plans continuously.

In 2024, NCUE provided financial assistance to 236 students from low-income or lower-middle-income countries, with subsidies totaling NTD$13,417,967. Related statistical data can be found in Table 1, 2, and Annex 1.3.5F. Furthermore, to enhance the internationalization of Taiwan’s higher education and provide concrete support for international students from low-income or lower-middle-income countries in their studies and career development in Taiwan, NCUE has been implementing the Ministry of Education’s “Pilot Program of Professional Employment Guidance for International Students in Taiwan” since 2024. This program employs diverse measures to assist international students studying in Taiwan in transitioning to the workplace in Taiwan, primarily targeting students from developing countries (such as Indonesia and Malaysia), and providing free and effective support services for economically disadvantaged international students.

The program integrates key resources including language learning, internship matching, career guidance, and employment services, with dedicated bilingual staff providing one-on-one assistance. For international students from economically disadvantaged families, the program specially provides career lectures, enterprise visits, mock interviews, and résumé reviews, and regularly shares recruitment information from key industries to help them grasp employment opportunities in Taiwan. To date, the program has organized seven career lectures, four résumé review sessions, four mock interviews, three enterprise visits, and one international student job fair, providing career guidance to over 100 participants.

Additionally, NCUE is planning to collaborate with companies such as Siliconware Precision Industries Co., Ltd. to design internship courses and is negotiating cross-disciplinary corporate training programs to help international students gain early exposure to real workplace environments, accumulate practical experience, and enhance their employment competitiveness. According to current tracking data, 14% of international graduates from NCUE have successfully remained in Taiwan for further studies or employment, with the majority coming from Southeast Asia and South Asia and other lower-middle-income countries, reflecting promising outcomes.

In the future, NCUE will continue to strengthen its support measures, providing systematic and individualized assistance for students from low-income or lower-middle-income countries. These efforts aim to achieve educational equity, cultivate diverse international talent for Taiwan, and promote sustainable connections in regional and global education and development.

Table 1. Schedule of Subsidies for Students in Need from Low-Income or Lower-Middle-Income Countries