A Taiwanese higher education fair co-organized by the National Chi Nan University (NCNU) drew over 4,000 participants during its two-day run this September in Vietnam. Now in its fourth year, the fair is expected to generate significant results for the educational side of Taiwan’s Southeast Asian pivot.

The Taiwan Education Fair 2018 was held at the University of Dan Nang on Sept. 28, and at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities (HCMUSSH) on Sept. 30. Representatives of 39 Taiwanese universities ― 13 public, 26 private ― pointed out that the questions fielded at this year’s fair were more detailed and well thought-out, and can be taken as an indication of deeper interest in Taiwan’s educational system.

The annual fair is spearheaded by the Taiwan Education Center in Ho Chi Minh City, which was established in 2008 by NCNU and HCMUSSH with support from Taiwan’s Ministry of Education. The Taiwan Education Center has helped many Vietnamese nationals complete their post-graduate and doctoral degrees in Taiwan, especially since the launch of the fair in 2014.

Liang Kuang-chung, director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Ho Chi Minh City, lauded the educational ties being forged between Taiwan and Vietnam as an important cornerstone of Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy. Liang added that in his six years of service at Ho Chi Minh City, he has witnessed the return and subsequent employment of many Vietnamese graduates from Taiwan’s academic system.

NCNU professor Yang Chen-sheng added that the Vietnamese students under his care were not only dedicated to their studies, but also respectful to their teachers and mentors, and he has been delighted to hear news of their career advancements upon returning home.

In recent years, many NCNU alumni of Vietnamese heritage have taken up prestigious positions as teachers, scholars, secretaries, and directors at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

In planning for the next edition of the Taiwan Education Fair, NCNU shall take into account the economic and industrial trends of Vietnam to help foster new talent and meet demand for growing sectors such as human resources, sales management, and food quality control.