Taiwan universities shift to more English and offer alternative to Confucius Institutes

After increasingly stretching its authority in Hong Kong, China has begun to target Taiwan. That places Taiwan in a position of needing to cultivate allies as well as needing to find a different major source of students for its universities.

Taiwan has depended on large numbers of Chinese students enrolling in its universities but now, with a decline in its own Taiwanese student demographics and tensions growing between China and Taiwan, Taiwan expects to see continued decline in prospects. Taiwan education leaders are now shifting more of the curriculum to English in order to be more attractive to international students. Instruction in English isn't only attractive to first language English speakers, but also a draw for students who speak other first languages but want to master English and see it as a ticket to opportunity and prosperity. The goal of a $35.5 million investment is for 50% of students to be bilingual within 10 years.

In another move to increase Taiwan's prominence as a higher education provider, Mandarin centers are springing up. A government spokesperson said "it's growing network in the West 'will offer overseas learners a free and democratic alternative to learning Mandarin,' with an emphasis on 'Taiwanese characteristics.'"